
Do Diet Drinks Raise Your Bg?
Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please,join our community todayto contribute and support the site. This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies. In trying to find an afternoon "treat", I bought some Coke Zero to drink. It put my blood glucose up over 200. It is listed as being sweeten with aspartame and nothing else. Does this happen with everyone or is it just me? I drink it every day with no bg response at all. You might want to try Crystal Light esp the Cranberry or orange. Very sweet and tasty but make sure you test just in case. I drink diet coke all day at work and drink it sometimes on my days off .. no issues here In trying to find an afternoon "treat", I bought some Coke Zero to drink. It put my blood glucose up over 200. It is listed as being sweeten with aspartame and nothing else. Does this happen with everyone or is it just me? Is it possible that something else raised your BG? I might be missing something, but my understanding is that a diet drink can't raise your BG as it contains no carbohydrates? I drink coke Zero like it's water when I'm in the mood for it. For the last 3 weeks i have been drinking diet dr.pepper, diet rootbeer and fresca for a break in the evening and never had a spike from it. I drink diet orange Sunkist and Diet Coke - it is perfect for me-never a spike. Later,Larry i quit cold turkey, i havent had a sip in 2 weeks and to think i used to drink a liter of soda a day..... I drink diet caffeine free cokes also diet lipton tea with lemon no problems so far. maybe it was the caffeine in it that spiked you ? i used to guzzle diet tea and wondered why my bg was so high. now i only drink two cups of coffee in the morning and then decaffeinated tea during the day. maybe it was the caffeine in it that spike Continue reading >>

Drinks And Gestational Diabetes
Staying well hydrated is very important during pregnancy and even more so if you have diabetes whilst pregnant. Drinking water doesn't directly lower blood sugar levels, but it does flush excess sugar out of your system and so staying hydrated will help control and stabilise blood sugar levels. Ideally you should be drinking around 3 litres (10 -12 glasses) at least, a day. You will need to drink even more during warmer weather or if you are exercising. We recommend drinking a glass of water with AND in between every meal and snack during the day. Tea, coffee and fizzy drinks containing caffeine should not be included as part of your recommended daily fluid intake as they are diuretics. Diuretics make you urinate more frequently, causing you to lose water. If you don’t like the taste of water then you could try carbonated water with lemon and lime added to it, or some sugar free squash. Be careful when choosing drinking squash which has ‘no added sugar’, it means exactly that, no ADDED sugar, but will still contain natural sugars. Check labels for the lowest total carbs for the best choices. Drinks suitable for a GD diet Water, carbonated or still. Beware of flavoured waters that may contain sugar. Tea & coffee, decaffeinated or remember to include within your recommended daily intake Diet/Zero/No added sugar carbonated drinks No added sugar diluting squash (watch out for high juice or squashes with natural or concentrate fruit juices added) Raspberry leaf tea As a treat - Highlights, Options or Choc Shot hot chocolate with added whipped cream! Diet, no added sugar and zero carbonated drinks There are many alternatives to well loved, original full sugar drinks such as the following: Dr Pepper > Dr Pepper Zero Coke > Diet Coke or Coke Zero (please note that Coke Li Continue reading >>
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What Is The Effect Of Sugar Free Drinks Like Coke Zero On Diabetics?
Good effect: 100x the sweetening power. Thus you will need 100 times less of it to make things taste sweet. Bad effect: In bigger doses will have same blood glucose skewing effects as the sucrose (processed sugar). This is because they are not completely carb and calorie free. You always need to check labels for amounts even if it states: sugar-free. It is also good to know types of non-sugar sweeteners: Sugar alcohols Artificial sweeteners Stevia 1. Sugar free items are packed with sugar alcohol and artificial sweeteners. For example you will find of the labels: sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, isomalt, and hydrogenated starch hydrolysates. They are sometimes referred to as polyols and technically not sugar but are still high in carb. Another side effect, that will affect everyone (not just diabetics) is severe bloating, this is because sugar alcohols are the holy grail to the gut bacteria. 2. If we talk about more serious artificial sweeteners, such as aspertame, saccharin, sucralose (most common sweeteners). These are reportedly highly carcinogenic in the long run and would have the same bloating effect as the sugar alcohols discussed above. 3. Stevia. Or what is left of plant called stevia. This comes as a highly purified sweetener form and has the 100x potency compared to simple sugar. However should be used in moderation as all others. Hope this helps. Continue reading >>

