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How much sugar a day is acceptable

Jenny 105

Well-Known Member
Messages
47
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I realise that none is probably the correct answer.
My diabetic nurse said no more than 5gm sugar per 100gm. BUT she didnt say if 5g per day is all thats allowed Such as fruit.
Nor did she say whether it was ok to have 50gms of an item making that 3.5 gm sugar if the item has 7g sugar per 100gm
I hope you follow my thinking
 
Do you use a glucose meter to test before and after meals?
This will tell you how much your body can deal with.

I think your nurse was trying to make it easier for you to read food labels, and thereby making it more confusing.

All carbs make your blood glucose go up, not just sugars.
So take a food with 10 grams of carbs per 100 gram, all of which are sugars, and eat 100 gram.
And take a food with 60 grams of carbs per 100 gram, none of which are sugars, and eat 100 gram.

With the first, you'll have eaten only 10 grams of carbs, with the second you'll have eaten 60 grams of carbs, and even if it was no sugar it will likely send you much higher than the first.
 

IMHO, like you said, none. Every now and then I just take a little sweet at parties. That’s about it!
 
For me personally, being on a very low carb diet, I use the 5gms per 100gms as a yardstick when checking the backs of food packets/tins.
If I were to eat 100 gms each of 6 different items at 5gms per 100 gms during the course of the day, that would total 30gms and take me over my carb limit of 20gms.

For example, I like to have a decaf coffee with a heaped teaspoon of Options and cream as a treat to quell a chocolate craving.
The Options is 59 gms per 100 gms which is 5 gms per serving (for me, using my measuring spoon). So I could only have 4 cups a day and NOTHING else to eat or drink in order to stay within my limit. (Incidentally, if you buy those little sachets of Options powder instead of the tubs, they are each 11 gms!!!)

I hope that all makes sense?
 
I generally eat no sucrose, glucose or fructose - these are sugars, and are also carbohydrates. All digestable carbs - the starchy carbs as well as the sugars - are digested to glucose. I aim for ~20g carb/day and most of that comes from vegetables. Sugar of any kind doesn't fit with this.

The human body needs about 130g of glucose a day. If it doesn't come from diet, the body will make its own. So if you take in less than around 130g/day, you're effectively on a "low-carb" diet.

The idea is that you/we decide what level of carbohydrate (and therefore glucose) intake you can manage. The 5g per 100g as a guide is reasonable, but as well as the percentage you also need to think about quantity. 250g of a 5g/100 food is 12.5g carb. 10g of a 20g/100 food is 2g carb. You're looking for the total amount of carb going in your diet, not the percentage.

I think you can only do this effectively if you're using a glucometer to test levels before and two hours after eating. That way you can see how well your body deals with what you ate. If your levels have returned to close to your starting point (the usual target is not more than 2mmol/l higher, and under 7.8) then that food or food combination was OK. keep a record of the food, and the readings, and you'll build up knowledge of how you react to and deal with the various carb-containing foods.

Best of luck!
 

Good article to read and get benefits. I too generally eat no sucrose, glucose or fructose. Recently I did some experiments and added one very small green apple a day. I cut the small green apple into 4 pieces and ate it at the end of the meal. I find out I have fructose intolerance.

I am pre for about 14 years now, and I take no medicine. For the last 2/3 years my A1c has been in a non diabetic range. My FBG is always in the non diabetic range.

Thanks for your help!
 
Very Grateful for the interesting comments . I have just had a AbHc so I'll use your comments as a conversation starter with one of the nurses-post result
Im type 2 but take 15units of levemir (insulin) on waking . I weigh approx 52kg and have been trying to add weight to 58kg for 2yrs.
At my last check I was told not to take a metre test 4-6 times a day any more. Only am and at bedtime.
I do love fruit so I aim at one or two pieces a day with a meal. My chat with the nurse will be in about 10-14 days time, usually by phone .
 
The 130g of glucose 's interesting. I will have a count up to see what my intake is in comparison. That could be a good measurement to use. ie pototoe , fruits , bread, veg etc. I have a book which gives carb amounts per food item
 
Bear in mind that 130g is an approximation. Individuals may differ, but I'd guess it's going to be somewhere around that.

As a starter comparison, 400g of mashed potato (one of those ready made up tubs from supermarkets, for example) will have around 60g carb.
 
To add to everyone else’s comments, along with a glucose meter I strongly recommend you buy a digital kitchen scale.
The reality of how much 100g is of anything is often vastly different to what you THINK it is.
After a while of weighing products you will be able to pretty accurately calculate the right amount without weighing.
 
I have 2 pieces of potato when on the menu. Luvlife or nimble bread . I always have my weight in mind Ive no desire to slip below 7stone again - 46 kg ish
 
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