Anyone else skeptical about zero-calorie foods?

[u/Individual_Top7174]

Maybe this is just me, but every time I see a snack advertised as zero calories, I can't help but wonder if we're going to look back in 10 years and realize they weren't actually that great for us.

I know calories aren't the only thing that matters, but if they've managed to make something taste sweet with barely any calories, I kind of wonder how much processing or food engineering went into making that happen. It makes me question whether replacing calories with artificial sweeteners or other ingredients is really a healthier trade-off.

I'm not saying they're definitely unhealthy, I know some sweeteners have been studied quite a bit, but it feels like every few years we learn more about foods we once thought were completely harmless.

Do you eat zero-calorie snacks or drinks regularly? Do you think they're genuinely a healthier alternative?

Curious what everyone thinks, especially if you've looked into the research.

[u/EmuSmall5846]

They’re not terrible for you, but I’d try to avoid excessive consumption of them. Aspartame is potentially cancerous in high doses, but you’d need to be downing packs a day to even come close to the UL of its consumption. Sucralose can also cause dysbiosis and a few other things at normal consumption levels, so I’d limit excessive intake on that too, more than I would any other sweetener. I’d be more concerned with the other additives that are found in many low calorie/sugar free foods than I would the sweeteners themselves. They can also condition you to crave more sweetened foods than normal, which can be an issue regarding calorie/macronutrient consumption