Sugarfree diet drinks - What's the score?

[PickledPepper]

Is the occasional sugarfree diet cherry coke or other similar sugarfree diet drinks a good idea for type 2s?

What can I order if I'm at a bar or restaurant?


Advice appreciated.

 

[Synonym]

I don't suppose it woulld hurt you but I don't handle the aspartame etc very well. Somebody else on here also said that their body doesn't recognise the artificial nature of the sweetener and they get higher numbers. Test, test, test!!

I would have a small glass of red wine or a good malt whisky - a small one though! :roll:

 

[HLW]

Somebody else on here also said that their body doesn't recognise the artificial nature of the sweetener and they get higher numbers.

The artificial sweetener makes sugar magically appear in their body? How is that possible? Where does this sugar come from? !See EDIT! - sorry misread the OP, thought type 1!

PickledPepper, everything else I've read has said sugar free drinks are safe, if you do not have phenylketonuria. If you are above 3 weeks of age, you will know you have this condition or not. You'll find websites saying phenylalanine is poisonous, it's not (unless you have phenylketonuria), it's an essential amino acid, your body can't make it, you need to eat it.
I'd imagine you can be intolerant/allergic to aspartame, you can be to most things, but it's not going to kill you.

I've read people complaining that after drinking diet coke they need to go to the loo and can't sleep etc, and saying that this must be the aspartame. I would have thought the caffeine would be the more likely cause...

Sorry for the tone of this reply, it's probably quite harsh, but I'm not sure if I care. Forgot my injection of levemir again, so it was an hour late. Does this matter? I have no idea. All they said was inject it at the same time each day. Also none leaked out this time. Usually it looks like lots leaks out. Again does this matter? I assume this means I've had a higher dose than usual. Well at least if I die in the night of a hypo I won't know about it.

EDIT: oh just noticed the OP is type 2 - I assume with working alpha cells. These could make glucagon which could cause the magic blood sugar rise. Maybe when eating something that tastes sweet the brain expects a blood sugar rise, and when this doesn't happen, it panics and orders glucagon because it thinks blood sugar is dropping too fast or something? I have no idea really just procrastinating.

 

[Sid Bonkers]

I drink the occasional Coke and Fanta Zero drinks in the summer and have suffered no ill effects

Can be more of a problem when out though as most pubs/restaurants serve these drinks from automated selectable trigger things on the bar and you have no way of knowing whether you have a diet drink or not as the serving person may casually give the wrong drink or the hose may be even be connected to the wrong drink you have no way of knowing. For this reason I stick to bottled or canned drinks when out so I know what I am getting or I drink red wine or beer.

 

[cugila]

If I am out I always have diet drinks, never from a pump though. Sid is right, they cannot be trusted !!

If no diet drinks then bottled still water is my next drink. There is always something available wherever I have been, even if it's only tap water with ice. Tea, Coffee are all good drinks as well.

I am not at all bothered by the Caffeine or Aspartame in any drinks. Has no effect on me and I am not interested in the scare stories about both ingredients.....just me. :wink:

Ken

 

[cocacola]

I don't drink tea or coffee. My main drink is caffeine free diet coke. My hubby got me a drink in at a wedding the other day. He asked for diet coke (I think :roll: ) It came out of a bottle, but I ended up with full sugar coke :twisted:
I had my own diet coke in the car, but just assumed cos he asked for diet, that is what he got. Never again, I have ordered some urine glucose testing sticks.

 

[Talos]

Ive been drinking diet drinks for years because I dont like the sickly sweet taste of the others, I have not noticed any ill effects except a laxative one when I drink too many :roll: Ive never noticed any rise in my BG level, when Ive tested, that is

 

[noblehead]

I've never had a problem with diet drinks, drank them for years with no ill-effects, but I do tend to drink bottled water now as I cannot drink fizzy drinks anymore. I know bottled water is a rip-off, but I too have been given full sugar coke instead of diet in a pub, so its water or a nice pint of Guiness should the Mrs be driving! :wink:

Nigel

 

[PickledPepper]

Thanks again folks.

