No Indian festival feels complete without mithai. A box of kaju katli, a plate of laddoos or a bowl of kheer is as much a part of celebrations as diyas and family gatherings. But with diabetes, obesity and metabolic disorders becoming growing health concerns, many consumers are rethinking their relationship with sugar.
Food manufacturers have responded with an expanding range of sugar-free chocolates, barfis, laddoos and desserts. Some use stevia or sucralose; others use sugar alcohols such as maltitol. Products marketed as having “no added sugar” may contain dates, jaggery or honey instead.
The promise is appealing: enjoy your favourite sweets without the consequences of sugar. But is it that simple?
But is it that simple?
Not quite. Experts say Sugar-free doesn't necessarily mean calorie-free, carbohydrate-free, or suitable for unlimited consumption. While some sweeteners can help reduce sugar intake, evidence on their long-term benefits and health effects remains complex.
What are sugars and sugar substitutes?
Sugar is not inherently harmful. The body needs glucose for energy, which it obtains by breaking down carbohydrates. Naturally occurring sugars in fruits and dairy, along with carbohydrates from whole grains, are part of a healthy diet. The concern is excessive added sugar, which offers little nutritional value and can increase the risk of obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
Sugar substitutes provide sweetness with fewer or no calories. They include artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, sucralose and saccharin, sugar alcohols such as maltitol and erythritol, and plant-derived sweeteners such as stevia.
But these are different from honey, jaggery and dates, which still supply sugars and energy.
“Although jaggery and honey may have distinctive flavours and contain small amounts of other nutrients, they are not sugar-free alternatives. Both can raise blood glucose. Dates contain some fibre and minerals when eaten whole, but their natural sugars still contribute to total carbohydrate intake,” says Kanika Malhotra, Chief Dietitian, Pacific One Health Hospitals, Delhi.
“Packaged products may list the sweeteners used and their nutritional content, but consumers still have to rely on the accuracy of that information. With traditional mithai, especially sweets sold loose during festivals, we often have no reliable information about the ingredients, the type and quantity of sweeteners used, or the calorie content,” Dr Ambrish Mithal, renowned endocrinologist and chairman of endocrinology and diabetes at Max Healthcare.
Why are sugar-free sweets becoming popular?
“The growing market reflects increasing awareness of the health consequences of excessive sugar consumption,” says nutritionist and author Ishi Khosla.
“There is a genuine need,” she says, pointing to the growing focus on insulin resistance and the importance of reducing excessive sugar intake through diet and exercise.
“South Asians, particularly Indians, are facing an epidemic of metabolic disorders, including insulin resistance. Sugar is one of the most dispensable carbohydrates because it provides very little nutritional value. The need to address excessive sugar consumption has therefore become urgent,” Khosla says.
Dr Mithal, says people with diabetes increasingly want to enjoy sweets without raising their blood glucose. This has created a market for products marketed as sugar-free or diabetes-friendly.
However, removing sugar does not necessarily make a traditional sweet low in calories or carbohydrates.
A kaju katli contains cashews and fat in addition to sugar. Gulab jamun is made with milk solids, may contain flour, is fried and traditionally served in sugar syrup.
“Even if a sweet is genuinely sugar-free, it does not follow that it is low in calories or will not affect blood glucose,” Dr Mithal says.
What replaces sugar in sugar-free mithai?
Sugar contributes more than sweetness. It also provides bulk, moisture and texture. Manufacturers therefore use other ingredients to recreate these properties.
Intense sweeteners such as sucralose, aspartame and stevia extracts provide sweetness in small quantities, while sugar alcohols such as maltitol, sorbitol and erythritol can provide both sweetness and bulk.
Some ingredients deserve particular attention. Maltitol can contribute energy and raise blood glucose, although generally less than ordinary sugar. Maltodextrin, sometimes used as a bulking agent, is a digestible carbohydrate that can raise blood glucose. Sweets made with dates or figs may also contain substantial amounts of naturally occurring sugars.
The phrase “no added sugar” does not mean that a product contains little sugar. Under India’s food-claim regulations, a product labelled “sugar-free” must contain no more than 0.5 g of sugar per 100 g or 100 ml, as applicable. This does not establish that it is low in calories or carbohydrates.
Khosla advises consumers to look beyond marketing claims.
“Just because it’s sugar-free does not automatically make it healthy,” she says, recommending that consumers examine the ingredients rather than judge a product by its front-of-pack claims.
Can sugar-free sweets affect blood glucose?
Yes. The effect depends on the sweetener, other ingredients, portion size and individual response.
Dr Mithal cautions that flour, milk solids and other ingredients can affect blood glucose even when added sugar is removed. Maltitol can also have a measurable glycaemic effect.
