Sugar-free products are not as innocent as they seem

In recent years, driven by healthy lifestyle trends, sugar-free and diet-labeled products have increasingly appeared on shelves. Many people looking to manage their weight or reduce their sugar intake are confidently consuming these products. However, experts warn that the artificial sweeteners and additives in these products can pose serious long-term health risks.

Speaking to Cumhuriyet, dietitian Gürkan Hınız noted that while many products marketed under the label "sugar-free" offer consumers a healthy alternative, some can contain high amounts of additives like sweeteners and colorants instead of sugar. He said, "At this point, we need to get into the habit of reading labels and choosing a product after carefully considering its ingredients. Products labeled as sugar-free can also create a perception in consumers that they're eating very healthy, so I might as well not pay attention to portion sizes. Therefore, we should be more cautious about the term 'sugar-free,' which manufacturers often use as a marketing ploy."

'THE DOSE SHOULD NOT BE OVERDOSE'

Hınız emphasized that natural sweeteners like stevia, honey, and date extract are extracts of plants that contain high levels of many sugar groups. "Of course, they need to be positioned in a much better position than artificial sweeteners," he said. "But we still shouldn't rely on the word 'natural' and overdo it on these nutritional ingredients."