Dr Oz: Diet Ice Cream VS Regular, What’s The Healthier Choice?

Dr Oz: Is Diet Ice Cream The Better Option?

Award-winning food journalist Mark Schatzker was determined to find out the truth about diet ice cream, and whether it’s truly a healthier alternative for those trying to making better choices. Approximately 25% of Americans opt for diet ice cream because of the reportedly lower fat, calories, and sugar. A registered dietitian in New York City pointed out that diet ice creams are typically loaded with chemicals and artificial sweeteners that are sweet but not satisfying.

Mark explained that when you get rid of sugar and fat in ice cream, it has to be replaced with something else. Those additives could be doing more harm than good. You’re better going for a moderate amount of the real thing, according to what Mark found.

Dr Oz: Diet Ice Cream Sandwiches

Dr Oz and Mark looked at various ice cream products, including one diet ice cream sandwich that had 50 ingredients! If you look at the ingredients in diet ice cream, they’re mostly chemicals like cellulose gum and other ingredients you can’t even pronounce. The chemicals are used to “make something that isn’t ice cream, seem like ice cream.”

Dr Oz: Could Diet Ice Cream Actually Be Making You Fat?

Because so many people may turn to diet ice cream in hopes of helping them lose weight, Dr Oz wanted to explain why they could actually be doing the opposite.When they looked at diet ice cream sandwiches, they discovered only a 10 calorie difference between the diet and regular.

As for chocolate fudge pops, they typically come from artificial sweeteners. When you consume artificial sweeteners, your body gets confused, potentially sending you in the wrong direction in terms of your weight. The calories are what tells your body it’s full, so when you eat a product with artificial sweeteners, there’s no hormone being released to tell your body it’s which means you eat more.

As for fat-free ice cream, Mark explained that fat is actually very satisfying. You’re more likely to fill up on more full-fat ice cream than the fat-free version. Not to mention, fat-free ice cream is typically loaded with sugar to make up for the lack of fat. Go ahead and go for the real thing and even try making your own at home like Mark does!

All you need is vanilla, sugar, milk, cream, and mix-ins like strawberries. They sell ice cream makers that you can buy, which makes the process super easy. So what will you do now that you’ve learned more about diet ice cream?