For diabetics with a sweet tooth

CHENNAI: We’re all familiar with the typical scenario in Indian homes, when a diabetic is caught red-handed and reprimanded for giving in to temptation and eating an Indian sweet. With the country having more than 50 million diabetics, efforts are clearly under way to pamper the palate of these people. The city today has at least six shops dedicated exclusively to their needs. And as a result, the sweet-toothed among them can indulge in a variety of sweets that are usually taboo, like Indian sweets, ice creams, chocolates.R Lavanya, director, Sundar Diabetics Dezire, says “We did our research before launching our products. Chocolates and pastries for diabetics are available but, at the end of the day, what Indian taste buds crave for the most is jangris and rasagullas that can be eaten guilt-free.”When Dezire was started six years ago, they offered only six varieties, but the tally stands at 20 today. They now have it all, from milk pedas  to wheat halwas,  rasagullas and rasmalais , not to forget cookies, muffins and traditional bolis, all made with a natural sugar substitute, levulose, a fructose-based sugar. It is expensive compared to Indian sweets but its similarity to sugar seems to make it worth the extra rupee.These sweets find endorsement with diabetologists like Dr V Seshiah, who says, “Glucose, as we all know,  is the sugar that needs insulin to metabolise and enter cells, but levulose which is extracted from fruit and nectar is insulin independent and can be metabolised without it, making all levulose products safe for diabetics.”When Indian sweets are not on the gastronomic radar, it is time for the sweet-toothed to check out outlets like Bellaria on Chamiers Road. Custom-made ice creams for diabetics is on offer here, while Sugar Free Foods, Nanganallur, and Novarex Laboratories, Porur, make sugar free products. Jams, squashes, cakes and sweeteners are made from the more popular sugar substitute called aspartame, usually a tad too bitter for comfort. The good news here, however, is the zero calorific value and the absence of real sugar. These find patronage among not just diabetics, but the health conscious in the city too who look for alternatives for sugar in their diet. These are usually people with a family history of diabetes. Elakkiya, a software engineer in a leading MNC, says, “I use sugar substitutes because I know it is healthier than sugar and does not taste any different.”