Sweeteners in our diets and World Health Organization guidelines on free sugars intake

<p>Osama O. Ibrahim</p>

Sweeteners in our diets and World Health Organization guidelines on free sugars intake

Osama O. Ibrahim

Bio Innovation, USA

: J Food Nutr Disor

Abstract

World Health Organization (WHO) refers to monosaccharides of glucose, fructose, and disaccharides of sucrose, maltose that added to foods, drinks, baked goods and confectioneries, plus sugars presents in honey, fruit juice and fruit juice concentrates as a free sugars or added sugars because there is strong evidence of high risk of overweight, obesity and tooth decay from consuming of these type of sugars. WHO does not refer to naturally sugars present in fresh fruits, vegetables and milk as free sugars but refer to them as natural sugars or intrinsic sugars because they are encapsulated by plants cell wall or naturally occurred in milk and are digested slowly to inter blood stream comparing to free sugars and there is no reported evidence of adverse effects from the consumption of these naturally present sugars in fruits, vegetables, grains, milk or milk products. WHO study group in 1984 recommended the daily consumption (intake) of free sugars should be less than 10% of total daily energy source to reduce the risk overweight, obesity and tooth decay. This 1984 WHO guideline was further elaborated in 2002 by a joint WHO/ FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) expert consultation. The new updated WHO guideline is calling for further reduction (if possible) the consumption of these free sugars to less than 5% of total energy source to halt the rise of diabetes, obesity and to reduce the burden of premature death due to communicable diseases (NDCs). Sugars metabolic pathways and WHO regulations of free sugars intake will be highlighted in this presentation.