Personally I do not like artificial sweeteners. Prefer to use less sugar as a means of cutting the calories. Best in my opinion is reduce the carbohydrate intake.

Here is a good scientific advice on what to do and not to do to control the sugar intake for weight loss.

http://www.caloriesperhour.com/tutorial_sugar.php

Dear @Lourembam, I do prefer natural sweeteners like sugar, but someone should take care about the quantities! Anyway, here is what expert says!

http://foodwatch.com.au/blog/carbs-sugars-and-fibres/item/sugar-why-quitting-sugar-guarantees-you-ll-lose-weight.html

Yes, going sugar free is a means to control weight . consumption of vegetables, whole fruits, raw nuts and seeds, legumes, fish and whole grain cereal controls weight...

I am also of the same opinion as @Nageswara Rao Posinasetti, @Ljubomir Jacić, and @Krishnan Umachandran.

Dear @Lourembam, For me, I like Jordanian sweets that are basically full of Syrup; I drink tea and coffee without sugar and seldom drink juices. I do not use natural sweeteners. Read the following Harvard Health Blog about: Artificial sweeteners: sugar-free, but at what cost?

http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/artificial-sweeteners-sugar-free-but-at-what-cost-201207165030

Restricting the intake of sugar in coffee may be a good beginning for people like me ....Sugar alternatives tastes sweet but not as sugar...The irony is that many of the natural sweeteners (honey, syrup and fruit juice) available off the shelf are also mixed with sugar...

Thanks Professor Nageswara, Ljubomir and Abedallah,

You provided good links

Thanks for all the experienced inputs

I have stopped eating sugar for the last three months or so, not just because it adds to the weight, but also due to some very recent researches cautioning against intake of sugar. I derive all my sugar needs from fruits, which I eat in plenty. Occasionally, I eat sweets, especially Kheer (pudding) that I love. Surprisingly, I feel far more active since I stopped eating sugar. Interestingly, my weight has also reduced since then.

http://janicewhite.hubpages.com/hub/why-sugar-is-bad-for-you

Dear Krishnan

That is precisely what I normally do. Started to reduce slowly and in a few months I am able to now take coffee with less than 50% of what I normally used to take.

Dear all, I agree with your answers. Excessive intact of carbohydrates may lead to weight again. Natural sweetners would be a good choice.

Personally, I prefer avoiding tea or coffee. I also like the point about decreasing the amount of sugar intake. While taking care of weight with Less or no sugar, it may pose a consequence in insulin dependent type 2 diabetic people...

Perhaps physiological and metabolic consequences of man-made or nature-made sugars might depend on individual daily activity or diet (sugars more or less combined with other nutrients) , and why, not genetics? This must certainly have been studied, but at what scale?

I think that avoiding sugar is a necessity as far as we get older and older and not just for weight control. As for the substitutes, I have heard terrifying stories about aspartame...

Thanks Prof. Saini for sharing your experience. Good to know that you feel better and active with sugarless life (chinikum).

@ Ratan, yes i agree with your point in diabetic people

@ Marcel, Indeed very interesting point. Thanks

I'm quite careful, and I cook. When I'm busy I prefer to eat bread and cheese or fish. And I drink green tea without sugar. But recently, stevia has become popular among my friends. Read about it:

“According to the Herb Research Foundation, numerous scientists, and tens of millions of consumers throughout the world, especially in Japan, the herb is safe and intensely sweet, which could make it a popular noncaloric sweetener.”

Rob McCaleb, president, Herb Research Foundation, Boulder, Colo., USA

“…as a scientist with over 15 years researching the safety of stevia and of many other plants used as food or food ingredients, I can assure that our conclusions in these various studies indicate that stevia is safe for human consumption as per intended usage, that is, as a sweetener.”

Mauro Alvarez, Ph.D., Brazil

“The petition cites over 120 articles about stevia written before 1958, and over 900 articles published to date. In this well-chronicled history of stevia, no author has ever reported any adverse human health consequences associated with consumption of stevia leaf.”

Supplement to GRAS affirmation petition no. 4G0406, submitted by the Thomas J. Lipton Company February 3, 1995

http://www.stevia.net/safety.htm

@ Miranda, thanks for sharing your experience and the link on extensive stevia research.

The substitutes of sugar are not reliable. There are a lot of stories about them.

I agree with you all. Me neither... I don't like artificial sweeteners. I rather take tea (less strong flavour) without sugar or sip warm water.

Hi all, thanks for sharing your sugar-less amazing experiences.

@ Mr. Nikonov it is true that we cannot deny the importance of sugar too.

Dear Kamal, I endorse your slogan...

