5 Sugar Substitutes For Type 2 Diabetes
1 / 6 A Small Amount of Real Sugar Is Best, but Sugar Substitutes Can Help If you think that people with diabetes should always avoid sugar, think again — they can enjoy the sweet stuff, in moderation. "The best bet is to use a very minimal amount of real sugar as part of a balanced diabetic diet," says Keri Glassman, MS, RD, CDN, of Nutritious Life, a nutrition practice based in New York City. That being said, sugar substitutes offer sweetness while controlling carbohydrate intake and blood glucose. There are many sugar substitutes to choose from, but they’re not all calorie-free and they vary in terms of their impact on blood sugar. "The major difference between the sugar substitutes is whether they are nutritive or non-nutritive sweeteners," says Melissa Mullins, MS, RD, a certified diabetes educator with Johnston Memorial Hospital in Abingdon, Va. "Non-nutritive sweeteners provide no calories and no changes in blood glucose levels, which is perfect for people with diabetes.” Here are six sweet options to consider. Continue reading >>
The Best Sugar Substitutes For People With Diabetes
With a low to no calorie sugar count, artificial sweeteners may seem like a treat for people with diabetes. But recent research suggests that artificial sweeteners may actually be counterintuitive. Especially if you’re looking to manage or prevent diabetes. In fact, the increased consumption of these sugar substitutes may correlate to the increase of obesity and diabetes cases. The good news is that there are sugar alternatives you can choose from. You’ll still want to count your intake for glucose management, but these options are far better than the marketed “sugar-free” products. Stevia Stevia is a FDA approved low-calorie sweetener that has anti-oxidant and anti-diabetic properties. Unlike artificial sweeteners and sugar, stevia can suppress your plasma glucose levels and significantly increase glucose tolerance. It’s also technically not an artificial sweetener. That’s because it’s made from the leaves of the stevia plant. Stevia also has the ability to: increase insulin effect on cell membranes increase insulin production stabilize blood sugar levels counter mechanics of type 2 diabetes and its complications You can find stevia under brand names like: PureVia Sun Crystals Sweet Leaf Truvia While stevia is natural, these brands are usually highly processed and may contain other ingredients. For example, Truvia goes through 40 processing steps before it’s ready to be sold, and contains the sugar alcohol erythritol. Future research may shed more light on the health impacts of consuming these processed stevia sweeteners. The best way to consume stevia is to grow the plant yourself and use the whole leaves to sweeten foods. What’s the difference between Truvia and stevia? » Tagatose Tagatose is another naturally occurring sugar that researchers are s Continue reading >>
Are Artificial Sweeteners Safe For People With Diabetes?
As diabetes educators, we are frequently asked if sugar substitutes are safe and which ones are best. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy Over time, there have been many sugar substitutes, and we always tell people that the one you use is a personal choice. They are safe for people with diabetes, and they can be used to reduce both your calorie and carbohydrate intake. Sugar substitutes also can help curb those cravings you have for something sweet. Youll find artificial sweeteners in diet drinks , baked goods, frozen desserts, candy, light yogurt and chewing gum. You can also find them as stand-alone sweeteners to add to coffee, tea , cereal and fruit. Some are also available for cooking and baking. Its important to remember that only a small amount is needed since the sweetening power of these substitutes is (at least) 100 times stronger than regular sugar. There are currently six artificial sweeteners that have been tested and approved by the FDAor placed on the agencys Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) list. Numerous scientific studies have been performed on each of them to confirm they are safe for consumption. The FDA has established an acceptable daily intake (ADI) for each of the products. This represents the amount of a food ingredient that can be used safely on a daily basis over a lifetime without risk.Here is a current list of sweeteners that have been approved by the FDA. 1. Acesulfame-potassium, also known as Ace-K This is generally blended with another low-calorie sweetener. Brand names include Sunett and Sweet One It is stable under heat, even under moderately acidic or basic conditions, allowing it to be used as Continue reading >>
The Dangers Of Sucralose: Why Is It Considered Diabetic Friendly?
