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That said, some experts are skeptical over the purported health risks and note artificial sweeteners are .

Are artificial sweeteners bad for you?

For now, the WHO 鈥渞ecommends against鈥� using non-sugar sweeteners for weight management, it said . This doesn鈥檛 include people with pre-existing diabetes, who may prefer the sweeteners as a sugar alternative as it has .

In the long term, the review found a higher intake of sugar substitutes was associated with weight gain, 鈥渋ncreased risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and all-cause mortality.鈥�

That said, the paper admits it has 鈥渧ery low to low certainty鈥� of this evidence. It also found sugar-free sweeteners led to 鈥渟mall reductions鈥� in body fat in the short term, though this petered out in the long run.

Some experts are questioning the findings. 鈥淭he evidence is not that good鈥� in the studies they reviewed, said David Jenkins, Canada research chair in nutrition and metabolism and a professor at the University of Toronto.

Jenkins noted that performed by his colleagues at U of T suggested the opposite 鈥� that , have no significant health harms and helped with weight loss.

Sugar alternatives are 鈥渂asically a calorie reduction, and low calorie beverages seem to be not a bad option 鈥� at least compared to soft drinks,鈥� he said.

The WHO did not respond to the Star鈥檚 requests for comment by time of publication.

What are sugar substitutes?

Sugar substitutes are products that taste sweet like sugar, but come with little or none of the attached calories. They come from a myriad of different sources 鈥� some are naturally occurring, like stevia, while others like aspartame are synthetic.

These sweeteners 鈥渁re not essential dietary factors and have no nutritional value,鈥� said Francesco Branca, WHO Director for Nutrition and Food Safety, in the release. 鈥淧eople should reduce the sweetness of the diet altogether, starting early in life, to improve their health.鈥�

The WHO鈥檚 guidance encompasses all naturally-occurring, synthetic or modified non-sugar sweeteners. Common examples include: acesulfame K, aspartame, advantame, cyclamates, neotame, saccharin, sucralose and stevia and stevia derivatives.

Are artificial sweeteners healthier than sugar?

Although artificial sweeteners contain fewer calories than sugars, that doesn鈥檛 necessarily make them the better choice 鈥� they have far less nutritional value, for instance, compared to natural sugar sources like honey or maple syrup, said Gerry Kasten, a lecturer on food, nutrition and health at the University of British Columbia.

After reading the WHO report, Kasten told the Star: 鈥淚 still feel that (artificial sweeteners) are safe, and 鈥� but given the options, why do we need them?鈥�

Even diabetics, the people who ostensibly benefit most from sugar substitutes, are allowed a certain amount of sugar a day, Kasten continued. Here, they could substitute healthier sugars like honey instead.

鈥淎nd if people want to drink soda pop that’s sweetened with non-nutritive sweeteners, there’s a wide variety of health effects (from drinking soda) that have nothing to do with sugar,鈥� he said.

How can I lose weight instead?

At the end of the day, if you鈥檙e looking to be healthier, you鈥檙e better off sticking to water and unsweetened foods instead, Kasten said. If you get the craving for sweets, try a little bit of honey or natural syrup, he continued. The WHO also recommends naturally sugary snacks like fruit.

鈥淭here really is no benefit to (artificial sweeteners),鈥� Kasten said. 鈥淚 don’t see a place for them in the diet.鈥