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Product claims to curb sugar cravings—is it safe?

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With Halloween just two days away, candy is everywhere! If you’re someone who struggles to say no to sugar, there’s a new product out on the market that claims it can curb your sweet tooth. 

The product called Sweet Defeat claims to curb your sugar craving in seconds and the ingredients are all-natural.

Gymnema is the main ingredient in Sweet Defeat. It's an ancient herbal supplement that is known to reduce blood sugar and decrease sugar consumption.  

"There is also zinc in this type of a product and sometimes that's known to potentially curb your appetite, because it does change the flavor pallet in which you crave," explains registered dietitian Jessica Crandall Snyder.   

Snyder says products like Sweet Defeat are geared towards those struggling with weight loss or even diabetes.   

"When we look at the science, what we are finding is that it’s really falling short of the expectation of lowering your blood sugar significantly to have successful long-term weight loss,” Synder explains.  

The FDA can’t say whether or not products like Sweet Defeat work, but they did say, “Once the product is marketed, FDA has the responsibility for showing that a dietary supplement is unsafe.”

In this case, the FDA deems Sweet Defeat safe to use. 

Snyder suggests an alternate route to curbing your sweet tooth is to brush your teeth. The minty flavor is known to stop the desire of wanting sweets.