Do Diabetics have to give up on sweets? The news of diabetes gets people to shudder with the thought that they would have to give up their sweet treats altogether. This is not true. There are healthier ways to sweeten your favourite food and drinks in a safe, medically approved way.

With the different types of sugar substitute for diabetics that are available, it is a daunting task for anyone to understand what is the best option. The first thing to keep in mind is to understand that sweeteners are divided into two categories - Artificial and Natural.

Artificial sweeteners like Aspartame, Saccharin, Sucralose, Tagatose and Acesulfame Potassium add a sweet flavour to food and drinks without the calories of sugar. But these sweeteners are, as the name suggests, artificial and are known to be harmful for health in the long run.

Natural sweeteners like honey, jaggery and dates come with their own baggage of calories which can impact the blood sugar level in diabetics and are thus not recommended.

In the category of Natural sweeteners, Stevia stands out for being calorie-free, carbohydrate-free and an all natural sweetener.

While choosing from these range of sweeteners, it is imperative to keep in mind that the taste profile of natural sweeteners would be different from sugar. Adopting natural sweeteners are beneficial in a lot of ways and can help as a sugar substitute for diabetics. Sweetness just the way nature intended.