With all the negative media I’ve been reading lately in regards to sucralose, it started to make me think…can sucralose really be that bad for you? As a type 1 diabetic, let’s just say I had a lot of wow moments when deciding to research what was going into my body. If you think sucralose is safe, you may want to think again. Why they consider and promote this as safe for the diabetic community disturbs me on a lot of levels, let’s take a look why! When it comes to sucralose and diabetes, it seems like a perfect match. Sucralose is an artificial sweetener that is nearly 600 times sweeter than the ordinary (table) sugar. It contains zero calories and hence, is popular as a zero-calorie sweetener. It is widely used by diet and weight conscious people all over the world. Sucralose is sold under the brand name Splenda, which is commonly available in the market. It is also better than other artificial sweeteners as it can be used in baking. Most of the artificial sweeteners cannot be used in baking due to their instability. But, this is not the case with sucralose as it remains stable even when exposed to heat for a longer time. This additional property makes it a favored choice among other artificial sweeteners including aspartame. Also, due to its extra sweet property, it is used for making a variety of sweets and desserts like jams, jellies, candies, sweet fillings, fruits juices, etc. However, you should be aware of the negative side effects that sucralose can pose. Sucralose and Chlorine One possible side effect from Splenda unrelated to allergies is the possibility of chlorine poisoning. Sucralose is one of the few artificial sweeteners that claims to be made from sugar; chlorine atoms are added, that’s right Chlorine! Ingesting too much chlorine can lead to Continue reading >>
Low Calorie Sweeteners
Tweet Use of sugar needn't be outlawed for people who are diabetic, but keeping sugar intake to a minimum is certainly recommended. One way to reduce your sugar intake without sacrificing taste is by replacing table sugar (sucrose) with low calorie sweeteners, which can be beneficial for people who wish to enjoy certain foods without risking a spike in blood glucose levels as well as those who are overweight and wish to reduce their calorie intake. The charity, Diabetes UK, takes the approach that low-calorie artificial sweeteners can be included as part of the diabetic diet, as long as the food they are eaten with does not itself contain high fat or calorie content. Remember, a diabetic diet need not be 100% sugar free. Balance is the key. What is a low-calorie sweetener? Low-calorie sweeteners are sugar substitutes that have zero calories and do not raise blood glucose levels through eating them, which makes them a preferable choice for diabetic people over sugar. Low-cal sweeteners are neither carbohydrate, nor fat, and they don't fit any of the other categories of the diabetic exchange. Sweeteners can be added to a diabetic meal plan instead of exchanged. Explore low calorie sweeteners: The sweeteners listed above can be found in a number of food and drink products, whilst some are also the main ingredient of the UK's top 3 artificial sweetener brands: Canderel - which contains aspartame Splenda - which contains sucralose Sweetex - which contains saccharin One of the newest sweeteners on the market is 000 Stevia Sugar, which is a zero calorie, 100% natural sweetener that contains both Stevia and the sugar alcohol Erythritol. Types of low-calorie sweetener There are several varieties of low-calorie sweetener approved by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), the government Continue reading >>
What You Should Know About Sucralose And Diabetes
If you have diabetes, you know why it’s important to limit the amount of sugar you eat or drink. It’s generally easy to spot natural sugars in your drinks and food, though processed sugars can be a bit more challenging to pinpoint. Keep reading to learn more about the processed sweetener sucralose and how it can affect your blood sugar levels. Sucralose, or Splenda, is a manmade sweetener often used in place of sugar. One of the major benefits of sucralose is that is has zero calories. You may find this helpful if you’re trying to manage your daily calorie intake for dieting. Sucralose is a tad sweeter than sugar, leading many people to favor the substitute over the original. Because of this, you need only a small amount of sucralose to get a very sweet taste in your food or beverage. Unlike some other sweeteners, sucralose has no effect on tooth decay. Sucralose doesn’t have a negative impact on people with diabetes. It actually has zero effect on your blood sugar levels, so there’s no need to worry about a spike in sugar. When you eat sucralose, most of the substance passes through your body without being absorbed into your system. Less than 20 percent of the sweetener enters your blood, and the rest is removed through excretion. Check out: Diabetes and dessert » You may not realize it, but sucralose is likely a part of your diet already. If you like to drink low-calorie soft drinks and juices, eat diet snacks, or chew gum, sucralose is likely the sweetener you taste. If you want to make sucralose a daily part of your diet, you should first consider everything that you are currently drinking and eating and look for places where a substitute would be appropriate. For example, if you take sugar in your coffee, you may gradually replace the sugar with sucralos Continue reading >>
Artificial Sweeteners Or Natural Sugar: Which Is Best For People With Diabetes?