So what is the deal exactly with alcohol? I was a bit partial (this probably played a part in my condition), but haven't had a drink since my hyperglycemic [I think] episode a few weeks ago!

What can I drink relatively safely? Does any alcohol have a low sugar count? I heard Holsten Pils does?

 

[jopar]

I'm not a big fizzy drinker, but when I do partake I've never had a problem with it... When I'm in a pub it doesn't worry me whether the diet coke come from the pump or bottle, I've personally never had a problem..

But saying that I've been diabetic so long now, I can tell the difference between a diet drink and a fat drink (normal fizzy) on sip is all it takes..

 

[lowthian20]

Hi
Same sort of question. I am trying to quit smoking after 30 years and many failed attempts. At the moment 3 weeks without. I have been using "sugar free" gum and "sugar free" polos. My bloods have gone up from a average 8 to readings of 11 to 12.
So are the "sugar free" really "sugar free"

Andy

 

[sugarless sue]

Sugar free does not mean carb free. This is the info for 'sugar free' polos.

Ingredients

Sorbitol, Magnesium Stearate, Mint Oils.

Suitable for Vegetarians.

Nutrition

nutrient per 100g............ per tube
Energy kCa238kCal..............80 kCal
Energy kJ 991kJ................ 33.3kJ
Protein Nil.................... Nil
Carbohydrate 99.1 g........33.3g :shock: :shock:
of which sugars Nil..............Nil
Fat Nil...........................Nil
of which saturatesNil............Nil
Fibre Nil.......................... Nil
Sodium Trace................Trace

 

[Sue Morton]

The fizzy drinks from the pumps in pubs is made by mixing a sugary syrup together with a flavour i.e. coke, lemonade, etc. I would personally avoid these if possible. But if you have lemonade from the bottle diet or ordinary it costs you double/treble what a bottle would cost you from the supermarket.

Whiskey has a lot of sugar in I am told but Vodka does not so if I have a drink I drink vodka and diet lemonade. Coke isn't good for you normal or diet.

Somewhere on this forum someone has put various beers/largers that can be drunk and have low sugars but can't remembr where you would need to search the Type 2 forum.

Its good to talk
Sue

 

[lovinglife]

Whiskey has a lot of sugar in I am told

Scotch & bourbon have zero carb content - although whiskey based liqueurs will have so best to avoid those - so if whiskey is what make you frisky - :wink: enjoy!

 

[Beav]

I do drink alot of pepsi max and my readings seem to be ok and my diet has changed not long ago and my insulin requirements are dropping alot I used to inject 18units for one meal but now its more like 8-14

 

[mazbee]

Beware of fruit based drinks (Juice and squash) claiming they are no added sugar or sugar free.
If they are made with fruit juice of any type then they have sugar.

All fruit contains sugar (fructose), when the juice is squeezed from a fruit the pulp of the fruit (which has been removed) no longer slows down the rate of the absorption of the fructose when you drink it.

I was made aware of this when studying to be an Oral Health Educator back in the mid 90's.

 

[gennie24]

I used to drink a lot of diet coke!!! I say USED as i found when i went to g.p. for a check up my b.p. was very high and my pulse was rapid...(94) I went cold turkey and stopped altogether and bp and pulse went down to a reasonable level and I only have diet coke now + then if i am out as a treat.

 

[gennie24]

P.S. -----it was the caffeine that made my b.p. + pulse high.

 

[PickledPepper]

Tesco are doing a 2 for 1 deal on sugarfree 7Up as we speak. You get 12 cans for about £2.75. Maybe worth getting to keep as a luxury treat now and then? Cans work well as opposed to big bottles because they keep for longer.

The '7up Free' does contain aspartame and 0.1g of carbs, none of which is sugar. No caffeine either.

 

[badmedisin]

Andy -
giving up smoking can have weird effects on your blood sugar! Last time I tried I just went hypo all the time, but a lot of people get higher readings because they substitute food for fags. Stick at it and keep testing
good luck!