“For people with diabetes, checking total carbohydrates, calories and serving size is therefore more useful than relying on a sugar-free claim. Individual dietary advice from a treating clinician or dietitian remains important,” he says.
“You can’t assess a single food in isolation from a person’s broader eating habits and metabolic health,” Khosla agrees.
What does research say about sweeteners and gut health?
Research suggests that different sweeteners may affect the gut microbiome differently, although the long-term health implications remain uncertain.
A 2022 randomised controlled trial published in Cell examined saccharin, sucralose, aspartame and stevia in 120 healthy adults over two weeks. Researchers found distinct changes in gut and oral microbiomes. Saccharin and sucralose also impaired glycaemic responses in participants, with effects varying between individuals.
A study published in Current Developments in Nutrition in December 2025 examined 49 Asian Indian adults with type 2 diabetes and 48 participants with overweight or obesity without diabetes who replaced sugar in tea or coffee with sucralose for 12 weeks.
Among those with diabetes, sucralose consumption was associated with changes in gut microbial diversity and the relative abundance of certain bacterial groups. Participants without diabetes showed similar changes. The clinical significance remains uncertain.
These studies raise questions about how sweeteners interact with the gut microbiome but do not establish that all artificial sweeteners cause diabetes or damage gut health.
“Some studies have reported associations between long-term sweetener consumption and adverse metabolic outcomes, including insulin resistance. However, associations do not necessarily establish that the sweeteners themselves caused these outcomes, and the evidence varies by sweetener and study design,” Dr Mithal.
Can sweeteners help with weight management?
The evidence is mixed. The World Health Organization’s 2023 guideline recommends against relying on non-sugar sweeteners for long-term weight control or reducing the risk of non-communicable diseases. Its review found no convincing evidence of sustained long-term benefits in reducing body fat.
Not just sugar other ingredients can be the real problem.“ In a kaju katli, sugar is only about 40 percent of the weight. The rest is cashew, ghee and khoya, which supply the fat and most of the calories. A typical 20 gm piece has about 95 kcal, and removing the sugar saves only around 30 kcal, so a sugar-free piece is still about 65 kcal. Versions sweetened with dates or anjeer can match the original, since dates are about 70 percent sugar,” says Malhotra.
The hidden problem: Eating more because it is sugar-free
Another concern is how consumers respond to the label.
Khosla says that believing a product is sugar-free can make people less restrained.
“Once consumers believe they have chosen the healthier option, they may eat more pieces than they otherwise would. The extra calories from fat, milk solids and other ingredients can offset some of the benefit of reducing sugar,” she says.
Dr Mithal adds that repeated servings during festivals can add up quickly. Products made with dates, figs or jaggery are not automatically low in calories or suitable for everyone.
What about bloating and other side effects?
Sugar alcohols such as maltitol and sorbitol can cause digestive discomfort because they are incompletely absorbed in the small intestine. They may draw water into the bowel and be fermented by gut bacteria, resulting in gas, bloating and diarrhoea. The effects depend on the quantity consumed and individual tolerance.
Research into other potential risks, including associations between erythritol and cardiovascular outcomes, is ongoing. “ Some observational studies have reported an association between higher circulating erythritol levels and cardiovascular events. Experimental studies have raised concerns about possible effects on platelet activation and thrombosis. However, these findings need careful interpretation. The body also produces erythritol naturally, and we still lack convincing long-term clinical evidence that consuming erythritol increases cardiovascular events,” Dr Mithal says
So, should you choose sugar-free mithai or eat a smaller portion of the real thing?
The decision should depend on individual health needs, ingredients and portion size, not the label alone.
A small portion of traditional mithai can fit into an otherwise balanced diet. For people with diabetes, sugar-free sweets may reduce added sugar intake, but their total carbohydrate content and serving size still matter. For those managing weight, calories from ghee, nuts, milk solids and flour remain important.
For those trying to lose weight, the calorie content of the whole sweet remains important. Replacing sugar does not remove the energy contributed by ghee, nuts, milk solids or flour.
Khosla advises enjoying sweets mindfully and not letting a sugar-free claim become a license to overeat. Dr Mithal similarly emphasises moderation and careful attention to ingredients.
For consumers, a few simple steps can help:
- Read the ingredient list and nutrition panel rather than relying on the words “sugar-free” or “diabetes-friendly”.
- Check total carbohydrates, calories and serving size.
- Remember that jaggery, honey and date-based sweeteners still contribute sugars.
- Be aware that sugar alcohols may cause bloating or diarrhoea.
- If you have diabetes, follow your individual dietary advice and do not assume that sugar-free sweets cannot raise blood glucose.
- Choose a portion you will enjoy, eat it slowly and avoid repeatedly reaching for more simply because it carries a health claim.
The goal is not to take the joy out of festivals. It is to make informed choices without being misled by marketing.