By the KABO Nutrition Team · fact-checked against cited public-health and peer-reviewed sources — see our editorial & nutrition standards and the references below.

Sugar substitutes are not a health food and not a poison — the honest position sits between the two. In 2023 the WHO issued a conditional recommendation against using non-sugar sweeteners for weight control, because the long-term evidence does not show a benefit for body fat. That is a meaningful finding, but it is not the same as saying sweeteners are unsafe. Here is what each type is, and how to decide what you actually care about.

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What the WHO actually said in 2023

This gets misreported in both directions, so it is worth stating precisely. In May 2023 the WHO released a guideline recommending that non-sugar sweeteners not be used to control body weight or reduce the risk of non-communicable disease^[1]. The reasoning: a systematic review found no long-term benefit for reducing body fat in adults or children.

Two qualifications matter. First, the recommendation is conditional, not strong — WHO's own terminology for evidence that is suggestive rather than settled^[2]. Second, it is a recommendation about weight control as a strategy, not a declaration that sweeteners are unsafe at normal intakes. If you use a sweetener because you prefer the taste of your coffee that way, this guideline is not about you.

The evidence pattern itself is genuinely interesting: short-term randomised trials tend to show lower body weight and BMI with sweeteners, while long-term observational studies associate higher intake with increased BMI and obesity risk^[1]. Those point in opposite directions, which is exactly why the guidance is hedged rather than emphatic.

The one thing most people get wrong

The WHO guideline covers stevia and stevia derivatives alongside aspartame, sucralose, saccharin and acesulfame K^[1]. That surprises people, because Indian marketing draws a sharp line between "natural" stevia or monk fruit and "artificial" sweeteners.

Biologically that line is weaker than the packaging suggests. Stevia is extracted and purified through an industrial process; monk fruit likewise. Neither is a leaf you are eating. If your reason for avoiding sucralose is that it is processed, the same objection applies to the alternatives — and if your reason is taste or digestive comfort, that is a perfectly good reason that has nothing to do with which category it falls into.

The types, compared honestly

How to read an Indian sweetener label

• "No added sugar" ≠ "no artificial sweeteners". These are separate claims. A product can be free of added sugar while using sucralose, and vice versa. Read both.
• Check the ingredient list order. Ingredients are listed by weight. If maltodextrin appears near the top, that matters more than the sweetener debate.
• Watch for jaggery and honey positioned as health ingredients. They are sugar. Nutritionally that is fine in small amounts — it is the framing that is misleading.
• If sugar-free products upset your stomach, look for sugar alcohols rather than assuming the sweetener is the problem.

So what should you actually do?

A reasonable reading of the evidence: if you are using sweeteners as a weight-loss strategy, the WHO's point is that the long-term data does not support that expectation^[1] — so build the plan on total diet, protein and fibre instead. If you are using them because you want less sugar in your chai and you like the taste, that is a preference, and normal intakes are within approved limits.

What is not defensible is the marketing position that "natural" sweeteners are categorically fine while synthetic ones are dangerous. The WHO guideline treats them together, and so should you.

Where KABO stands

To be transparent about our own position: KABO uses no artificial sweeteners. That is a formulation choice made because Indian buyers consistently ask for it — not a claim that products using sucralose are unsafe, which would overstate the evidence. The full ingredient list and nutrition panel are printed on the pack, so you can check rather than take our word for it.

For related reading, see how to read a nutrition label in India and how to stop sugar cravings.

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for medical advice. If you have a health condition, are pregnant, or symptoms persist, please consult a qualified doctor or registered dietitian.

Frequently asked questions

Did the WHO say sweeteners are dangerous?

No. The 2023 guideline recommends against using non-sugar sweeteners for weight control or to reduce disease risk, because a systematic review found no long-term benefit for body fat^[1]. It is a conditional recommendation about a strategy, not a safety warning about normal intakes^[2].

Is stevia safer than sucralose?

The WHO guideline covers stevia and its derivatives alongside sucralose, aspartame and the rest^[1], so the "natural versus artificial" line is weaker than marketing suggests. Both are extracted and purified industrially. Choose on taste and digestive comfort rather than on which category sounds cleaner.

Why do sugar-free sweets give me gas?

Almost always sugar alcohols — maltitol, sorbitol and xylitol — rather than the sweetener itself. They are only partly absorbed, so the remainder ferments in the gut. Erythritol is usually the best tolerated of the group. Check the ingredient list if sugar-free products reliably upset you.

Is jaggery healthier than sugar?

Not meaningfully. Jaggery, honey and coconut sugar are sugar, and the trace minerals they contain are present in amounts too small to change the picture. They are fine in small quantities — just do not count them as a health food or assume they behave differently in the body.

Should I switch from sugar to sweeteners to lose weight?

The WHO's specific point is that long-term evidence does not support this working^[1]. Weight management responds more reliably to total calories, adequate protein and fibre for satiety, and consistent meals. A sweetener swap can reduce sugar intake, but treating it as the strategy is where people are usually disappointed.