Are the sweeteners in diet drinks safe? Thousands of people suffer from diabetes and obesity problems in the world, which forces them to especially control their diet. In this regard, many people wonder, are the sweeteners in sugar-free drinks really harmless? A report published in the scientific journal Nutrición Hospitalaria includes a decalogue on the use and safety of low-calorie and no-calorie sweeteners.
The so-called Declaration of Chinchón has a clear objective: to offer the scientific community concrete data on sweeteners and establish the necessary guidelines so that specialists can recommend their consumption with an accredited basis. As Gregorio Varela, professor at the CEU San Pablo University, points out on this type of compounds, ” all the toxicity and safety tests are carried out and therefore we should not have any concern in this regard .” In fact, in the words of the specialist himself, “there are few components in the diet that have a safety evaluation process as exhaustive as sweeteners.”
There are currently ten authorized sweeteners in Europe. In fact, many people have left sugary foods and drinks aside in front of others seasoned with these substitutes, because as the report points out, combining them with the practice of physical activity and a healthy lifestyle can play a very important role in the loss and maintaining a healthy weight.
However, many people do not trust this type of food in the doubt that they may contain compounds that end up being harmful to health. In this regard, Pilar Riobó, doctor in Medicine and specialist in endocrinology and nutrition, affirms that “people with diabetes can perfectly take sweeteners since they are safe for them and prevent the rise in blood glucose levels that occur after intake of foods with sugar or foods with a high glycemic index ”. But in addition, the specialist explains that “ sweeteners allow us to maintain that sweet taste while being sure that they can be used and without raising blood glucose . What’s more, sweeteners can be used by diabetic women who get pregnant, even perfectly by diabetic children ”.
The document has been presented in Brussels within the framework of the Congress of the International Sweeteners Association and has had the collaboration of the Foundation for Nutritional Research, the Department of Health of the Government of the Community of Madrid, the International Sweeteners Association and the CIBER of Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition of the Carlos III Health Institute.
