Guideline / position statementindependent cross-checkfull text checked★ key study I-SOD-08 in-depth review
WHO on non-sugar sweeteners
WHO advises not to use non-sugar sweeteners for weight control in newly released guideline (Use of non-sugar sweeteners: WHO guideline, 2023) — news release
Overview
World Health Organization. WHO news release 2023
WHO advises not to use sweeteners for weight control, because no long-term benefit was shown; possible harms may be confounded.
Does the study support the specific claim? Partly · Methodological quality: high
Plain-language summary
Study explained simply
- What did the researchers want to find out?
Should NSS be used for weight control/NCD risk reduction?
- How was the study done?
International guideline (news release read in full).
- How many people, animals or samples were studied?
Not applicable; All people except those with pre-existing diabetes
- What was actually found?
Recommends against NSS to control weight or reduce NCD risk; NSS confer no long-term benefit for body fat; potential undesirable effects (T2D, CVD, mortality) from long-term use; recommendation conditional because observed links might be confounded by baseline characteristics and complicated patterns of NSS use.
- How large was the observed effect?
Not applicable
- What do the results mean in everyday life?
Water or unsweetened drinks are preferable.
- What are the study's limitations?
Conditional; observational evidence for harms
- What does it say about Elawady's specific claim?
Supports C-SOD-10 (no proven benefit); limits C-SOD-06 (confounding).
- Do the results apply to Germany and Europe?
Applies globally.
- What can explicitly not be concluded from this study?
That sweeteners cause disease.
Scientific in-depth review
1. Full reference
- Authors
- World Health Organization
- Journal
- WHO news release
- Year
- 2023
- Identifier
- Verification
- verified – URL fetch 2026-10-25: https://www.who.int/news/item/15-05-2023-who-advises-not-to-use-non-sugar-sweeteners-for-weight-control-in-newly-released-guideline
- Retracted
- no
- Corrections
- none
- Extent checked
- full text
- Conflicts of interest and funding
Not applicable
2. Research question
Should NSS be used for weight control/NCD risk reduction?
3. Study design and population
- Study design
- Guideline / position statement – International guideline (news release read in full).
- Population
All people except those with pre-existing diabetes
- Country
Global
- Period
2023
- Sample size
Not applicable
- Inclusion and exclusion criteria
Based on a systematic review
4. Methods and endpoints
- Exposure / intervention
NSS
- Comparator
Free sugars/none
- Endpoints
Body fat, T2D, CVD, mortality
- Statistical methods
WHO guideline process
5. Actual results
- Results
Recommends against NSS to control weight or reduce NCD risk; NSS confer no long-term benefit for body fat; potential undesirable effects (T2D, CVD, mortality) from long-term use; recommendation conditional because observed links might be confounded by baseline characteristics and complicated patterns of NSS use.
- Absolute risks
not applicable
- Authors' conclusion
Do not use NSS for weight control; reduce sweetness overall.
6. Strengths
- Systematic review-based
7. Weaknesses
- Conditional; observational evidence for harms
8. Risk of bias
- Orienting tool
- none applicable
- Type of assessment
- simplified assessment (abstract only)
- Full formal assessment
- no
- Overall risk of bias
- not assessable
- Rationale
Guideline.
9. Assessment of the statistical interpretation
Not applicable.
10. Relevance to the specific claim
Supports C-SOD-10 (no proven benefit); limits C-SOD-06 (confounding).
11. Independent contrary findings
None.
12. Transferability to Germany and Europe
Applies globally.
13. Overall methodological judgement
Authoritative, cautious.
| Multidimensional assessment | |
|---|---|
| Authenticity of the source | verified |
| Methodological quality | high |
| Risk of bias | not assessable |
| Precision of results | not applicable |
| Directness | direct |
| Reproducibility | replicated |
| Consistency with the overall evidence | mixed |
| Regional transferability | high |
| Adequacy of the interpretation (by the archive) | not applicable |
14. Open questions
Long-term causal effects.
15. Linked fact checks
- One diet soda per day nearly triples the risk of ischaemic stroke and of Alzheimer's dementia. – Studies contradicting or limiting the claim
- Diet soda is not a safe alternative to sugary soda: artificially sweetened drinks are linked to higher mortality, especially circulatory deaths. – Studies supporting the claim