For people who need to control sugar intake—such as those with diabetes or high blood sugar—sweeteners offer more diverse food options.
The development of sweeteners was precisely to meet the practical need of “wanting sweetness without the health burden.” In recent years, popular sweeteners have included erythritol, steviol glycosides, mogroside, and the new sweetener “D‑allulose,” among others.
Sweeteners are among the most thoroughly researched and strictly evaluated categories of food additives.
Since their introduction more than 100 years ago, the safety of sweeteners has been repeatedly verified by more than 100 countries and numerous international food safety authorities. They have been recognized by authoritative international bodies including the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
However, sweeteners do not “cancel out an unhealthy diet” nor are they a license to overindulge in high‑calorie foods. The key to a healthy diet remains rational food combination and balanced nutrition. People should not assume that drinking sugar‑free beverages and eating sugar‑free foods allows unrestricted eating, especially for individuals with diabetes.