![[Health Talk] Ewha Seoul Hospital warns low-sugar and zero-sugar foods are not automatically healthy](https://healthylife7.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/178781641515.jpg "[Health Talk] Ewha Seoul Hospital warns low-sugar and zero-sugar foods are not automatically healthy")
According to medical specialists, you should not judge a product solely by whether it is labeled “low sugar.” Instead, choose foods by considering your own eating habits and the nutrients you need. Image: Getty Images Bank
As interest in healthy eating habits and dieting has grown recently, more people are seeking out “low-sugar foods.” <a href="https://healthylife7.com/s-c-experts-say-excitement-over-peptides-is-outpacing-science/” title=”S.C. experts say excitement over peptides is outpacing science”>Experts, however, advise that low-sugar products are not automatically healthy. When sugar is reduced, fat or other carbohydrates and sweeteners may be added instead, so it is important to check the product’s full nutritional profile
Low-sugar foods are those in which the sugar content, based on the nutrition information on the package, is less than 5 g per 100 g of food or less than 2.5 g per 100 ml. The boom in low-sugar and sugar-free products, which began with zero-calorie carbonated drinks, is now spreading to a wide range of categories such as ice cream, snacks, bread, coffee and sauces
Low-sugar does not necessarily mean healthy. In the process of reducing sugar, manufacturers may use fat, other carbohydrate ingredients, or sweeteners depending on the product
Kim Jung-hwa, a professor in the Department of Family Medicine at Ewha Womans University Seoul Hospital, said, “Even if cookies or ice cream are labeled low-sugar, some products may contain more fat or sweeteners in place of sugar,” adding, “If you eat larger amounts than usual just because you see the word ‘low-sugar’ on the package, your overall calorie intake can actually increase, and depending on the product, your intake of sweeteners may rise as well, so you need to be careful.”
When choosing low-sugar foods, you should not rely only on front-of-pack claims such as “low sugar,” “zero,” or “sugar-free.” You need to consider the overall nutrition, including total calories, sugar, fat, saturated fat, protein and dietary fiber
It is also important to check the “serving size” listed on the nutrition facts panel. Since the serving size may differ from the actual amount you eat, you should adjust your intake based on the quantity you really consume.
You should distinguish between sugars that occur naturally in foods and sugars added to processed foods and drinks. Rather than avoiding fruits and other natural foods altogether just because they contain sugar, it is important to maintain overall dietary balance by eating a variety of foods—vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes—in a well-rounded way
Professor Kim stressed, “Healthy eating is more about consuming a variety of foods in a balanced way than about unconditionally cutting out a single nutrient,” and added, “It is better to use low-sugar products as one tool to help reduce the excessive sugar you usually consume, rather than treating them as a free pass for health.”
<img src="https://healthylife7.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/474d2445634b8869f1a24329e3276977.jpg" alt="Professor Kim Jung-hwa, Department of Family Medicine, Ewha Womans University Seoul Hospital. Provided by Ewha Medical Center“>
Professor Kim Jung-hwa, Department of Family Medicine, Ewha Womans University Seoul Hospital. Provided by Ewha Womans University Medical Center.
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