People often turn to artificial sweeteners or sugar substitutes to reduce the amount of sugar and calories in the diet. Artificial sweeteners are found in a variety of food and beverages. Just look at any product which has the words 'sugar free' or ‘diet' and you can be sure it contains an artificial sweetener. They can be found in ice creams, flavoured yoghurt, sweets and candies, juices and chewing gums and many other processed foods.

So what are these sweeteners and how do they affect our diet and health?

Sweeteners are classified as natural and artificial. Stevia is a natural sweetener. Manufacturers however, process and refine Stevia, yet claim that it is natural. On the other hand some sweeteners like sucralose (which comes from sugar) are classified as artificial. Classification aside, sugar substitutes are no magic pills when it comes to weight loss.

Diet beverages:

Diet soda claims to have 140 calories less than the regular version. Sounds good right? Ditching that many calories and yet enjoying your favourite soft drink. However, the citric acid in these beverages destroys teeth enamel. Phosphoric acid, citric acid and tartaric acid are some of the ingredients in diet sodas and packed fruit juices that damage teeth. Regular consumers of these drinks show enamel erosion as much as drug addicts who take meth regularly. Shocking indeed! Another effect of these sweeteners is that they have a more intense flavour than natural sugar. Over a while, the sense of taste gets dulled so that you find items with natural sugar tasteless (e.g. Fruits). Artificial sweeteners are known to behave like sugar and trigger an insulin response. This causes the body to store fat, leading to unhealthy weight gain.

The mind connection

Regular intake of artificial sweeteners confuses the insulin response. Another drawback is, thinking you can be free with your diet since you are not consuming too many calories. It may be easy to justify that samosa at tea time or that extra slice of cheese with your burger.

If you do have to depend on sweeteners, remember that moderation is key. They are no magic potion for a quick weight loss. More often than not, you tend to put on weight from the other high calorie ingredients in these sugar-free foods. Just because a food item is claimed to be sugar free does not mean that it is low in calories or free of unhealthy calories. Most often these processed foods are not wholesome. Instead stick to a healthy balance of whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables. This keeps you healthy, at a right weight and keeps your blood sugar levels stable.