Will Diet Coke Run Up My Blood Sugar Level?
With soda companies advertising their products as cool and refreshing beverages, sometimes it may be difficult to ignore a craving for cola. Due to the high amounts of sugar in cola, some people need to be wary of the effects of it on their blood sugar level. People with diabetes, for example, have high blood sugar levels because their body cannot properly use insulin to lower it. Others may drink diet sodas to prevent weight gain. As an alternative, people can select diet coke as it contains artificial sweeteners. Video of the Day A common sized can of soda is 12 fl. oz., or 335 mL. Diet Coke has one calorie in a 330 mL can compared to 139 calories in the original drink. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, permits five artificial sweeteners--aspartame, acesulfame--K, saccharin, sucralose and neotame. Diet Coke contains no sugar but uses aspartame and acesulfame-K. Limits on Artificial Sweeteners Besides approving the artificial sweeteners for use in foods, the FDA also has guidelines about the acceptable daily intake per kilogram of body weight. The Mayo Clinic illustrates that 50 mg per 1 kg of aspartame is acceptable, approximately equal to 18 or 19 cans of diet cola in a 68 kg, or 150 lb. person. The other ingredient in Diet Coke, acesulfame-K, is limited to 15 mg per kilogram, or roughly 30 to 32 cans of lemon-lime diet cola. Artificial sweeteners taste sweeter than sugar, so less is needed to flavor a food. Therefore, foods are usually lower in calorie if they contain these natural or chemical compounds. Both the Mayo Clinic and Harvard School of Public Health state that artificial sweeteners do not directly influence the blood sugar levels because they don't contain carbohydrates, fats or protein. However, foods with these sweeteners usually contain other Continue reading >>

Diet Soda And Diabetes
In reply to my recent blog entry “Stopping Diabetes Medicines,” Patsy wrote: “I have stop[ped] drinking Diet Cokes, or anything with artificial sweeteners. I can’t tell you what a difference that has made! … I am overweight and have lost 14 pounds. My blood sugar has gone down, too.” How could this be? How could diet sodas, which have essentially no carbohydrates and no calories, raise blood glucose and weight? Or is the whole thing an illusion? Four studies in the last decade have raised concerns about diet soda. In 2005, University of Texas researchers reported that people who drank diet soda were more likely to gain weight than those drank regular soda. Fewer calories = more weight! Strange… In 2006, Dartmouth scientists found that people with diabetes who drank one or more cans of diet soda a day raised their A1C levels by an average of 0.7%, compared to those who didn’t. In 2007, the American Heart Association found that those who drank either regular or diet soda had a higher risk of “metabolic syndrome,” which includes diabetes, high blood pressure, high levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, and obesity, compared to nondrinkers. This is just a correlation; it doesn’t show cause, but it’s still interesting. In the January 16, 2009 issue of Diabetes Care, a group of analysts reviewing the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis found that “Daily consumption of diet soda was associated with… a 67% greater relative risk of… Type 2 diabetes compared to non-consumption.” They said the increased diabetes was not due to increased weight, although that happened too. “Associations between diet soda consumption and Type 2 diabetes were independent of baseline measures of adiposity or changes in these measures,” they wrote. The data was adj Continue reading >>

