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.
Findings from meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials revealed that these sweeteners also reduced daily energy intake by 136 calories and daily sugars intake by 38.4 grams.
Epidemiologist and cardiologist Dr. Christopher Labos says some of the WHO’s claims about harm are slightly “overblown.”
“If you look overall, you saw that signal for maybe an increased heart risk and increased stroke risk and higher blood pressure and all the things that are alarming people. But if you contain yourself to just the randomized trials, which are usually considered to be better quality studies, there actually wasn't any increased risk,” said Labos in an interview with CTV News Channel on Tuesday.
“There actually was a small benefit, it's just that the weight loss associated with these artificial sweeteners was less than one kilogram about 1.5 pounds, ” he added.
The guideline refers to all modified non-nutritive sweeteners that are not classified as sugars and found in manufactured foods and beverages or sold separately to be added to foods and beverages.
Common non-sugar sweeteners include acesulfame K, aspartame, advantame, cyclamates, neotame, saccharin, sucralose, stevia and stevia derivatives.
Labos says that differences between non-randomized and randomized trials impact the outcome. “The other thing to keep in mind too, is that when you're doing this in a non randomized fashion, you don't really know if people are substituting out sugar for non-sugar sweeteners. In the randomized trials, you can be very clear that you're basically giving people you know the equivalent of a Coke versus a Diet Coke.”
“It’s really unclear in the non randomized data if you're actually studying what you want to be studying. I think there's a little bit of equivocation and uncertainty about how much real weight we should be put on this potential increased cardiovascular risk with these products,” he said.
These guidelines only focus on non-sugar sweeteners in food and drink. Artificial sweeteners in personal care and hygiene products -- such as toothpaste, skin creams, medications, or low-calorie sugars and sugar alcohols (polyols)--sugars or sugar derivatives containing calories -- are not a part of the recommendation.
"People need to consider other ways to reduce free sugars intake, such as consuming food with naturally occurring sugars, like fruit, or unsweetened food and beverages,” says Francesco Branca, WHO director for nutrition and food safety.
Branca recommends that people should reduce sweetness in their diet completely and as early as possible.
King Charles III’s doctors are 'sufficiently pleased' with his cancer treatment and he is expected to return to public-facing duties, Buckingham Palace announced on Friday.
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief said her headdress was taken from an airplane cabin this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the incident 'unacceptable' and a 'mistake' on the part of Air Canada.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Health Canada issued recalls for various items this week, including kids’ bathrobes, cribs and henna cones.
A pair of Montreal designers' work has now been viewed over 41 million times. Taylor Swift dons a Victorian throwback black gown in her latest music video, 'Fortnight', designed by UNTTLD due Simon Belanger and Jose Manuel Saint-Jacques.
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
A CSIS officer's allegations that she was raped repeatedly by a superior in agency vehicles set off a harassment inquiry, but also triggered an investigation into her that concluded the alleged attacks were a “misuse” of agency vehicles by the woman.
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief said her headdress was taken from an airplane cabin this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the incident 'unacceptable' and a 'mistake' on the part of Air Canada.
A CSIS officer's allegations that she was raped repeatedly by a superior in agency vehicles set off a harassment inquiry, but also triggered an investigation into her that concluded the alleged attacks were a “misuse” of agency vehicles by the woman.
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
After prosecutors' lead witness painted a tawdry portrait of “catch-and-kill” tabloid schemes, defence lawyers in Donald Trump's criminal trial on Friday sought to dig into an account of the former publisher of the National Enquirer and his efforts to protect Trump from negative stories during the 2016 election.
A Ukrainian court on Friday ordered the detention of the country's farm minister in the latest high-profile corruption investigation, while Kyiv security officials assessed how they can recover lost battlefield momentum in the war against Russia.
The practice of giving sedatives to people detained by police has spread quietly across the U.S. over the last 15 years, built on questionable science and backed by police-aligned experts, an investigation led by The Associated Press has found.
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Egypt sent a high-level delegation to Israel on Friday with the hope of brokering a ceasefire agreement with Hamas in Gaza, two officials said. At the same time, it warned that a possible Israeli offensive focused on Gaza's city of Rafah -- on the border with Egypt -- could have catastrophic consequences for regional stability.
A court in Romania's capital on Friday ruled that a trial can start in the case of influencer Andrew Tate, who is charged with human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief said her headdress was taken from an airplane cabin this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the incident 'unacceptable' and a 'mistake' on the part of Air Canada.
Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault says the world can solve its plastic problem without insisting on hard caps on plastic production.
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Health Canada issued recalls for various items this week, including kids’ bathrobes, cribs and henna cones.
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.
TikTok is in the crosshairs of authorities in the U.S., where a new law threatens a nationwide ban unless its China-based parent ByteDance divests. Here are the places that have partial or total bans on TikTok.
The Hubble Space Telescope has captured a stunning new image of the glowing gas ejected from a dying star, which in this case happens to resemble a 'cosmic dumbbell.'
After years of delays and a dizzying array of setbacks during test flights, Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft is finally set to make its inaugural crewed launch.
A pair of Montreal designers' work has now been viewed over 41 million times. Taylor Swift dons a Victorian throwback black gown in her latest music video, 'Fortnight', designed by UNTTLD due Simon Belanger and Jose Manuel Saint-Jacques.
Ellen DeGeneres is reflecting on how her talk show came to an end. The comedian began performing her 'Ellen's Last Stand…Up Tour' this week, her first major project since 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' finished its run in 2022.
Courteney Cox's longtime partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in a therapy session.
The federal and Quebec governments are spending close to $100 million to boost the country's manufacturing capacity for semiconductors, which are vital in technologies ranging from artificial intelligence to quantum computing.
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Ford’s electric vehicle unit reported that losses soared in the first quarter to US $1.3 billion, or US$132,000 for each of the 10,000 vehicles it sold in the first three months of the year.
A Polish pilot proposed to his flight attendant girlfriend during a flight from Warsaw to Krakow, and she said yes.
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Canada's Denis Shapovalov advanced to the third round of the Madrid Open tennis tournament with a 7-6, 6-3 win over Argentina's Tomas Etcheverry on Friday.
Skinner has confidence of his coach, but playoff goaltending a concern for Oilers
Resting on top of an audio speaker just inside the entrance to the Winnipeg Jets' locker-room sits a reminder of what the NHL team is fighting for.
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Ford’s electric vehicle unit reported that losses soared in the first quarter to US $1.3 billion, or US$132,000 for each of the 10,000 vehicles it sold in the first three months of the year.
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
A property tax bill is perplexing a small townhouse community in Fergus, Ont.
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
A family from Laval, Que. is looking for answers... and their father's body. He died on vacation in Cuba and authorities sent someone else's body back to Canada.
A former educational assistant is calling attention to the rising violence in Alberta's classrooms.
The federal government says its plan to increase taxes on capital gains is aimed at wealthy Canadians to achieve “tax fairness.”
At 6'8" and 350 pounds, there is nothing typical about UBC offensive lineman Giovanni Manu, who was born in Tonga and went to high school in Pitt Meadows.
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Police in Vancouver are appealing for witnesses to come forward after a serious crash Thursday left one man in hospital with life-threatening injuries.
It’s National Infertility Awareness week, which brings attention to a medical condition that impacts one-in-six adults in B.C.
An 11-year-old boy struck by a transport truck in Etobicoke on Friday morning suffered critical injuries and is receiving treatment at a Toronto trauma centre, police say.
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
King Charles III’s doctors are 'sufficiently pleased' with his cancer treatment and he is expected to return to public-facing duties, Buckingham Palace announced on Friday.
Canada's largest cosplay parade is back in full force, returning to city for the 10th time on Friday.
Calgary police are asking the public for help finding a missing woman last seen in Falconridge.
Former Calgary mayor and current NDP leadership candidate Naheed Nenshi says the Alberta government is operating out of spite with new legislation that would grant it sweeping powers over municipalities, including the right to fire councillors, overturn bylaws and postpone elections.
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry has issued a flood watch for the Pembroke, Ont. area.
The Ottawa Police Service is asking the public for help locating a missing woman, citing concern for her well-being.
A Montreal-area family confirmed to CTV News that the body of their loved one who died while on vacation in Cuba is being repatriated to Canada after it was mistakenly sent to Russia.
A pair of Montreal designers' work has now been viewed over 41 million times. Taylor Swift dons a Victorian throwback black gown in her latest music video, 'Fortnight', designed by UNTTLD due Simon Belanger and Jose Manuel Saint-Jacques.
Parks Canada said on Thursday that it was ending its pilot project and reinstalling garbage cans along the Lachine Canal Historic Site.
