This may be especially true when artificial sweeteners are consumed in large amounts. Some studies have found that substituting sugar-sweetened food and beverages with those that have been artificially sweetened may not be as beneficial as once thought. But remember that other ingredients in foods that have artificial sweeteners can still affect your blood sugar level.
In fact, most artificial sweeteners are considered 'free foods.' Free foods contain less than 20 calories and 5 grams or less of carbohydrates, and they don't count as calories or carbohydrates on a diabetes exchange. Sugar substitutes don't affect your blood sugar level. This is why foods made with artificial sweeteners may have fewer calories than those made with sugar. Because of this, it takes only a small amount of artificial sweeteners to sweeten foods.
Artificial sweeteners are many times sweeter than sugar. They offer the sweetness of sugar without the calories. Artificial sweeteners are also called sugar substitutes, low-calorie sweeteners or nonnutritive sweeteners.
