The sugar debate continues. Just this week, the American Heart Association weighed in on sweetness indicators. Let’s start at the beginning. Many moons ago people only had sugar to sweeten beverages or desserts. Now the range of options far exceeds the practicality index. Choosing the sweetener becomes complicated with all the sugar substitutes and the accompanying marketing.

As obesity has become a critical American problem, the spotlight glares onto sugar as the culprit. Just how much sugar do people need? How fattening is sugar anyway? A teaspoon has 15 calories). That is one side of the question, but the counterbalance is that so many products are sweetened with enormous amounts of sugar. Start with soft drinks. To get around that weight-gain elephant in the room, the diet drink industry was born and a successful birth it’s been. Unfortunately the myriad of sugar substitutes are a complicated mix. It’s not uncommon to see some interesting combos: A diet soda and a candy bar, or a diet drink and a big juicy quarter-pounder with fries. It’s as if one selection enables the other to occur.

Many of these diet products have ingredients such as saccharin, aspartame, and sucralose that have their own individual set of problems. They are still the subject of scientific research and the data in many instances still borders on confusing and inconclusive. Not all are appetite suppressants so a product with an artificial sugar could actually increase your need for additional food!

So what is one to do? Go back to the old days of sugar and limit the intake. Skip the adulterated diet beverages and find a happy medium: A slice of lemon or lime can elevate a basic water drink.

Go natural: Sugar sparingly or start analyzing the fine print.