Artificial sweeteners – yay or nay? What WHO has said

Non-sugar sweeteners or artificial sweeteners are intensely sweet chemicals – up to several hundred times sweeter than sugar – that are used for sweeten food while only adding very little or no calories.

Many diabetics use them in tea or coffee, and there are a large number of packaged foods and beverages that use NSS to offer low-calorie options.

“WHO suggests that non-sugar sweeteners (NSS) not be used as a means of achieving weight control or reducing the risk of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs)," was the main recommendation in the 90-page report released by the global health body earlier this week.

There are several.

• Since artificial sweeteners reduce the number of calories consumed, they could lead to weight loss and reduction in body mass index (BMI) in the short term. However, they have been linked to weight gain in the long run, as per the WHO report.


• As per the report, a higher intake of NSS was associated with a 23 per cent increase in the risk of type-2 diabetes when consumed in the form of beverages, and a 34 per cent increase when added to foods.


• The higher intake of these sweeteners was also associated with a 32 per cent increase in the risk of cardiovascular disease, including a 19 per cent increase in the risk of stroke and a 13 per cent higher likelihood of hypertension.


• Some low-certainty data link the use of artificial sweeteners to bladder cancer and a 25 per cent greater likelihood of preterm birth (when consumed by pregnant women).

The WHO report listed acesulfame K (Ace-K), aspartame, advantame, cyclamates, neotame, saccharin, sucralose, stevia, and stevia derivatives as common NSS.

Coke Zero, Coca Cola's popular drink for weight-watchers, is sweetened with a blend of aspartame and Ace-K. Diet Coke contains aspartameor Splenda.

The guidelines are not applicable to those living with type 2 diabetes, the WHO said.

Dr Anoop Misra, chairman at Fortis C-DOC Hospital for Diabetes and Allied Sciences, said that non-diabetic people should absolutely avoid consuming NSS for weight loss. “Even among diabetics I would recommend it very selectively to those who have good control over their sugars,” he said.

Dr Misra emphasised that erythritol, an NSS which is usually mixed with other artificial sweeteners to give them a more natural flavour, can stay in the body for several days after consumption. "Read the label and avoid it," he advised.

On the other hand, Dr Mohan, the chairman of Dr Mohan’s Diabetes Specialities Centre, took a more moderate position. “It is a very strong statement from the WHO; none of the professional associations says that artificial sweeteners are harmful,” he noted.

He stated that NSS, when consumed in small quantities such as in tea or coffee by diabetics, should not be harmful.