Here's what you need to know to understand the impact of sweeteners—both nutritive and non-nutritive—on your blood sugar. Walk down the supermarket aisles and you’ll find a dizzying array of sweeteners. Everything from ordinary (white) table sugar to newly-formulated sugars, sugar substitutes and more. Some claim benefits for people with diabetes that promise to have no effect on blood sugar. But with so many choices—from ordinary table sugar (aka cane, sucrose), maple sugar and agave to newer arrivals like coconut sugar, monk sugar and stevia, to nonnutritive sweeteners (sucralose, aspartame, etc.)—how do you know which one is best for you and your blood sugar? It's important to know that use of the word natural is not a term regulated by the FDA, nor does it have a clear definition. These so-called “natural” sweeteners, also referred to as nutritive sweeteners, are a type of sugar (typically sucrose), which provide calories from carbohydrates. All nutritive sugars have about 14 calories per teaspoon and contain 5 grams of carbohydrates. Food companies seem to use the word “natural” as a marketing gimmick to give consumers a sense of additional health benefits. Popular nutritive sweetners include: brown sugar, honey, coconut sugar and agave syrup. But remember, sugar is sugar. Whether honey or table sugar, they all contain carbohydrates and will raise blood glucose levels. Having Sugar Knowledge is Important Contrary to popular belief, people with diabetes can consume sugar but it’s best when consumed in foods where it occurs naturally as it does in whole fruits. Understanding the type of sugar you consume and how much, is essential for successful diabetes management. People with pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes, don’t have the adequate insulin nee Continue reading >>
Can Diabetics Eat Splenda?
People with diabetes must follow a dietary regimen that helps to stabilize blood sugar levels. The use of artificial sweeteners in the place of traditional white sugar is a simple way to continue eating and drinking sweetened foods and beverages without a major spike in blood sugar levels. Splenda, or sucralose, is an artificial sweetener that became available in 1999. Video of the Day Since Splenda and other sucralose-containing sweeteners or products are not recognized by the body as a carbohydrate, it has no impact on the insulin response of the body or blood sugar levels. Therefore, it may be better for people with diabetes to consume Splenda in the place of sugar in order to avoid a rise in blood sugar levels. Safety of Splenda Splenda is made from sugar or sucrose; however, it is chemically changed and goes unrecognized when inside the body, and thus is calorie-free. Sucralose sweeteners, including Splenda, are recognized as safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Although the FDA approves the safety of Splenda, it is still a relatively new product, and only time will reveal if there are any serious safety issues associated with the sweetener. More scientific research is necessary to fully understand possible hazards of Splenda. Some people who have used Splenda claim that it is a trigger for migraine headaches. Other reported side effects include dizziness, diarrhea, swelling and intestinal cramping. These symptoms do not result in everyone who uses sucralose, and some people may be less tolerant of artificial sweeteners than others. If you experience any negative side effects from consuming Splenda or other artificial sweeteners, discontinue use of those products immediately. If you are uncertain if using Splenda to replace regular sugar is right for you, Continue reading >>
You May Want To Skip The Splenda
Before you sweeten your coffee with the contents of a little yellow packet, read this. A popular artificial sweetener known as sucralose and marketed as Splenda can adversely affect how some people metabolize sugar, according to a new study from researchers at Washington University in St. Louis. The study compared overweight people with normal sugar metabolism to see how they reacted when they were given either water or sucralose—about as much as is in one can of diet soda—to drink before a glucose challenge test, which involves drinking a glucose mixture and then having blood taken at multiple intervals. Researchers found a kind of insulin-and-blood-sugar roller-coaster scenario. People’s blood sugar levels peaked higher if they got sucralose, rather than water, before the glucose challenge test. Insulin levels also climbed higher. And, a few hours into the test, at the lowest blood sugar point, sucralose consumption led to lower blood sugar levels than did water, which can set the stage for carb cravings. “Everyone got the same amount of glucose, both times, but their bodies secreted much more insulin when they got sucralose first,” says M. Yanina Pepino, PhD, the study’s main researcher. Insulin is needed for the body to use sugar for energy, but too much is harmful, Dr. Pepino says. High blood levels of insulin keep fat from being broken down for energy, making it hard to lose weight. And chronically high insulin levels can lead to insulin resistance, a precursor to type-2 diabetes. Does that mean that people who drink diet soda all the time are setting themselves up for type-2 diabetes? No one knows, Dr. Pepino says. However, in two large population studies, consumption of non-nutritive sweeteners (think all of those pastel packets at your local coffee Continue reading >>
Splenda® Brand Sweetener Is Suitable For People With Diabetes
