Does Sugar-Free Really Mean Sugar-Free?

When something is “diet” or “sugar free” it simply means that other chemicals have taken the place of the actual sugar. But the body’s process is still the same!

“Sugar Free” Does Not Equal Healthy (and more startling facts about artificial sweeteners) When a packaged food is touted as “Sugar Free,” that oftentimes means the real sugar has been left behind and replaced with an artificial sweetener. This is yet another reason why it is so important to always read ingredient labels.

No sugar or ingredient containing sugar was added during processing or packaging. ( Also: without added sugar or no sugar added. ) Products with sugar claims often contain a sugar substitute or low-calorie sweetener. This is how they can contain less sugars but maintain the sweetness expected in the food or drink.

For a product to be labelled ‘sugar-free’, it should contain no more than 0.5 grams of those sugars in a single serving. Furthermore, the food must also be low in calories, in contrast to its ‘sugared’ counterpart, i.e. a product that has not been labelled ‘sugar-free’.

What is sugar free product?

What is a ‘Sugar-free’ product? Sweet products (like candy bars, sweets, soft drinks, chocolates, etc.) that we buy from stores and markets are artificially sweetened by adding sweet additives (which can either be artificially synthesized compounds or natural sweeteners).

For a product to be labelled ‘sugar-free’, it should contain no more than 0.5 grams of those sugars in a single serving. Furthermore, the food must also be low in calories , in contrast to its ‘sugared’ counterpart, i.e. a product that has not been labelled ‘sugar-free’.

More commonly known as a ‘sugar substitute’ in everyday life (which is technically inaccurate), it is basically a food additive that provides a similar sweet taste (if not sweeter) to that of sugar without adding as many calories as regular sugar would. In fact, there are some substitutes that do not add calories or carbohydrates at all!

According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a government body tasked with maintaining the standards of food and medicine in the US, all of the sugar that we find in foods are ‘one and two-unit sugars’; table sugar (sucrose), brown sugar, dextrose, lactose and honey are a few examples of ‘one and two-unit sugars’.

In fact, there are some substitutes that do not add calories or carbohydrates at all! There are two main kinds of sweetening agents: sugar substitutes (aspartame, neotame, acesulfame potassium, stevia, saccharin and sucralose are the six FDA-approved substitutes) and sugar alcohols (like maltitol, xylitol and isomalt).

Although it’s undeniable that making the switch from sugary items to sugar-free food products CAN be beneficial in the short term by curbing your calorie intake, continuing the same practice for months or even years on end can actually be quite detrimental to your wellbeing.

Contrary to popular belief, sugar substitutes are just a type of sweetening agent, and aren’t the sole additives used in sugar-free items to make them sweet. While sugar alcohols do contain some calories and carbohydrates, sugar substitutes add almost no calories and therefore do not cause a spike in blood -sugar levels of the consumer.

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