Gulf News Sugar substitutes. Few health benefits, but no harm to them

A research study on natural and industrial sugar substitutes has not found any beneficial effects on health, but its use has not caused any damage.

The study, published in the British Medical Journal, was commissioned by the World Health Organization (WHO) to develop guidelines for the use of sugar substitutes, such as aspartame and stevia.

"Unfortunately, we do not have enough data to fully badess the potential benefits and harms of sugar substitutes," said Joerg Mayrboll, chief researcher and director of the Institute of Medical Evidence of the University of Toronto. University of Freiburg in Germany.

"Most studies in this regard are small or concise." We need more and better research on this. "

Meyerbull and his colleagues have collected research on the effects of sugar substitutes on important aspects of health, such as weight and blood sugar.

They finally chose 56 studies, including 35 clinical trials.

Some small studies have shown that sugar substitutes can slightly improve BMI, which measures weight based on height and blood sugar levels.

Two studies showed a very slight improvement in blood sugar levels among the 174 participants using sugar substitutes.

"For the vast majority of people, sugar substitutes have no health benefit," said Dr. Aziz al-Khatib, a cardiologist at the Detroit Medical Center at the Harper Hospital in Michigan.

For those who consume excessive amounts of sugars, especially sugary drinks, the use of a desalination source without calories is the least harmful alternative to health.

"One of the best strategies for losing weight is to drink more water," he said.

"One study showed that switching from sugar-free drinks to water helped women lose weight," he said in an e-mail. And the consumption of sugar is a major obstacle to the development of a healthy diet.