Could Artificial Sweeteners Raise Your Blood Sugar?
Sept. 17, 2014 -- If you’re one of the millions of Americans for whom diet sodas and artificially sweetened desserts play leading roles in efforts to shed pounds and help prevent long-term diseases like diabetes, new research might give you pause. The work, done with mice and humans, suggests that artificial sweeteners could raise your blood sugar levels more than if you indulged in sugar-sweetened sodas and desserts. Blame it on the bugs in your gut, scientists say. They found that saccharin (a.k.a. Sweet‘N Low), sucralose (a.k.a. Splenda) and aspartame (a.k.a. NutraSweet and Equal) raised blood sugar levels by dramatically changing the makeup of the gut microorganisms, mainly bacteria, that are in the intestines and help with nutrition and the immune system. There are trillions of them -- many times more than the cells of the body -- and they account for roughly 4 pounds of your body weight. Scientists in recent years have focused more and more on the link between the gut microorganisms and health. In the latest research, “what we are seeing in humans and also in mice is this previously unappreciated correlation between artificial sweetener use” and microorganisms in the gut, said Eran Elinav, MD, one of the scientists involved in the new study. Elinav and a collaborator, Eran Segal, PhD, spoke at a press conference held by Nature, the journal that published their team’s findings. Both of the scientists are on the faculty of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. “Initially, we were surprised by the results, which is why we also repeated them multiple times,” Segal said. Industry groups said the small number of mice and people studied make the findings hard to apply to larger populations. But one scientist not involved in the research called the sm Continue reading >>

Sweat Shop Nutrition: Blood Glucose Experiment – Coke Vs. Coke Zero
On Saturday, December 6th, 2015, we conducted a quick experiment to observe the effects of different foods on your blood glucose level. Understanding how your body reacts to different foods can help you in your quest to achieve your fitness goals and build a healthy lifestyle. For this experiment, we had 6 different volunteers try a different food and measured its effects on their blood glucose level with 3 blood glucose tests: One fasted, one 50 minutes after eating, and one post-workout, 120 minutes after eating. FOR BETTER OR WORSE When it comes to nutrition we constantly balance our health & habits, our long term goals & immediate desires and there will come a time where your actions are not perfectly aligned with your health and goals, that is why it is important to be informed of even the bad decisions. Experiment 1: Coke vs. Coke Zero (sugar vs. zero calorie sweetener) Objective: In this experiment we aim to observe the change of blood glucose levels after consuming both 12 ounces of Coke and 12 ounces of Coke Zero. Keep in mind that both participants are “non-drinkers”, maintain a healthy low carb diet, and active lifestyles. After initial blood test each participants consumed 16 ounces of Coke or Coke Zero. —- INITIAL READING: Both participants involved showed normal fasted blood sugars. The Coke (CK) subject had an initial reading of 85 mg/dl while the Coke Zero (CKZ) subject had a reading of 86 mg/dl. Both in a fasted state, they fell well within a health blood glucose range of 80-115 mg/dl. 50 MIN READING: CK subject shot to 115 mg/dl and experienced slight energy increase. The CKZ subject however experienced no such increase in blood glucose and weather dropped slightly to 84 mg/dl; She felt no increase of energy. 2 HOUR READING: Post HIIT CK subject Continue reading >>

Diet Soda And Diabetes: Things To Consider
Diabetes is a condition characterized by high amounts of sugar in the blood. These high blood sugar levels are a result of the body's inability to either produce or use a hormone called insulin. Insulin's role is to move sugar from the blood and into the cells of the body where it is used to make energy. Contents of this article: Sugary sodas and diabetes Diabetes is marked by high blood sugar, known medically as hyperglycemia. As such, drinks which have a lot of sugar in them should be avoided as they cause spikes in blood sugar. There are three major types of diabetes: Type 1 diabetes In type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce insulin. The immune system attacks the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. There is no direct cause of type 1 diabetes. Factors that can increase the risk of type 1 diabetes include: Drinking cow's milk at an early age may also play a role in type 1 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. The body is unable to use insulin fully or make enough of it to keep up with sugar intake. Type 2 diabetes shows links to: Inactivity Genes Age Family history of type 2 diabetes Gestational diabetes Gestational diabetes affects women during pregnancy. If the body cannot make enough insulin to carry the sugar to cells to be used or if there is insulin resistance present, the woman may be diagnosed with gestational diabetes. One recent study posted in the BMJ found a link between drinking sugary drinks and the risk of type two diabetes. Another study posted in Diabetes Care found that people who drink 1-2 sugar-sweetened drinks every day have a 26 percent greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who do not. Other things to consider about sugar-sweetened sodas: Plaque loves soda: The bacteria that make Continue reading >>