SPLENDA® Brand Sweetener, or sucralose, is not sugar and the body does not recognize it as such. Unlike sugar, sucralose is not broken down for energy. It is not a source of carbohydrate or glucose, and clinical studies show that it has no effect on blood glucose levels, insulin secretion or blood levels, glycosylated hemoglobin levels (HbA1c), or blood glucose control. People with diabetes can eat a variety of food products, according to the dietary program prescribed by their doctor or registered dietitian. These can include foods sweetened with sugar. However, meal plans for people with diabetes usually control total carbohydrate intake and, often, calorie intake. In a meal plan for people with diabetes, up to 4 packets of SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener or up to 8 teaspoons of SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener Granulated is considered a "free food." The American Dietetic Association and the American Diabetes Association consider a free food to be any food or beverage that contains less than 20 calories and 5 grams or less of carbohydrate per serving. When used in place of sugar, SPLENDA® Sweetener Products can also help people with diabetes reduce their intake of carbohydrates and calories. It's important to note that SPLENDA® Sugar Blend does contain sugar, so people with diabetes need to consider this when counting their carbohydrate intake. Calories and carbohydrates can be present as well in other ingredients in foods and beverages sweetened with any SPLENDA® Sweetener product. People with diabetes need to count these calories and carbohydrates when planning their meals. To help people manage intake, complete nutrition information for dozens of recipes made with SPLENDA® Sweetener Products are available at: www.splenda.com. Continue reading >>
Sugar & Sweeteners
Sweeteners that increase blood glucose (sugar) levels Sweetener Forms & uses Other things you should know Sugars (some examples) Brown sugar Maltodextrins Icing sugar Agave syrup Invert sugar Brown rice syrup White sugar Corn syrup Dextrose High fructose corn syrup Fructose Maple syrup Glucose Fruit juice concentrates Lactose Honey Maltose Molasses Sucrose Barley malt Used to sweeten foods and beverages May be found in medications Sugars are carbohydrates that can affect your blood glucose (sugar), weight and blood fats. There is no advantage to those with diabetes in using one type of sugar over another. Sugars may be eaten in moderation by people with diabetes. Up to 10 per cent of the days calories can come from added sugar. Their effect on blood glucose levels will vary. Talk to your dietitian about how to fit sugars into your meal plan. Sweeteners that don't increase blood glucose (sugar) levels Sweetener Forms & uses Others things you should know Sugar alcohols & polydextrose Lactitol Xylitol Maltitol Polydextrose Mannitol Isomalt Polyols Palatinit Sorbitol Polyol syrups Hydrogenated starch hydrolysates (HSH) Used to sweeten foods labelled “sugar free” or “no added sugar” May be found in cough and cold syrups and other liquid medications (e.g. antacids) Sugar alcohols are neither sugars nor alcohols. Small amounts are found naturally in fruits and vegetables. They can also be manufactured. They are only partly absorbed by your body, have fewer calories than sugar and have no major effect on blood glucose (sugar). Check product labels for the number of grams of sugar alcohols per serving. If you eat more than 10 grams of sugar alcohols a day, you may experience side effects such as gas, bloating or diarrhea. Talk to your dietitian if you are carbohydrate co Continue reading >>
Splenda: Is It Safe?
With the growing trends of obesity and type 2 diabetes, many people are looking to alternative sweeteners to ease their sugar cravings. Sucralose, known by the brand name Splenda, is an artificial sweetener approved for general use as a sugar substitute. But is Splenda safe? Here we explain what Splenda is, how it is used, and what the science says about this sugar substitute. We also compare it with stevia, another popular sugar alternative. Here are some key points about Splenda. More detail and supporting information is in the main article. Splenda is referred to as a high-intensity sweetener There are five artificial sweeteners approved for use in the U.S., including Splenda Although Splenda is considered safe to consume, recent research questions its role in disease What is Splenda? Splenda is a brand name artificial sweetener. It is used as a sugar substitute by people looking for low-calorie alternatives to their daily sweet treats. Sweeteners like Splenda mimic the sweetness of sugar, without the calories. The sweetness of Splenda is due to a compound called sucralose, a type of indigestible artificial sugar. This is made by replacing certain atoms in sugar with atoms of chlorine. Sucralose is also combined with other digestible sweeteners like maltodextrin to make Splenda. Splenda is approximately 600 times as sweet as sugar; this is why sweeteners such as Splenda are known as high-intensity sweeteners. Since it was introduced in 1998, Splenda has become one of the most popular artificial sweeteners on the market. What is Splenda used for? Splenda is a general sweetener that can be found in everything from baked goods to beverages. Frozen desserts, chewing gum, and gelatins are also commonly sweetened with Splenda; diet foods of all sorts contain the sweetener. Continue reading >>
Splenda Or Stevia ?
