May 16, 2023
In new set of guidelines released on Monday, the World Health Organization (WHO) says non-sugar sweeteners (NSS) such as aspartame and stevia do not help with weight control in the long term and pose an increased risk of chronic diseases.
The WHO says findings from a systemic review show that non-sugar sweeteners do not offer any long-term benefit in reducing body fats in adults or children when supplemented for added sugars.
On the contrary, non-sugar sweeteners increased the risk of cardiovascular diseases by 32 per cent, strokes by 19 per cent, and precursor hypertension by 13 per cent.
Higher consumption of non-sugar sweeteners showed a 10 per cent increase in the risk of death from any cause and a 19 per cent in risk of death from cardiovascular diseases but no association of death from cancer.