[Consumption of carbonated beverages with nonnutritive sweeteners in Latin American university students].

INTRODUCTION: Consumption of carbonated beverages with nonnutritive sweeteners (NNS) is increasingly common in order to maintain a healthy weight, but the effect of NNS on body weight is controversial.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: University students (n=1,229) of both sexes aged 18 to 26, of which 472 were from Chile, 300 of Panama, 253 from Guatemala and 204 of Peru. Each student was applied a frequency survey of weekly food consumption supported by photographs of beverages with NNS from each country to determine the intake of them. Also they underwent anthropometric measurements.

RESULTS: 80% of these students consumed carbonated beverages with NNS, none of them exceeded the acceptable daily intake for sucralose, potassium acesulfame and aspartame. Increased consumption in both men and women was observed in chilean students (p.