Sugar is said to be the “New Cigarette!”

India’s domestic sugar requirement is estimated to touch record 30 million tons by the year 2020. Sugar contributes to anxiety, depression, hyperactivity; increases risk of blood clots, strokes, fatty deposits in the liver; causes diabetes, weight gain, kidney damage, headache and migraines and tooth decay. Artificial sweeteners are a major part of our diet. They have been extensively studied for their safety and only then approved for long-term consumption. They help in compliance of consumers who are advised not to take sugar in their diets and thus assist in management of diabetes and obesity. The US FDA has approved seven NNS (saccharine, aspartame, sucralose, neotame, acesulfame-K, stevia, monk fruit extract) for use in humans and has classified two of them under generally recognized as safe (GRAS) category. Artificial sweeteners are closely regulated and have passed the necessary checks to be used in foods. Most of them are not metabolized in the body and so are generally considered safe for consumption. When consumed by diabetics in daily acceptable limits, they can help in limiting carbohydrate and energy intake as a tool to manage blood glucose and weight.