What's Healthier: Sugar or Artificial Sweeteners?
For years, my clients have been asking me: "Is it better to eat 'sugar-free' yogurt? Or, yogurt with fruit on the bottom with all that sugar? What about sugar in my coffee? Sugar-sweetened beverages, such as soft drinks?"
My answer has alway been, to my clients' surprise, "A little sugar won't hurt. Eat the yogurt you enjoy the most, even with a little jam on the bottom! And a little sugar in your coffee shouldn't hurt." New scientific research may prove I've been right all along.
Artificially sweetened beverages and foods are seen as guilt-free pleasures, because they are lower in calories - or even zero calories - compared to other foods. You may think of them as a great choice when you're trying to lose weight or trying to keep blood sugar in check. But some surprising new research suggests that artificial sweeteners might actually do the opposite.