Non-sugar sweeteners are often used in a wide variety of beverages, desserts, and breakfast foods.

While the jury is still out on specific health effects of using these sugar alternatives, the World Health Organization (WHO) says there are two purposes for which they shouldn’t be used.

The WHO has released a new guideline recommending against using non-sugar sweeteners to control body weight or reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases. The recommendation comes after a review of available research, which the organization says suggests there are no long-term weight loss benefits with the sweeteners’ use and that they may also increase the risk of diseases including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, as well as possibly increasing mortality.

Francesco Branca, WHO Director for Nutrition and Food Safety, says, “Replacing free sugars with [non-sugar sweeteners] does not help with weight control in the long term. People need to consider other ways to reduce free sugars intake, such as consuming food with naturally occurring sugars, like fruit, or unsweetened food and beverages. [Non-sugar sweeteners] are not essential dietary factors and have no nutritional value. People should reduce the sweetness of the diet altogether, starting early in life, to improve their health.”