Rafael Urrialde de Andrés

Baby foods sold in pouches with spouts — intended to supplement nutritional intake from six months onwards — tend to resemble sugary drinks and milkshakes more than nutritious foods, according to an analysis of products from the UK published in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood, part of the BMJ group. The analysis shows that these products often have a higher sugar content and lower nutritional density than breast milk or infant formula, and frequently lack the texture needed to help babies learn to eat solid foods.

Aspartame, a common sweetener used in many sugar-free foods and drinks, affects the cardiovascular health of mice and monkeys, a study claims. Consuming aspartame increases the animals' insulin levels and contributes to the development of atherosclerosis, the buildup of fatty plaque in the arteries, according to the research article published in Cell Metabolism.

The restriction of sugar during the first 1,000 days of life, starting from gestation, may protect against diabetes and hypertension in adulthood, according to a study published in Science. The research uses data from sugar rationing implemented in the United Kingdom after World War II. The findings highlight the long-term benefits of reduced sugar intake during early development.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) have published a health impact assessment of the sweetener aspartame. Citing "limited evidence" of carcinogenicity in humans, IARC has classified aspartame as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B). For its part, JECFA has not changed the acceptable daily intake of this sweetener, which is set at 40 mg/kg body weight. According to these bodies, with one can of diet soft drink containing 200-300 mg aspartame, a 70 kg adult would need to consume more than 9-14 cans per day to exceed the acceptable daily intake - assuming no other intake from other dietary sources.

Reuters has reported that aspartame, one of the most common artificial sweeteners, will be listed as "possibly carcinogenic to humans" by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an agency of the World Health Organisation, in July.

The WHO has issued a new guideline advising against the use of non-sweetened sweeteners for weight control or to reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases. The recommendation is based on the findings of a systematic review published in 2022.

A study in mice has found that high doses of the sweetener sucralose can reduce the immune response and, under certain laboratory conditions, alter its action against infections or tumours. The results are published in the journal Nature.

A study has associated the consumption of the sweetener erythritol with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, specifically myocardial infarction and stroke. The data are published in the journal Nature Medicine.