Sugar-free drink warning as expert says 'zero' versions could carry health risks

Experts are sounding the alarm over sugar-free beverages, suggesting they could do more harm than good. In the quest to stay trim by cutting calories, many people reach for "zero" or diet drink alternatives, oblivious to possible hidden health hazards.

Spanish nutritionist Sandra Moñino has highlighted the need for caution when selecting drinks. Sharing her insights on the podcast "Con Jengibre y Limón" (With Ginger and Lemon), she, alongside co-host María Pérez Espín, expressed particular concern about children's high consumption of sugar-laden drinks.

Cope Radio reported on their discussion, with Sandra noting: "A carbonated drink can contain up to 40 grams of sugar. It's crazy." This is in stark contrast to the World Health Organisation's (WHO) recommended daily sugar limit of 25 grams.

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María added: "At any restaurant you go to, all the children have a carbonated drink on the table, whether it's orange, lemon, or cola."

For Sandra, one of the big problems is that the consumption of these sodas is not publicly discouraged or prohibited for children leaving them exposed to excessive sugar consumption.

She continued: “So we normalise that children can drink this type of beverage. And I even see that many times they say, well if not, the zero version.” However, this was where she issued her warning.

Sandra argued that zero-calorie drinks often contain sweetener levels that surpass what you might expect, being even sweeter than their sugary counterparts. She pointed out, "Zero drinks contain excessive amounts of sweeteners. They include sweeteners that are even banned in other countries, such as acesulfame-K, aspartame, and cyclamate, which are artificial sweeteners that sweeten up to 400 or 600 times more than sugar."

Elaborating, Sandra said, "Imagine a spoonful of sugar and how sweet it is; now imagine something 600 times sweeter than that spoonful of sugar—that's how sweet the sweetener is."

All three sweeteners mentioned—acesulfame-K, aspartame, and cyclamate—are permitted for consumption in products within the UK market. The NHS has stated that these sweeteners have been deemed "safe and acceptable" for public consumption.

The health body says: "All sweeteners in Great Britain undergo a rigorous safety assessment before they can be used in food and drink. All approved sweeteners are considered a safe and acceptable alternative to using sugar. The law determines how much sweetener can be used and in which products."

Furthermore, there is an established protocol to ensure people's safety, with the government setting: "As part of the evaluation process, the government sets an acceptable daily intake (ADI), which is the maximum amount considered safe to consume each day over the course of your lifetime."

To reassure consumers, it adds: "You do not need to keep track of how much sweetener you consume each day, as our eating habits are factored in when specifying where, and in what quantity, sweeteners can be used."

The World Health Organisation has raised concerns over aspartame, classifying it as a "possible carcinogenic" for humans which could increase the risk of cancer. They have set an acceptable daily intake at 40 mg per kilogram of body weight.