The World Health Organization (WHO) published a 74-page report today (Tuesday) that declared that artificial sweeteners not only fail to reduce weight and body fat in adults and children, but also do not reduce the risk of chronic diseases and may have a negative effect on health if they are used inappropriately. long.

The organization's guidance states that sugar should also be avoided, but the use of non-sugar sweeteners (NSS) poses an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and mortality among adults. The organization advised people around the world to "consider other ways to reduce the intake of free sugars, such as consuming foods with natural sugars such as fruit, or consuming unsweetened foods and beverages."

Among the artificial sweeteners mentioned in the guidelines are derivatives of acesulfame K, aspartame, advantame, cyclamates, neotame, saccharin, sucralose and stevia. At the same time, the entire report did not provide specific facts about stevia, the natural plant and food additive that the Ministry of Health in Jerusalem approved for consumption 11 years ago.

The World Health Organization report said two randomized controlled trials (RCTs) conducted in children reported lower rates of cavities with stevia use.

"NSS are not essential nutrients and have no nutritional value. People need to completely reduce the sweetness of their diet, starting early in life, to improve their health."

"NSS are not essential nutrients and have no nutritional value. People should completely reduce sugar early in life, to improve their health," stated Francesco Branca, WHO Director of Nutrition and Food Safety.

High consumption of free sugars has been linked to obesity and overweight, which affect nearly 40% of the world's adult population and millions of children, as well as diet-related chronic diseases, which are among the leading causes of death worldwide, the World Health Organization stated.

The World Health Organization stated that its recommendations apply to "all people except people with existing diabetes, and include all synthetic sweeteners that have undergone non-nutritional changes and are not classified as sugars found in food and beverages."

The report also does not apply to care and hygiene products that contain NSS, such as toothpaste, skin cream and medicines or low-calorie non-sugars and sugar alcohols (polyols) which are sugars or sugar derivatives that contain calories and are therefore not considered NSS.

No response to the report was received from the Israeli Ministry of Health.