Is it better to sweeten with Splenda, the McNeil Nutritionals brand of sucralose, or with one of the many brands of stevia? I keep changing my mind on this question and going back and forth between them. I suspect that I’m not the only one puzzling over this issue. I’ve just switched back to stevia. It wasn’t because of any new information or sudden insight. It was partly because I have begun to accept that people and organizations I respect prefer stevia. The natural foods stores, Whole Foods and Wild Oats, where I almost buy everything else that I eat, don’t sell Splenda. Andrew Weil, M.D., the leading exponent of the integrative medicine, which I believe in myself, prefers stevia to any of the artificial sweeteners. "The only non-caloric sweetener I recommend is stevia, an herb in the chrysanthemum family native to Paraguay," he writes. "Stevia is safe for diabetics and is widely used as a sweetener around the world, especially in Japan and Brazil." Stevia is indeed natural. But natural isn’t necessarily safe. Think of all the poisonous mushrooms, to say nothing of strychnine and curare. It’s hard to determine the advantages and disadvantages of the natural stevia, which is essentially untested, against the artificial Splenda that has been tested. Johnson & Johnson’s subsidiary, McNeil Nutritionals, advertises that Splenda is "Made from sugar so it tastes like sugar." In fact lawsuits are pending that alleges the company is sugar-coating Splenda to consumers. The Sugar Association, Merisant Worldwide, which makes rival artificial sweeteners Equal and NutraSweet, and a group of individuals have filed three class-action suits again McNeil Nutritionals. They claim that company misleads consumers into believing Splenda is a natural product. Splenda also doe Continue reading >>
Artificial Sweeteners And Diabetes
Is it possible to eat sweets when you have diabetes? The answer is "yes." But when you’re trying to satisfy your sweet tooth, it can be hard to know what to reach for at the grocery store (sugar-free this or low-calorie that). So, use this primer to help you choose wisely. The Sweet Facts When you’re comparing sweeteners, keep these things in mind: Sugars are naturally occurring carbohydrates. These include brown sugar, cane sugar, confectioners’ sugar, fructose, honey, and molasses. They have calories and raise your blood glucose levels (the level of sugar in your blood). Reduced-calorie sweeteners are sugar alcohols. You might know these by names like isomalt, maltitol, mannitol, sorbitol, and xylitol. You'll often find them in sugar-free candy and gum. They have about half the calories of sugars and can raise your blood sugar levels, although not as much as other carbohydrates. Artificial sweeteners are considered "free foods." They were designed in a lab, have no calories, and do not raise your blood sugar levels. Types of Artificial Sweeteners Artificial low-calorie sweeteners include: Saccharin (Sweet'N Low, Sugar Twin). You can use it in both hot and cold foods. Avoid this sweetener if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal). You can use it in both cold and warm foods. It may lose some sweetness at high temperatures. People who have a condition called phenylketonuria should avoid this sweetener. Acesulfame potassium or ace-K (Sweet One, Swiss Sweet, Sunett). You can use it in both cold and hot foods, including in baking and cooking. Sucralose (Splenda). You can use it in hot and cold foods, including in baking and cooking. Processed foods often contain it. Advantame can be used in baked goods, soft drinks and other non-alcoholic bev Continue reading >>
A Tale Of Two Sweeteners: Part 1 — Splenda
Recently, I’ve received some questions and comments about artificial sweeteners, especially Splenda. So I thought I’d take this opportunity to write about Splenda and also to highlight a fairly new sweetener to the market called Nectresse (I’ll do that next week). Before I get started, I should mention that Splenda and Nectresse are two nonnutritive sweeteners manufactured by the company McNeil Nutritionals. McNeil Nutritionals is a Johnson & Johnson company and its mission is “to give people the ability to actively manage their own health.” They also sell Lactaid (a line of lactose-free dairy products) and Viactiv (a brand of soft chew calcium and multivitamin supplements). Splenda Splenda is a brand name for sucralose, a popular nonnutritive (noncaloric) sweetener that was approved by the FDA in 1998 and is used worldwide in more than 4,000 foods and beverages. Interestingly, sucralose is made from chlorinated sucrose (sugar). We think of chlorine mainly as a chemical for pools, but it’s needed in the body to help maintain acid-base balance. (Many of the foods we eat contain chlorine, by the way, including sodium chloride (salt), cocoa powder, hot dogs, and frozen pizza). The chlorine in Splenda helps to give this sweetener its intense sweetness: Splenda is 600 times sweeter than regular sugar. This sweetener provides no calories because, although it tastes like sugar, it’s not broken down in the body. In fact, it passes through the body pretty much unchanged. Splenda also has no effect on blood glucose levels because it’s not a carbohydrate source and, thus, is not broken down into glucose like sugar. Nonnutritive sweeteners, in general, have appeal because they don’t contribute calories and, for people with diabetes, they have no or minimal effect Continue reading >>
