India, Jan. 30 -- When it comes to eating healthy, it has become common knowledge that sugar consumption needs to be in check. It is particularly crucial for people with diabetes, a chronic metabolic illness which has become increasingly widespread across the world.

Making use of the opportunity, artificial sweeteners have flooded the market, which promise the sweet taste without compromising health. However, according to Dr Saurabh Sethi, California-based gastroenterologist trained in AIIMS, Harvard, and Stanford Universities, that is often not the case in reality.

Sugar-free artificial sweeteners are often sugar alcohols such as erythritol, sorbitol, and xylitol, explained Dr Sethi. They are poorly absorbed in the gut and are known to...