Why You Must Avoid ‘Sugar-Free’ Foods

Warning! You may be eating sugar without even knowing it! Want to know more? In this article, I will tell you whether all those items that are promoted as being 'sugar-free' are really sugar-free or not!

2. Artificial sweeteners- Sucralose: Artificial sweeteners are those chemicals which taste sweet, but are virtually carb-free. Foods made with artificial sweeteners are good for people who suffer from diabetes or obesity, because artificial sweeteners don't contain even an iota of sugar. However, these foods should be consumed moderately, else you may experience temporary problems like headaches, stomach aches, migraines and depression. One example of such artificial sweetener is sucralose.

3. Natural Sweeteners- Stevia: This is another sweetener which is not harmful for your health. Stevia is generally carb-free. There are several advantages of stevia over sucralose. First of all, unlike sucralose, stevia is a natural sweetener. Secondly, there is no report of any negative effects caused by it. Though it might be just too sweet for your tongue - to the point of becoming bitter!

4. Sugar alcohols: There are some foods such as maltitol, sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, erythritol, lactitol, and hydrolyzed starch hydrolysates, which are neither sugars nor alcohols. For want of a better name, they are called sugar alcohols. They are widely used as sugar substitutes in foods. The main advantage of sugar alcohols is that they are only partially digested in the liver, which is why they contribute a very small amount of sugar and carbohydrates to our body, and hence, don't cause a huge spike in blood sugar and insulin levels. This is the reason why they are recommended especially for diabetics. There is much confusion over how much carbs are present in sugar alcohols. Some say that they are carb-free, others opine that they contain a low amount of carbs, still others say that carbs should be counted even when you are consuming sugar alcohols. In my opinion, if you eat sugar alcohols moderately, there is no reason to panic.

Also, the effects of sugar alcohols differ from person to person. Some people find that their blood sugar levels increase to a high level even if they consume a low amount of sugar alcohols. Other say that their blood sugar levels are not affected at all regardless of how much sugar alcohols they consume. Like I said earlier, moderation is the key to avoid any harm.