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Any advice on natural or artificial sweeteners...?

penfold'66

penfold'66

Member
Messages
6
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
hi - i haven't really used sweeteners before but have come across lots of low carb recipes that include sweeteners. i wondered if anyone had a preference or suggestions as to which might be the best for cooking (natural / artificial) and if they have any impact on readings.. any advice welcome..
 
I use a mix of stevia and erythriol if needed. Not for cooking though, only for puddings and cakes. I bought a 300 grams packet last year and still have some left.
 
I don't know the impact on readings as I don't test. But I have tried a couple of @ewelina's recipes (peanut butter cookies and coconut macaroons) and I used a 50/50 mix of Xylitol and Candarel - but you shouldn't use Xylitol if you have a dog in the house as it is highly toxic to them. Also probably best to avoid it if you have a cat.
 
I use Xylitol. I use it like a normal sugar. If I am cooking with it I use about half the amount stated for normal sugar. Fine for me. I understand it should not be used in large quantities so be warned, also very dangerous to dogs as previously stated. Has no impact on my bg levels.
 
I use stevia, and erythritol, both of which are recommended as diabetic friendly. They have no effect on glucose levels, and importantly if you're needing to lose weight - contain virtually no calories. My stevia is in liquid form, and the erythritol I use for baking is granulated (Sukrin Gold) or powdered (Natvia icing sugar) and these are available from Amazon UK.

Xylitol is also well recommended for baking - but be aware it can be very harmful to dogs, even in tiny quantities.

Some sweeteners (including erythritol) are actually very high in carbohydrates, but these carbs are not absorbed by your body, so have no (or virtually no) effect on glucose levels. :wideyed: But some sweeteners are extremely sweet and may be sold in granulated/powdered form with various starchy fillers to bulk them out, so read any nutritional information carefully!

Many sweeteners contain sugar alcohols, which can cause various gastric upsets if used in quantity, and these are alsounfortunately often used in diabetic products such as sweets and chocolate. So again you may need to do a little research regarding ingredients and their potential effects.

Also do a search through the low carb area of the forum, as this is a topic that frequently comes up, and you can see what other people here use and recommend

Robbity
 
thanks for the help folks..
it does make me smile how all these sweeteners names look like they are made up of a combination of left over letters
 
Yes they're well worth remembering if you're a keen scrabble player! :p:p

Robbity
 
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