“Sweeteners are a useful weapon for the sweet taste without increasing calories.”

-the International Sweeteners Association (ISA) reiterates that there are no health risks arising from the consumption of food and drinks which contain sweeteners authorised

Madrid, 2011-August according to the DRA. Pilar Riobo, specialist in Endocrinology and nutrition, and Associate Chief of the service of Endocrinology and nutrition of the Hospital-Fundación Jiménez Díaz of Madrid, scientific research has shown that foods and drinks that contain low and no calorie sweeteners can help people manage their calorie intake. In this sense, the expert noted that various studies show that people who use low products and without calories tend to be healthier diets.

All authorised sweeteners have passed serious scientific studies to evaluate its safety, and thanks to its sweet taste and consumption does not increase the caloric intake, are a useful weapon in the fight against obesity. The expert in Endocrinology and nutrition, Pilar Riobo collaborated in the latest issue of the publication of Coca-Cola Spain, is news, however, pointed to combat obesity, it is necessary to carry out multidisciplinary treatment, in which sweeteners is always associated with a balanced dietand a change in the behavior of eating habits and increased physical activity. Also said that sweeteners are a useful weapon for the sweet taste without increasing calories ” and people who use low products and without calories tend to make diets healthier ”.

According to the DRA. Riobo, a scientific study conducted earlier showed that the participants in the same, consumed 15% less calories when sources of sugar were being replaced by aspartame (Porikos et to the.). Similarly, other research has shown that after a year of monitoring the use of low sweeteners and without calories associated with weight loss, increased physical activity and decreased the desire for sweet food (Kanders et to the.). In this regard, another study further found that people who used sweeteners maintained better weight lost after three years of assessment (Blackburn et to the.).

For more than 30 years, the food industry has developed different types of low sweeteners and without calories, with the main objective of replacing the sugar (sucrose) table. With regard to the different types of sweeteners can be found, the specialist has highlighted that saccharin, marketed since 1978, adds calories; Aspartame is between 180-200 times sweeter than sucrose, and only small amounts are needed to sweeten foods and beverages; potassium acesulfamo is 200 times sweeter than sugar; Sucralose is about 360 times sweeter and can not be absorbed, so it does not add calories; the neotamo is 10,000 times sweeter and the cyclamate is 30 times sweeter than sucrose. Of the latter, relatively small amounts are needed to sweeten foods and beverages, so their caloric intake in the diet is negligible.

Recent meeting in Brussels of experts

At the same time, the Conference of the International Sweeteners Association (International sweeteners Association), held recently in Brussels, highlighted that low sweeteners and calories consumed continuously, as substitutes of sugar in food and beverage, can play a significant role in weight loss when necessary, and in the maintenance of a healthy weight.

The Conference, which brought together eminent experts in nutrition, obesity and food safety to discuss the role and benefits of sweeteners and investigate some of the issues that surround them, concluded that they offer an effective solution to meet our natural desire for sweet food without contributing excessive calories consumption and weight gain.

In this regard, the expert participants in the meeting emphasized that current scientific data and the results of numerous experts and independent analysis shows constantly that there is no evidence of risk on the consumption of these substances on health, and argue otherwise can help promote that will abandon a valuable weapon in the fight against obesity ”.

The International Sweeteners Association (International sweeteners Association) is a non-profit recognized by the European Commission, national and international regulatory authorities and the World Health Organization (who) and is non-governmental observer status in the Codex Alimentarius Commissionthat sets food standards at the international level.

(*) Press release based on the articles contained in is news (No. 15), scientific publication published with the collaboration of Coke Spain.

References:

-Porikos KP, Hesser MF, Van Itallie TB. Caloric regulation in normal-weight men maintained on a palatable diet of conventional foods. Physiol Behav. 1982; 29: 293-300

-Kanders BS, Lavin PT, Kowalchuk M, Blackburn GL: Do aspartame (APM) – sweetened foods and beverages aid in long-term control of body weight? (Abstract) AmJ ClinNutr 1990; 51: 515

-Blackburn GL, Kanders BS, Lavin PT, Keller SD, Whatley J: The effect of aspartame as part of to multidisciplinary weight control program on short-and long-term control of body weight. AmJ ClinNutr 1997, 65:409±418.