Sweeteners...

[Flossy11]

I'm having a moment here, please forgive me....stevia says 99g carbs on the side....but please someone tell me it's ok for diabetes...can she use on cereal and I don't count it??....I'm getting so confused now...daughter has been diagnosed 2 weeks and I'm overloaded with info...
Can she have sugar free gum as well ?? They says carbs on the side too?!?!

 

[Brunneria]

There are different types of sweeteners.

As a very rough guide, there are very chemically artificial ones, which are supposed not to impact blood glucose at all.
I know very little about those, because I find they give me headaches and keep me awake.
These are things like Candarel, and those tiny little tablets

Then there are the polyols and wood alcohols (just check the ingredients list to identify them)
They are often used in 'diabetic choc' and 'diabetic, or sugarfree mints'.
These are carbs, but they are not absorbed in the same way as sugar, or bread.
Often people don't find they impact blood glucose
But often large amounts can cause 'digestive upset' which is quite distressing.

Then there are the 'somewhat more natural' ones.
I know more about these, because I prefer them.
Stevia (a natural plant extract, sometimes with a bitter aftertaste)
Xylitol (usually made from birch bark, the closest taste to sugar, highly poisonous to dogs, and doesn't seem to cause people as much tummy upset)
Erythritol (very expensive, not as sweet as sugar, with a softer, milder taste, and since it is unrecognised by the human gut, it is incredibly rare to get an upset tum from it)

So - several of the above have 'carbs' in them, but not all of them impact bg.

Unfortunately, we all need to sample them and find out what our personal reaction is to them... and in what quatities we tolerate them.

 

[TorqPenderloin]

I'm not surewhat kind of Stevia you have, but 99g has to be a typo (or you're measuring it in pounds).

I buy stevia by the case (I'm actually not kidding. I have 2400 packets in my pantry) and so far, have not noticed any glucose spikes putting it in my coffee. I also chew about 8-10 pieces of sugar free gum a day.

The question then becomes: is it safe? For my sake, let's hope so.

Personally, I don't buy into the whole "it's better for you because it grows in the ground" thought process....so does heroin...I like stevia simply because it tastes good.

So while it's not completely proven that they're safe, artificial sweeteners have been around for decades now. If they wereren't I'd like to think we would have figured that out now.

 

[Flossy11]

 

[SunnyExpat]

It's probably not a typo.
I don't use them myself, but sweeteners weigh next to nothing, so 99g out of a 100g sounds bad, but then you have to consider you are using less then 0.99g out of 1g.

 

[TorqPenderloin]

Well, I stand corrected.

I also learned something new: the labels look completely different on your container vs. the ones here in the U.S.

Here in the U.S. I occasionally see "Sugar alcohol" in the nutrition facts. However, it's my understanding that some can affect blood sugar while others generally do not.

Brunneria seems to be spot on (at least from my basic knowledge of the different articifical sweeteners).

Of topic: as mentioned, keep xylitol gum away from dogs. Even in lower concentrations it can cause liver failure for them.

 

[Robbity]

@TorqPenderloin : Flossy11 is quite correct - in the UK, nutritional information is frequently give as xx grams carbs per 100 grams (weight) as this corresponds with the actual percentage content, so 99 grams carbs definitely isn't an error. As far as I know US nutritional information is treated quite differently - e.g. regarding fibre and net carbs vs our total carbs.

@Flossy11: Since our bodies can't process some "sugar replacements" they're unable to affect our glucose levels and end up undigested in our gut, so are OK for diabetic use. You just need to be aware that some (as @Brunneria has explained) can have rather nasty side effects, so be very cautious about using these.

Stevia and erythritol are the two I've found to be best recommended for diabetic use, as they don't upset out guts, they don't raise our glucose levels, they're very low in calories, which can be something to consider if you need to lose weight, and quite importantly for some diabetics, they're based on more natural ingredients.

If you want use use them in a granulated or powdered form for baking or sprinkling, erythritol is probably one of the best bets, but watch out for possible starchy (carby) fillers which can sometimes be used to bulk sweeteners out. I like erythritol for baking, and use liquid stevia for sweetening drinks or cream - but as it tends to be fairly concentrated, it needs to be used very sparingly as a larger quantity can be rather overpowering and may leave an unpleasant aftertaste for some.

Xylitol is also apparently good for baking but I won't have it in the house as I'm also a dog owner.

If you'd like further information on preferences, etc, have a search on the forum as there have been a number of useful threads on this topic.

Robbity

 

[ButtterflyLady]

So while it's not completely proven that they're safe, artificial sweeteners have been around for decades now. If they wereren't I'd like to think we would have figured that out now.

Many of the sweeteners have been well proven as safe. There is a belief among many people that if something isn't "natural" it must be dangerous. Some people do react badly to sweeteners and they should avoid them, but in most cases, sweeteners are safe when used in recommended amounts. They would be banned, otherwise.