Dear @Kamal, let us give Kinafah an exceptional case.

Artificial sweeteners like Aspartame and Sucralose do provide some advantages over natural sugar and are beneficial to those with diabetes and to weight-watchers in general, but here are some factors to consider before we dump sugar altogether:

1. Some of them contain phenynaline that the body is unable to metabolize

2. Side Effects: Aspartame has been linked with possible instances of blurred vision and mood swings; Saccharin may cause dermatitic issues and allergies; Sucralose could lead to cramps and inflammation in those that don't take to it very well.

3. Reports of carcinogenic effects although these are not very well substantiated.

4. And for those who love their sweet treats... artificial sweeteners don't taste the same. They taste.. well, artificial.

But since the dangers of sugar are quite obvious, let's just say it's best to have less of it. Too much sugar or sugar in everything actually interferes with our perceptions of natural tastes and causes an unhealthy emotional dependence on it. But anything in moderation shouldn't kill us. I personally can't imagine life without sugar.

Dear Monica

As you are suggesting, we should use artificial sweeteners for people with diabetes because of the other associated problems. Others should find alternative ways of reducing sugar intake through lowering carbs and other means.

Here is a link for sugar free dessert recipes.

http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/desserts/

Dear Surbala,

Here is the link for "WHO draft sugars guideline" and "the Truth about Artificial Sweeteners or Sugar Substitutes". Hope this would be helpful in this descussion...

http://www.nutrition.org.uk/nutritioninthenews/responses/sugars

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:alW5LPvWXawJ:andevidencelibrary.com/files/Docs/NNSResourceDraft3.pdf+&cd=6&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=in

http://www.giveupsugar.com/lose_weight

I have not have sugar in about 20 years and I do not miss it. I agree say No to sugar

Thank you, Sir.

@Prof Posinasetti, Thank you, sir, for sharing some healthy recipes. Here are a few more 'Sugar without the Shock' desserts:

http://www.prevention.com/food/healthy-eating-tips/10-low-sugar-desserts

Making a diet sugar free is very difficult. We can consider taking food with no externally added sugars. Neither all sugars are bad nor their chemical compositions. Refined sugars are usually bad, but the sugars present in some fruits along with other necessary components and fibers (eg. mangoes) are usually good.

Artificail sweeteners including saccharin and aspartame has some side effects and consumption of those are still under question.

It is not like how much sugar (refined and unrefined) we are taking, how much we are burning by doing adequate exercise to store the sugar in our body is also important and plays determining roles in gaining or losing weight.

Following link could be helpful for further reading.

http://www.onhealth.com/artificial_sweeteners/article.htm

I do not use artificial sweeteners as they do not taste like good old sugar .As our RG community are sweet enough they can cut down the sugar

I dont believe in sugar free diet but I do believe in less sugar diet and no sugar, whenever it is possible. Artificial sweeteners are a total NO NO, according to me. According to my experience, one can eat as much as one likes, if ready to metabolise it by exercise and physical and mental workouts. Research Community is already consuming calories by using the grey matter but physical activities are also necessary.

For advantages and disadvantages of sugar free diet please see the following link:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/285308-no-sugar-diet-plan/

Thanks

Dr. Nageswara Rao

Thanks from yesterday onwards ... following your steps of reducing sugar-intake in coffee....

Dear all, we are witnessing the positive result of RG Q&A. Dear Krishnan, Greeting, for switching to a healthy diet... Thanks to Surbala for arising this issue and @ Nageswara for effective statement...

Cheers @ Mr. Krishnan for the healthy step and thanks for giving me an inspiration to follow the same step...

@ Mr. Behrouz, well said...

Our RG community is sweet enough.

A great thanks to all for the valuable contributions...

Regards

Dear Ruchi,

I agree with you, there is always some side effects of artificial sweeteners.

Below are some links discussing the side effects of artificial sweeteners... Hope it will be helpful in chosing sugar or artificial sugar...

http://andevidencelibrary.com/files/Docs/NNSResourceDraft3.pdf

http://www.earthclinic.com/CURES/side-effects-artificial-sweeteners.html

http://www.livestrong.com/article/444353-negative-effects-of-artificial-sweeteners/

http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/nutrition/artificial-sweeteners

Thanks for the contributions @ Ratan and Tiwari. I totally agree with your views

Yo mas bien creo que el organismo a través de la evolución ha venido captando azucares en forma natural ha partir de frutas por ejemplo, por lo que se supone que consumir frutas u otros alimentos que contienen azucares en forma natural, suplirían las necesidades del organismo y causarían menos daño a la larga.

I agree with Juan even though I do not know Spanish but I understood "forma natural" and that sounds great.

