Researchers present evidence that sweeteners can aid sugar reformulation

17 Oct 2019 --- Low and no calorie sweeteners can aid a reduced-calorie diet, ultimately helping to manage and prevent conditions such as diabetes and obesity. This is according to various researchers who are presenting their findings during a symposium organized by the International Sweeteners Association (ISA) entitled Low calorie sweeteners in the human diet: Scientific evidence and recommendations about their use and benefits. This is part of the 13th European Nutrition Conference (FENS 2019), held from October 15-18 in Dublin, Ireland, and comes as industry faces increasing amounts of pressure to reformulate sugary products.

“People innately enjoy sweet tastes. However, research indicates that excess consumption of sugars may increase the risk of weight gain. In turn, this is a risk factor for developing or exacerbating adverse health conditions, such as diabetes or cardiometabolic risk. Lifestyle changes to help decrease the risk of overweight are an important goal for a great proportion of the world’s population at this time,” an ISA spokesperson tells NutritionInsights.

Jason Halford, Professor at the University of Liverpool, highlights how low and no calorie sweetened beverages allow consumers to keep enjoying a palatable diet, while reducing or managing calorie intake. This allows people to align the two potentially conflicting goals of hedonic eating and successful weight management. His study also found that frequent consumers may use low and no calorie sweetened beverages as a successful strategy to control food – and thus calorie – intake when in a state of craving. These diet beverages allowed consumers to feel more in control and less guilty about what they were consuming. 

Meanwhile, Anne Raben, Professor at the University of Copenhagen, shares the results of comprehensive systematic reviews and meta-analyses published in recent years. These suggest that low and no calorie sweeteners could lead to relatively reduced calorie intake (compared to sugar) in both children and adults. The results also found that the sweeteners do not affect blood glucose control, meaning that they induce a lower blood glucose rise after their consumption compared to sugar-containing foods and drinks.

Additionally, Margaret Ashwell of Ashwell Associates emphasizes that low and no calorie sweeteners can play a role in dietary approaches to help in the prevention and management of diabetes and obesity, as long as they are used as part of an overall healthy and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. These findings represent the outcomes of a consensus workshop on low and no calorie sweeteners that took place in November 2018. 

From a policy perspective, the experts who participated in the workshop suggested the need to help reconcile legislative discrepancies by seeking a common understanding of the role of low and no calorie sweeteners in the diet by policy makers, scientists and regulatory experts. ItThere are no magic bullets for solving the obesity crisis.would also be helpful to review the regulatory hurdles that impede product development and reformulation designed to reduce sugars and calories, experts highlighted.

Pressing need for reformulation
As the rates of obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including diabetes and dental issues, continue to increase worldwide, UN Member States have called upon the private sector to contribute to reducing NCDs risk factors, says the spokesperson. The UN notes that this could be done through creating health-promoting environments by “reformulating products to provide healthier options that are affordable and accessible and that follow relevant nutrition facts and labeling standards.”

“From a wider public health perspective, a challenge as encompassing as obesity requires an equally inclusive approach based on the best available scientific evidence. They are not magic bullets and cannot address the global challenge of obesity as such and on their own, as also pointed out by experts. However, low and no calorie sweeteners are a helpful option in food and drink reformulation in support of addressing this public health challenge,” the spokesperson continues. 

They argue that sweeteners provide a simple way to meet recent dietary guidelines recommending the reduction of excessive sugar consumption without affecting the enjoyment of sweet-tasting foods and drinks. This is vital as, in contrast to the roaring success of the UK Soft Drink Industry Levy (SDIL), which saw sugar in soft drinks fall by 29 percent from 2015 to 2018, the food industry is lagging far behind with an average reduction of just 2.9 percent. 

“Low and no calorie sweeteners are a useful option for manufacturers to help achieve products with less sugar and fewer calories, while still being palatable to consumers. Furthermore, evidence shows that low and no calorie sweeteners provide people with, or at risk of diabetes with a greater choice of foods and drinks that are suitable for them. Also, as these types of sweeteners are non-fermentable ingredients so they cannot be broken down by oral bacteria and thus do not contribute to tooth decay,” the spokesperson concludes. 

However, the consumption of artificially-sweetened drinks has been associated with an increased risk of overall death in comparison to those who do not drink soft drinks at all. Additionally, a recent study argued that aspartame has not been adequately proven to be safe for human consumption. The researchers warn that the food industry needs to progressively diminish the sweetness of its products, rather than shifting to sweeteners. 

By Katherine Durrell