Sugar Substitutes

threejays

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi to All - I'm new on here although was diagnosed with Type 2 in 2006. I have kind of been in denial and have not managed my diabetes at all well - the result - heart attack, angioplasty, stay in hospital and at long last home. So - now time to take both diabetes and heart health seriously. My confusion is this - I've been looking at sugar substitutes and have decided that I definitely want to avoid artificial sweeteners - so believe I am left with either Stevia or Agave Syrup, the latter of which I thought was healthy although yesterday found out it is pure fructose? Would love to hear other people's views/opinions on what works for them - want to know so that I can make some 'healthy' flapjacks as snacks!
 

noblehead

Guru
Retired Moderator
Messages
23,618
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Pump
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Disrespectful people
Hi and welcome to the forum @threejays :)

I'm going to tag @daisy1 as she has some excellent information that you should find useful.
 
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daisy1

Legend
Messages
26,457
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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Tablets (oral)
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Cruelty towards animals.
@threejays

Hello and welcome to the forum :)

Here is the information we give to new members which Noblehead mentioned and I hope it will help you with your problems. Ask more questions and someone will be able to help.

BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you’ll find over 150,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:

  • Reduce your carbohydrate intake
  • Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates

Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)
  • Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:

  • structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
  • self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to bloodglucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
 
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DeejayR

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,375
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Hello. I use xylitol, which is poisonous to dogs, but I don't have a dog. It's made from birch trees, looks like sugar and is about the same sweetness but is quite expensive. It says on the packet it is 100% carbs but they're not sugar carbs but polyols, which I don't understand but it doesn't matter apparently.
There was a tv programme recently pointing out that the Finnish government gives xylitol sweets to schoolchildren after meals to get the plaque off their teeth.
A 250gram pack lasts me 3 months.
 
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lessci

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,024
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I use xylitol too, tried stevia but didn't like the aftertaste, you can get it in Holland and Barrett under the name total sweet, and I've recently found some Sainsburys stock it too, but it is about £3 for a small pack
 
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carol43

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,192
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
I use xylitol called Total Sweet, £2.70 for 225g in Sainsbury. Haven't noticed any aftertaste.
 
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Daibell

Master
Messages
12,642
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi. I use all of the popular artificial sweeteners and can't comment on xylitol etc. Yes, avoid Agave like the plague.
 

4ratbags

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,334
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I have a range of sweeteners. Xylitol, erythritol, stevia; sugromax. Im not too fussy about which one I use as long as it is fit for the purpose as I dont use them very often.
 
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frankman

Well-Known Member
Messages
46
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hello threejays,
sorry to hear you've had a tough time of it.

Regarding sweeteners, does anybody need them? When I was first diagnosed, my GP told me flat out, stop all sugar and sugary foods! THat was really tough. I stayed off sugar - not using it on cereals, tea or coffee. After a month of suffering I went back to the sugary foods! It's only in recent years that I've attempted to reduce my intake of biscuits, cake, crisps and chocolates. Oh and pork pies are another one. Dear me, if my wife sees me with pork pie - you'd think I'd started smoking! :D

Otherwise, I don't use sugar, I try to avoid fizzy drinks as well.


Frank.
 

uart

Well-Known Member
Messages
424
Type of diabetes
Type 1.5
Treatment type
Insulin
I recommend using either Xylitol or Erythritol. They are both chemically very similar and (relatively) natural. I've used both, the taste is good and neither seemed to spike my BGLs.
 
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Brunneria

Guru
Retired Moderator
Messages
21,889
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Yes, I vote for xylitol (actually benefits tooth and gum health, but is very toxic to dogs)
and erythritol (not quite as sweet as sugar)

NEither have an aftertaste, or cause any intestinal upset - for me.
both are far more expensive than sugar!
Both can be used in baking, with satisfactory results.

I use them because there are times when my attempts to appear normal, or to provide mutually enjoyable treats for my husband, mean that I need something sweet-but-not-sugar.

I also like a teasp of erythritol in my morning coffee. But that is pure indulgance. ;)
 
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MosheBenYehuda

Well-Known Member
Messages
353
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Also using xylitol, from Holland & Barrett, £10 for a large 1 Kg pack. Excellent in cooking as well;-)
 

threejays

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Thanks for all your replies - it seems that xylitol is the way to go - will just need to keep it away from the paws!
 

Clivethedrive

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,996
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Jogging
Hi to All - I'm new on here although was diagnosed with Type 2 in 2006. I have kind of been in denial and have not managed my diabetes at all well - the result - heart attack, angioplasty, stay in hospital and at long last home. So - now time to take both diabetes and heart health seriously. My confusion is this - I've been looking at sugar substitutes and have decided that I definitely want to avoid artificial sweeteners - so believe I am left with either Stevia or Agave Syrup, the latter of which I thought was healthy although yesterday found out it is pure fructose? Would love to hear other people's views/opinions on what works for them - want to know so that I can make some 'healthy' flapjacks as snacks!
Hello threejays, my own opinion would be avoid anything ending with~ose,these are all sugars in one form or another most posters here realise that flour,pasta,rice and potatoes spike thier bloods badly,there are receipes here that do fat bombs etc,have a look at the ideas in that section .are you lchf regime? What is your bs reading am fasting? Glad to hear from youhope we can help on the road to gaining control of this