The trick lies in reducing carbs with high glycemic index and taking in sources of protein with very less fat such as egg whites or grilled meat. Carb reduction alone may not suffice.

Thanks @ Juan and Vinod for your thoughtful contributions.

@Dear Lourembam,

i do agree that sugar free products and artificial sugar got famous in markets because of their lass carbohydrates percentage...yes of-course if some one is patient and doctor prescribed sugar free diets then one must go for it...secondly only a person who is victim of high sugar diet knows how its difficult to cut sugar drastically...so in my opinion if you are prescribed by your physician then go for it

@ Mr. Umer, good points. Thanks for sharing your opinion.

Going sugar-free in now almost impossible except if you follow a very strict diet. Sugars and their derivatives/residuals (e.g. sugar alcohols), particularly fructose (which is metabolized in a different way from glucose!), sorbitol and palm oil are everywhere - from cosmetics (incl. detergents) to food and medicines. Obesity is just one of the major health issues, others include cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, liver damage, allergies and intolerances (It is estimated that Fructose Malabsorption affects 30 % of the population and 40 % of Central Europeans while Herediatary Fructose Intolerance is more typical for Northern Europe and the US), vision loss, chronic fatigue, depression in women and adolescents (tinyurl.com/97sscwy) and probably some not yet diagnosed. Sugars (under various forms and names) are added everywhere, they are addictive and the sugar lobbies are powerful.

Another RG discussion on obesity with useful info and links:

https://www.researchgate.net/post/Is_there_an_underlying_cause_of_the_obesity_epidemic

Presentations covering fructose:

Fructose: This Addictive Commonly Used Food Feeds Cancer Cells, Triggers Weight Gain, and Promotes Premature Aging (2010) - [an interview with Dr. Richard Johnson (University of Colorado) and a talk - Sugar: the Bitter Sweet - by Dr. Robert Lustig (University of California, San Francisco)] http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/04/20/sugar-dangers.aspx

Some recent data and reports on sugar & obesity:

Sugar is pretty much ruining the world – here’s how and why (June 2014) [research by Credit Suisse] - http://www.thejournal.ie/sugar-effect-world-consumption-1537400-Jun2014/

Report: The Sugar Lobby Threatens Organizations, Buries Science on Health Effects, 27 June 2014, http://www.newsweek.com/report-sugar-lobby-threatens-organizations-buries-science-health-effects-256529

Britons told to halve sugar intake to beat obesity, 26 June 2014,

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/britons-told-to-halve-their-sugar-intake-to-be-obesity-9566211.html

When I studied in Bradford, England there was a large Asian community of more than 50,000 and many of  them lived near the University. I became familiar with the tasty Indian sweets (such as rasmalai ,rasgulla, and purvi) and with the tasty sweet Indian drinks(such as the lassi yogurt drink & the Indian milk tea). I don't think that these sweets can be made properly without sugar or by using artificial sweeteners. I think  that they do not add weight (my weight then was less than 80 kg). Of course, one has just to take a balanced diet.

There needs to be a reason for death. Concerning more on health alone and stressing psychologically may not allow one to live a full life.

Of course sugar for 'Tongue" and for "Body as whole" matters different... Concerning too much on sugar is a waste of time.  There needs to be balance and no over use/ abuse of a food. Sugar to me when consumed in excess is unfavorable to health, over years, else it is OK.

I totally agree with Dr Nizar and Mr. Krishnan, a Balanced diet is the key to good health. 

Thanks for the contribution 

Many cultures have consumed some sugar for thousands of years without obvious ill effects. My wife is Greek and it is certainly true for their culture. The problem seems to occur when you add sugar (sucrose, HFCS) to high glycemic carbohydrates (especially grains) and omega 6 fatty acids. Of course this describes typical processed food. In my opinion it is the consumption of highly processed food that is driving our current epidemic of metabolic problems.

@ Lourembam: What is balance for you might not be balance for someone else. And even for a single individual, balance changes over time as a consequence of many factors (incl. climate, water, hormones, age, sleep, stress, food quality, medications, etc.) some of which we are not able to control or even notice.

Sugar free is provide test to those persons. It will keep control on sugar as well as provide artificial sweetness. No loss weight.

Dear @Hristina, you do have some proposals attached for balanced diet! I do accept the fact  that balanced diet is for maintaining rather than for losing or for gaining weight. Man and woman have different proposals!

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/balanced-diet-men

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/balanced-diet-women

Yes, sugar especially white sugar is termed as white poison helps in gaining weight. In a number of cases the fat individuals minimised their weights by minimising or stoping the use of sugar. It is therefore concluded that controlling the sugar help in losing the weight.