Diet Coke Shoots Up Blood Glucose?
Today I took 2 sips of a Diet Coke, probably about 10% of the can, I then had my normal low carb lunch (two cups of lettuce, chicken, hemp oil). 3 hours later, my bg is 130-- at least 30 above my normal bg at this time. The only difference is those 2 sips of a Diet Coke. Anyone else had issues with Diet Coke? D.D. Family T1 since 1966, pumper since '03, transplant '08 On the one hand, caffeine can raise some people's bg. On the other, depending on the accuracy and precision of your particular meter, that 130 measurement could actually have been as low as 110 or less. You'd need to see this happen a couple of times to know for sure if it was the coke or a fluke. T1 since 1966, dialysis in 2001, kidney transplant in 02 from my cousin, pumping 03 - 08, pancreas transplant Feb 08 D.D. Family Getting much harder to control Never had diet Coke do that but 36 yrs ago regular Coke sure would. I also felt different starting about 1 hour after the Diet Coke: heart started racing fast; head felt different. I guess my blood pressure probably went up too. I searched "Diet Coke" in past postings and found that some people have no reaction to diet sodas, others would get a BG boost like me, and still others had their blood pressure affected a lot. Based on how I feel, I'm thinking Diet Coke affects both my bg and my BP. Continue reading >>
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Do Artificial Sweeteners Affect Blood Sugar?
Last week, I started an experiment to better understand how different foods and lifestyle choices impact blood sugar, using a constant-glucose-monitoring device. Today, I’m sharing the results of the first experiment: Do artificial sweeteners affect my blood sugar levels? While the answer may seem obvious – artificial sweeteners contain no sugar – some people still believe there may be an effect. For example, artificial sweeteners could potentially under some circumstances affect insulin levels, indirectly affecting blood sugar and ketone levels. Planning the experiment We designed the following experiment: I would drink a 17 oz (0.5 liters) sugar-free, artificially-sweetened, beverage in 15 minutes. Then, for the next two hours, I would observe my blood-sugar levels using the Dexcom G5 mobile app. To increase the reliability of the experiment, I made sure of four things: 1. That the soda I drank would be caffeine free. 2. That I didn’t eat or drink anything, nor do any form of exercise, 2 hours prior to and after drinking the soda. 3. That my blood sugar was relatively stable for at least 30 minutes before drinking the soda. 4. That I would do the same test at least twice. The experiment could start. Drinking Sprite Zero Sprite Zero was my drink of choice for a few reasons: I drank it sometimes in my pre-low-carb days, it’s sugar and caffeine-free drink, and it contains artificial sweeteners (aspartame and acesulfame potassium). Perfect. I put the bottle to my mouth and took a big sip. “Yuck, way too sweet!”, I told my wife. But a few sips later, I was enjoying the drink. After fifteen minutes the bottle was empty. My eyes were glued to the app. What would happen to my blood sugar? That’s when it happened… …or didn’t happen I should say Nothing. F Continue reading >>

How Artificial Sweeteners Affect Blood Sugar And Insulin
Sugar is a hot topic in nutrition. Cutting back can improve your health and help you lose weight. Replacing sugar with artificial sweeteners is one way to do that. However, some people claim that artificial sweeteners aren't as "metabolically inert" as previously thought. For example, it's been claimed that they can raise blood sugar and insulin levels. This article takes a look at the science behind these claims. Artificial sweeteners are synthetic chemicals that stimulate the sweet taste receptors on the tongue. They are often called low-calorie or non-nutritive sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners give things a sweet taste, without any added calories (1). Therefore, they're often added to foods that are then marketed as "health foods" or diet products. They're found everywhere, from diet soft drinks and desserts, to microwave meals and cakes. You'll even find them in non-food items, such as chewing gum and toothpaste. Here's a list of the most common artificial sweeteners: Artificial sweeteners are synthetic chemicals that make things taste sweet without any extra calories. We have tightly controlled mechanisms to keep our blood sugar levels stable (2, 3, 4). Blood sugar levels increase when we eat foods containing carbohydrates. Potatoes, bread, pasta, cakes and sweets are some foods that are high in carbohydrates. When digested, carbohydrates are broken down into sugar and absorbed into the bloodstream, leading to an increase in blood sugar levels. When our blood sugar levels rise, our body releases insulin. Insulin is a hormone that acts like a key. It allows blood sugar to leave the blood and enter our cells, where it can be used for energy or stored as fat. If blood sugar levels drop too low, our livers release stored sugar to stabilize it. This happens when we fas Continue reading >>