An Alberta RCMP officer has been charged with child sexual exploitation offences.
Skinner has confidence of his coach, but playoff goaltending a concern for Oilers
A two-vehicle crash is affecting Highway 28 traffic in Sturgeon County Friday morning.
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.
Maritime motorists are paying more for gas in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, but less in New Brunswick.
Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers arrested two Nova Scotia residents at the New Brunswick border after they seized multiple prohibited firearms.
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief said her headdress was taken from an airplane cabin this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the incident 'unacceptable' and a 'mistake' on the part of Air Canada.
A Winnipeg city councillor has formally apologized for using the term “bicycle Nazis” to describe a cycling advocacy group at a meeting earlier this month.
A public inquest into the death of a Saskatchewan teenager who was found unresponsive in a creek east of Regina in 2015 will take place in May.
RCMP have made two arrests in connection to a homicide investigation in southeast Saskatchewan.
Aimed to provide students with more support for their mental health and well being, the “Mental Health Capacity Building” (MHCB) program provides more counselling staff in schools that hope to identify and intervene mental health issues students may be facing soon than later.
One person has been taken to hospital after a fire in Guelph.
An elderly Guelph driver has been charged after hitting a woman pushing a stroller.
Flames could be seen coming from a vacant leather factory in Kitchener once again late Thursday night.
Saskatoon city council is making road safety improvements following the death of a cyclist at a busy intersection last year.
A Crown prosecutor says the former RCMP officer who shot and killed his lover should be sentenced to life in prison.
A private Christian school at the centre of a civil lawsuit and several criminal cases might soon be taken over by an affiliated group, according to a letter obtained by CTV News.
Two hunters from North Bay, Ont., and a third from Temagami pled guilty recently to offences they committed during a 2022 moose hunt.
A month after an accidental fire forced more than 100 people out of their apartments at the Empire Complex in Timmins, residents are now dealing with being victims of theft.
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Back in March, Sarnia police started an investigation into the man who they said was trafficking, procuring and coercing a female victim to provide sexual services that he was financialy benefiting from.
A garage in south London is being described as a “total loss,” after a fire Thursday night. Crews were called to the scene at 129 Base Line Road west around 111:05 p.m. where they found heavy smoke and flames when they arrived.
An unknown number of people have been taken to hospital following a crash in Oxford County. OPP are on scene of the two-vehicle crash at 37th Line and Road 74 in Zorra.
A man is in serious condition after being struck by a train near Alliston.
Faking a caller identity has never been so easy.
New doctor will expand services at the Georgian Bay Family Health Team.
Windsor police have arrested two people after seizing $120,000 in illegal drugs.
A former high school teacher who just finished one trial is now facing another.
The City of Windsor is letting the public know about lane restrictions on three busy streets.
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
British Columbia's Opposition leader says community safety should come before protection of privacy rights for dangerous people.
A CSIS officer's allegations that she was raped repeatedly by a superior in agency vehicles set off a harassment inquiry, but also triggered an investigation into her that concluded the alleged attacks were a “misuse” of agency vehicles by the woman.
An emaciated dachshund is now recovering thanks to a Good Samaritan who found the pup near a biking trail in Kelowna, according to the BC SPCA.
Search and rescue crews have been called in after a vehicle belonging to a missing senior was located near a rural intersection outside of Kelowna Tuesday.
Major crime detectives in British Columbia are investigating a suspected homicide after a body was found in a remote area southeast Kelowna over the weekend.
A former University of Lethbridge student has been awarded the Medal for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Equity by NASA.
The Okotoks Oilers bounced back against the Bandits Wednesday night, defeating Brooks 4-1.
It’s not even May 1 and the fire risk for southern Alberta is already alarming.
Some members of the Garden River First Nation are demanding answers regarding the disbursement of the Robinson-Huron Treaty settlement funds.
The Ontario Provincial Police, in partnership with the Treaty Three Police Service, have charged a suspect with murder following a homicide in a remote northwestern Ontario community.
A 15-year-old in Sault Ste. Marie has been charged following an incident on Bay Street on Tuesday.
Cenovus Energy has been ordered to pay a $2.5-million fine for its role in the largest offshore oil spill ever recorded in Newfoundland and Labrador.
As more Canadians find themselves struggling to afford or find housing, the country's smallest province is the only one that can point to legislation recognizing housing as a human right.
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
