The Truth About Sugar-Free Foods: Expert Insights

Nutritionist Sarah Di Lorenzo warns that sugar-free foods may not be the healthy choice they appear to be, as they often replace sugar with artificial sweeteners and processed additives that carry their own health considerations.

According to Di Lorenzo, products labeled “sugar-free” must contain less than 0.5 grams of sugar per serving under FDA guidelines, but to maintain sweetness, manufacturers frequently use artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, sucralose, or saccharin, or natural substitutes like stevia and monk fruit.

While these alternatives provide sweetness with minimal or no calories, Di Lorenzo emphasizes that the long-term health effects of regularly consuming these ingredients remain a topic of ongoing research and debate among health professionals.