Humans have an evolutionary preference for sweetness. Sweet foods, such as fruit and honey, were an important source of energy for our ancestors.
However, in the modern world, sweetened foods are readily available, very cheap, and widely advertised. Now, we are consuming too much sugar in food and drink, the kind that is added instead of natural sugar.
Consuming too much added sugar is bad news for your health. It is linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes and tooth decay.
Because of these health concerns, manufacturers began using non-nutritive sweeteners to sweeten foods as well. These sweeteners contain little or no kilojoules and include both artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, and those from natural sources, such as stevia.
Our research, published today, shows that the amount of added sugars and non-nutritive sweeteners in packaged foods and drinks has grown dramatically over the past decade. This is particularly true in middle-income countries such as China and India, as well as in Asia Pacific, including Australia.
From candies to cookies and drinks
Using market sales data from around the world, we analyzed the amount of added sugar and non-nutritive sweeteners sold in packaged foods and beverages from 2007 to 2019.
We found that the volume per person of non-nutritive sweeteners in beverages is now 36 percent higher globally. Added sugars in packaged foods are 9 percent higher.
Non-nutritive sweeteners are most commonly added to confectionery. Ice cream and sweet cookies are the fastest growing food categories for these sweeteners. The increasing use of added sugars and other sweeteners over the past decade has made our packaged food supply generally sweeter.
Our analysis shows that the amount of added sugar used to sweeten drinks has increased globally. However, this is largely explained by a 50% increase in middle-income countries such as China and India. Use has declined in high-income countries such as Australia and the United States.
Men are recommended to consume less than nine teaspoons of sugar a day, while women should consume less than six. However, because sugar is added to so many foods and drinks, more than half of Australians exceed recommendations, eating an average of 14 teaspoons a day.
The shift from using added sugar to sweeteners to sweeten beverages is most common in carbonated soft drinks and bottled water. The World Health Organization is developing guidelines on the use of sugar-free sweeteners.
Rich and poor countries
There is a difference in the use of added sugar and sweetener between richer and poorer countries. The packaged food and beverage market in high-income countries has become saturated. To continue growing, large food and beverage corporations are expanding into middle-income countries.
Our findings demonstrate a double standard in the sweetening of the food supply, with manufacturers offering less sweet and “healthier” products in wealthier countries.
Unexpected consequences of control
To reduce the health damage of high intake of added sugar, many governments have acted to curb its use and consumption. Taxes on sugar, education campaigns, advertising restrictions and labeling are among these measures.
But these actions may encourage manufacturers to partially or completely replace sugar with non-nutritive sweeteners to avoid penalties or cater to evolving population preferences.
In our study, we found that regions with a higher number of policy actions to reduce sugar intake had a significant increase in non-nutritive sweeteners sold in beverages.
Why is this a problem?
While the harms of consuming too much added sugar are well known, relying on non-nutritive sweeteners as a solution also carries a risk. Despite their lack of dietary energy, recent reviews suggest that consumption of non-nutritive sweeteners may be linked to type 2 diabetes and heart disease and may alter the gut microbiome.
And because they are sweet, ingesting non-nutritive sweeteners influences our taste buds and encourages us to want more sweet food. This is of particular concern to children, who are still developing their taste preferences throughout life.
In addition, certain non-nutritive sweeteners are considered environmental pollutants and are not effectively removed from wastewater.
Non-nutritive sweeteners are only found in ultra-processed foods. These foods are industrially produced, contain ingredients you wouldn’t find in your home kitchen, and are designed to be “hyper appetizing.” Eating more ultra-processed foods is linked to more heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer and death.
Ultra-processed foods are also harmful to the environment because they use important resources such as energy, water, packaging materials and plastic waste.
Foods containing sweeteners can be given a “health halo” if they are sugar-free, misleading the public and potentially displacing nutritious, whole foods in the diet.
Focus on nutrition
When making policy to improve public health nutrition, it is important to consider unintended consequences. Rather than focusing on specific nutrients, there is merit in advocating for a policy that considers the broader aspects of food, including cultural significance, level of processing, and environmental impacts. This policy should promote nutritious and minimally processed foods.
We need to closely monitor the increase in the sweetness of food and drinks and the increasing use of added sugars and non-nutritive sweeteners. It is likely to shape our future taste preferences, food choices, and human and planetary health.
Cherie Russell, PhD Candidate, Deakin University; Carley Grimes, Senior Lecturer in Population Nutrition, Deakin University; Mark Lawrence, Professor of Public Health Nutrition, Institute of Physical Activity and Nutrition, Deakin University; Phillip Baker, Research Fellow, Institute of Physical Activity and Nutrition, Deakin University, Deakin University, and Rebecca Lindberg, Postdoctoral Researcher, Deakin University.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.