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Bitter sweet truth

Sugar-free products might be designed just for diabetics but experts say it is the calories that need a check

PHOTO: R. ESWARRAJ

TEMPTED? Consult your doctor first

It starts when we are kids. Parents constanly avoid giving us sugar, because simply it gets us high. Perhaps we are born with a sweet tooth but through adulthood the tooth often becomes quite painful. It is worse if you are diagnosed diabetic, the to oth just simply grows out of proportion.

To cater to exactly this populace, sugar-free products have flooded the market in the last few years and seems like an answer to the prayers of many a diabetic. But do take the sin-free promise with a pinch of salt.

The demand for sugar-free ice creams, chocolates, cakes and biscuits speak volumes for their popularity. Owners of retail stores say the demand for these products is greater than the supply. Taiyab, General Manager, Motisham, which has the Nilgiris franchise in Mangalore, says there is a great demand for sugar-free products, especially among the elderly. “We have a range of sugar free products ranging from juices, biscuits, and chocolates to peanut butter. There is a very good market for these products. But the supply is less than the demand.”

Rajendran, Cashier at the Kankanady branch of Cochin Bakery says all the outlets of the bakery in the city stock sugar-free products. “There is very good demand for these products. But the agents don’t have enough of them,” he says. Some customers are thrilled to find even sugar-free ice creams or chocolates on the counter. “One customer had not eaten sweets for six years until he picked up some chocolates from here.”

Even as we celebrate the choice these products offer diabetics, there is a need for caution. These products are called sugar-free only because no sugar is added while making them. But, cream and milk are often used generously in their preparation, caution experts and these get converted to sugar after consumption. Dr. Raviraj Acharya, Professor of General Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, says it is the calorie content of these products that diabetics need to watch out for.

“We prepare a diet plan for our diabetic patients. For a healthy, office-going diabetic adult, the recommended diet will be about 1,800 calories a day. If this person has his regular meal and a sugar free ice cream on top of that, it will cross the recommended calorie limit,” he says.

Read the fine print on these products. Written in small letters, behind most of these products, especially the ice creams, is a statement: “Not suitable for children.” Dr. Acharya says artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and saccharin which are used in many of these products have been found to be carcinogenic, especially for children. So, pampering your taste buds occasionally with these creamy chocolaty delights may be okay, as long as you watch out for the calories consumed. “Daily consumption of any diet product is best avoided,” says Dr. Acharya. Always follow the golden rule — before biting into that tempting dark chocolate or devouring a melting ice cream consult your doctor.

SAVITHA SURESH BABU

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