The World Health Organization (WHO) has emphasized not to use non-sugar sweeteners (NSS) or artificial sugar substitutes to lose weight or avoid non-communicable diseases.
The organization announced this on the 15th by issuing a new guideline.
The organization has also presented facts regarding aspartame, saccharin, stevia and other substitutes which are considered as a ‘healthy’ alternative to sugar.
In its ‘conditional’ guidelines, the WHO has suggested that non-sugar sweeteners should not be used for weight control or to reduce the risk of food-borne non-communicable diseases.
The organization says long-term use of non-sugar sweeteners may have unwanted effects on the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and increased mortality in adults.
The World Health Organization recommends that people consider other ways to reduce sugar intake, such as using unsweetened foods and beverages, and eating naturally sugary foods such as fruit.
It was only after 2015 that more attention was paid to non-sugar sweeteners.
With the WHO saying that excessive sugar intake is linked to weight gain and obesity, consumers are turning to non-sugar sweetener substitutes as an alternative.
Non-sugar sweeteners (NSS) are marketed as sugar-free, low-sugar, or calorie-free options that aid in weight loss and blood glucose control in people with diabetes.
Therefore, many people are inclined to use these.
The World Health Organization reviewed 283 studies that assessed the health effects of non-sugar sweeteners in adults, children and pregnant women.
It has also been found that non-sugar sweeteners do not help with long-term weight control.
Meanwhile, a survey conducted jointly by the Colombo Medical Research Institute, the Institute of Health Policy and the Colombo Ruhuna Rajarata University revealed that Sri Lanka is the country with the highest number of diabetes patients in Asia in terms of population ratio.
Accordingly, in Jaffna as well as in the northern and eastern provinces and the western province, the rate of diabetes patients is high.
According to the survey, 31% of the elderly population in the Colombo district has diabetes.
According to the survey team, one out of every 3 adults is a diabetic patient.
According to them, one out of every four adults in Sri Lanka has diabetes. It is a percentage of 23%.
According to a survey conducted by Colombo, Ruhuna and Rajarata universities in 2019, one out of every three people had received treatment for diabetes.
According to these data, the Institute of Health Policy predicted that considering the state of service delivery in the health sector which is now broken, it will be impossible to prevent millions of Sri Lankans from falling victim to diabetes within the next few years.
According to the study conducted by the Institute for Health Policy, obese people as well as those living in comfortable urban areas were more prone to diabetes.
The researchers also revealed that over a million Sri Lankans live without knowing that they have diabetes.
