The Veterinary Public Health Branch, in cooperation with the Continuing Education Unit at the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Baghdad, organized a scientific symposium on artificial sweeteners, their benefits, and harms, in which the lecturer, Dr. Fouad Kamel, lectured and in the presence of a number of college teachers.
The symposium aimed to introduce the attendees to the various types of sweeteners, whether natural or industrial, which are used in sweetening different types of food and food drinks, which have spread their use recently, especially industrial and these sweeteners are known as sugar substitutes, which contain low or no calories, the most famous of which are aspartame Samarin and sucralose.
The lecturer pointed out in the symposium that the benefits of these sweeteners are to reduce calories and be useful for people seeking to lose weight as they are a safe alternative for diabetics do not raise sugar levels and prevent tooth decay as well as it is suitable for special diets as it is used in low-carbohydrate diets such as keto diet.
The most important harms are their effect on the digestive system and increased appetite and that some sweeteners such as saccharin and aspartum raised controversy about their potential relationship to health risks such as cancer, but this has not been conclusively proven and that moderation is the solution as artificial sweeteners are safe if they are used within the limits determined by the health authorities FAO and WHO and that excessive intoxication is counterproductive and one of the most important recommendations is that artificial sweeteners offer many benefits but are not free of risks and It is best to use it with caution and according to need.
This symposium achieves one of the sustainable development goals represented by the second goal, which calls for ending hunger, achieving food security, and promoting sustainable agriculture.