Are Sugar-Free Foods Actually Healthy?

Sugar-free foods are not the same as carbohydrate-free foods, and that single confusion is behind a lot of unexpected readings.

A sugar-free biscuit is still made of flour. Sugar-free mithai is still made of khoya, besan or flour, and often more fat than the original. Replacing the sweetener changes one ingredient; it does not change what the rest of the food does to your blood glucose.

The WHO's 2023 guideline on non-sugar sweeteners — the group that includes aspartame, sucralose, saccharin, stevia and acesulfame K — advises against using them for weight control or to reduce disease risk, because replacing sugar with them does not help with weight in the long term. The recommendation is graded conditional, not strong.

The practical position: treat sugar-free as a small help with one ingredient, not as permission. Check the total carbohydrate on the pack, and keep the portion the size you would have chosen anyway.