WHO advises against the use of sweeteners in diets. Let’s find out why!

The WHO has recently updated the guidelines discouraging the use of non-sugar sweeteners. Let's find out why and what are the alternatives.

The World Health Organization , better known as WHO, recently made changes to its guidelines advising against the use of sweeteners for those on a diet.
On the basis of some scientific studies, the WHO would in fact have considered sweeteners as not very useful for dietary purposes and harmful in other respects.
Here, then, is what emerged and included in the new guidelines .

WHO rejects non-sugar sweeteners

Let's start by clarifying which are the sweeteners that according to the WHO should be avoided. Among those mentioned are acesulfame K, aspartame , cyclamates, saccharin, sucralose, advantame, stevia and other derivatives.

Following the analysis of some studies, the WHO allegedly realized that in the long term, replacing sugar with so-called artificial sweeteners would be useless for diet purposes and, indeed, over time could lead to collateral. Just recently it emerged for example that erythritol (but not included in the study) can lead to intestinal inflammation and damage to the heart.

Finally, it is important to clarify that the study was not extended to diabetes patients who use sweeteners to avoid sugar consumption. This category of people, at the moment, has in fact been excluded from the studies.
Furthermore, the new guidelines, at least for the moment, have been understood only as suggestions to be reinterpreted on a case-by-case basis and country by country. Probably, more definitive statements will come after new studies.

What are the alternatives to sweeteners

An important fact that should not be underestimated and which has been raised several times in the declarations made by the WHO concerns the importance of food education aimed at reducing sugars and, even more, the need for sweet flavours. In this sense, the use of sweeteners is certainly not helpful, pushing to insert the necessary quantity and therefore leading to often very sweet products.

A valid alternative would therefore be to use what are the so-called natural sweeteners such as, for example, fruit or honey. For example, preparing desserts with bananas, stewed apples, figs or other sugary fruits is a good way to eliminate sweeteners without having to use sugar. The same can be said of honey.

Another alternative may be to mix the use of natural sugars with that of sweeteners, trying to reduce the latter more and more. In this way, by dosing the quantity more and more until it disappears completely, one could learn to get used to very sweet flavours, reducing the consumption of sugars to the point of being able to use them (except for diseases that prevent it) in small quantities in the diet. everyday. Something that when you are out would lead you to feel satisfied much sooner or even find some foods too sweet which, consequently, would then be avoided.

A fact that is definitely worth reflecting on, especially if what you are aiming for is a healthy and balanced food style and which certainly includes conscious management of all the foods we deal with every day.

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