Dangerous sweeteners!

Daibell said:

To bulk Stevia with glucose (Dextrose) seems to be madness to me. I wonder if I'm missing something?

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Agreeing to the madness bit.

I've always had a problem with sweeteners - even tiny amounts and long years before I was diagnosed as T2. Even a small amount on the end of my finger can make me ill for days, as was confirmed when my daughter-in-law bought a packet of "Stevia" on the mainland and brought it home for me. We both had a finger tip dip and we were both ill.

Even ordinary sugar (sucrose) doesn't make me ill in a noticeable way. Not that I take it very often, except in medicines (can't take the normal "sugar free" ones, so have to make do with those containing sucrose or lactose).

I'm afraid I'm not smart enough to understand the chemistry, which is why I find this whole issue so difficult but I do understand the results of anything ingested containing "sweetener". So I take care not to buy any such product, which is becoming more difficult all the time, especially now that my eyesight is also shot!

Edited to correct a typo.

Mr_Pot said:

don't people use dextrose tablets for hypos

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Indeed they do. When I wanted a diabetic-friendly sweetener I looked at the labels of all the ones available over the counter. They were all heavily adulterated with forms of sugar - dextrose, maltose etc. I have resorted to Erythritol bought online from Pink Sun, and good old saccharine tablets bought (almost given away) in Home Bargains.

JTL said:

They are not bulking stevia with dextrose.
The product is dextrose with 2% stevia added.
They are literally selling sugar.

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Precisely. Sugar is very cheap, but so-say Stevia is expensive. The motivation is obvious.

This is really shocking. Though, any use of solicitors would likely be extremely expensive.

Agree with an earlier posting, try and avoid sweeteners of any type. The non-dextrose containing ones may well have side-effects that won't be known for years.

bulkbiker said:

Great reason to avoid sweeteners altogether?

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If I want something sweet I use Monk fruit sugar The pure type not cut with erythritol. It has a great extra as it is a powerful antioxidant. If only it was not so darn expensive!

"Although Stevia is considered safe for people with Diabetes, brands that contain Dextrose or Maltodextrin should be treated with caution. Dextrose is Glucose, and Maltodextrin is a starch. These ingredients add small amounts of Carbs and Calories. Sugar alcohols may also slightly tip the Carb count." www.healthline.com

When shopping always carry a small magnifier. There are even credit card size ones. Don't trust what you first see on any product main label. "No sugar added" is another one - no sugar added but the Nutrition labeling will reveal how much is really there. Pay attention to the CARBS in the nutrition list. First thing I look for is total Carbs as sugar is a Carb. Quite often "No sugar added" has a higher Carb count - not always, so beware.

I just checked an old box of "Sugar Twin" that has a big label on the front saying "Sucralose", but ingredient list shows Dextrose as #1 ingredient and nutrition list shows "0" Carbs and "0" Sugar - can't have it both ways. Very misleading. Dextrose is the name of a simple sugar that is made from corn and is chemically identical to glucose, or blood sugar.

If it states "Sugar Free", again, check for the Carbs.

The Stevia I rarely use has a total of one (1) Carb per packet and zero sugar (no dextrose, fructose, etc.), but does have a bit of Erythritol.

SWERVE is another sugar replacement. 1 teaspoon is 4 Carbs. Says "a unique blend of non-GMO ingredients that are derived from fruits and vegetables" and has Erythritol.

The only time you could probably get action on misleading labels is if it states "For Diabetics" or "good for Diabetics" then it is making a medical claim. Otherwise it is up to you to be cautious and double check anything you buy.

Can we trust all manufacturers to be totally truthful in labeling and ingredients list? No - simple answer. It is your health, your life, so do a lot of due diligence when shopping for food or ingredients. If in doubt - don't get it.

I have used Aldi's Stevia for years now. I've just checked the label and there is no mention of Dextrose. The first ingredient listed is lactose.

JTL said:

Then that's a different one.
I'm talking little pills in a pop box.

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That's the one I use. White and green plastic container.

JTL said:

I might be able to get a no win no fee apparently.
Will be talking to a guy from CAB tomorrow about it.

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Let us know what he has to say.

Bogie said:

When shopping always carry a small magnifier

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Indeed! Or often I find it more convenient to check my proposed purchases beforehand on the supermarkets' websites. Full nutritional info. is almost always available. Worth checking often, as the quoted values are sometimes changed.

Doglover121 said:

The first ingredient listed is lactose.

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The suffix "ose" always indicates some kind of sugar. Lactose is milk sugar, so a little slower acting than dextrose, but still sugar.

Alexandra100 said:

The suffix "ose" always indicates some kind of sugar. Lactose is milk sugar, so a little slower acting than dextrose, but still sugar.

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Although I perhaps should point out that fermentable sugars such as Lactulose are not absorbed but stay in the gut where they interact with the gut flora to draw extra water in and act as a "gentle" laxative.

So "ose" indicates a sugar, but not always a dangerous one.

LittleGreyCat said:

So "ose" indicates a sugar, but not always a dangerous one.

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There are also Os for the gate - Mon Repos

Mr_Pot said:

There are also Os for the gate - Mon Repos

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Meself I uses a gardin 'ose.