Controversy

In diet foods [ 2 ] which replace the sugar with lower-food-energy substitutes, there is some controversy based around the possibility that the sugar substitutes used to replace sugar are themselves harmful. Artificial sweeteners have been the subject of intense scrutiny for decades, but according to the National Cancer Institute and other health agencies, there is no sound scientific evidence that any of the artificial sweeteners approved for use in the U. S. cause cancer or other serious health problems. Numerous research studies confirm that artificial sweeteners are generally safe in limited quantities, even for pregnant women. [ 3 ]

In many low-fat and fat-free foods the fat is replaced with sugar. flour. or other full-food-energy ingredients, and the reduction in food energy value is small, if any. [ 4 ] Furthermore, an excess of digestible sugar (as well as an excess of any macronutrient ) is stored as fat. This unhealthy weight gain is only aided by the effects of preservatives and additives present in the food which are not accounted for in the 'diet food' label. [ 5 ]