Sugar- free foods....good or bad?

When you see something that has a "sugar-free" on it, do you think healthy?

Normally, that's what I think....

WRONG.

In the beginning, I wrote a blog on sugar. We talked about natural sugar, which is found in things such as fruit and milk. Natural sugars are not bad for you, although too much sugar is bad for you no matter what kind. It is best for your body to consume those kinds of sugars. But what about items that are considered "sugar-free?"

First of all, it is important for people to realize that just because something says sugar-free, doesn't mean it is. An example of this is Sugar-free Oreos. In this article by "Eat This, Not That!" it says although most of the sweetness of the sugar-free Oreos comes from alternate sources of sugars like artificial sweeteners or sugar substitutes, they also contain sources of sugar such as milk. Therefore, the sugar-free Oreos still technically contain sugar.

When it comes to artificial sweeteners, be careful. They are tricky. Your body responds differently to artificial sweeteners and they also alter the taste of food. If you are someone who eats foods with artificial sweeteners often, then this might cause you to want to avoid more sweet foods, such as fruits, and absolutely hate unsweet foods, such as vegetables. As a result, you may loose out on the nutrients in those foods because you won't want to eat them. If you need more explanation, click on this article.

There are certain artificial sweeteners that companies are okay to use from the FDA, and some that are not. You can find a list here.