Does Drinking Diet Soda Increase Your Blood Sugar?
If you're watching your blood sugar levels, you're probably aware that drinking regular soda can quickly cause your blood sugar levels to spike due to the large amounts of easily absorbed sugars it contains. But you might not be aware that diet soda may also have an effect on your blood sugar levels, although research in this area isn't conclusive. Drinking diet soda by itself isn't likely to cause spikes in your blood sugar levels. A study published in "Diabetes Care" in December 2009 found that drinking diet soda had the same effect on blood sugar and insulin levels as drinking carbonated water. When consumed along with carbohydrates in the form of glucose, however, the diet soda did increase the amount of a substance called GLP-1 in the blood that may delay stomach emptying and minimize the effect of the carbohydrates on after-meal blood sugar levels, although more research is needed to verify this effect. Fasting Blood Sugar Consuming diet soda at least once a day was associated with an increased fasting blood sugar level and a higher waist circumference compared to not consuming any soda, according to a study published in "Diabetes Care" in April 2009. This translated to a 67 percent higher chance of developing type-2 diabetes and a 36 percent higher risk for metabolic syndrome. Another study, published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" in April 2012, compared the effects of drinking diet soda on people following either a healthier diet or a typical Western diet and found that people following the healthier diet had a lower risk for metabolic syndrome than those following the Western diet. In addition, the study indicated that drinking diet soda sometimes, but not always, increased the risk for metabolic syndrome somewhat even when following the healt Continue reading >>

Research Shows Zero-calorie Sweeteners Can Raise Blood Sugar
The artificial sweeteners in diet soda, yogurt and other foods consumed by millions can raise the blood sugar level instead of reducing it, according to new experiments in mice and people. The provocative finding—made possible through a new avenue of research—is likely to stoke the simmering controversy over whether artificial sweeteners help or hinder people's ability to lose weight and lower their risk of diabetes. The research shows that zero-calorie sweeteners such as saccharin, sucralose and aspartame can alter the population of bacteria in the gut and trigger unwanted changes such as higher blood glucose levels—a risk factor for diabetes. "The scope of our discovery is cause for a public reassessment of the massive and unsupervised use of artificial sweeteners," said Eran Elinav, a physician and immunologist at Israel's Weizmann Institute of Science and lead author of the study, which appeared Wednesday in the journal Nature. Though many people consume artificial sweeteners instead of sugar to control their weight, the scientific evidence that they work is mixed. Some studies have indicated that the sweeteners can help lead to weight loss, while others suggest they contribute to weight gain. One reason is that it isn't clear whether people who consume artificial sweeteners are overweight because of what they eat—or whether overweight people are the ones who typically gravitate to such products. Based on existing evidence, guidelines jointly published in 2012 by the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association noted that artificial sweeteners "when used judiciously…could facilitate reductions in added sugar," and thus influence weight loss. The new Nature study marks a significant advance because it brings together two separate areas o Continue reading >>

Is Zero Coke Ok For Diabetics?
Diabetes Forum The Global Diabetes Community Find support, ask questions and share your experiences. Join the community Apart from artificial sweeteners - has anyone researched this product and perhaps other 'Zero' drinks please? Ingredients: Carbonated Water, Colour (Caramel E150d), Phosphoric Acid, Sweeteners (Aspartame, Acesulfame K), Natural Flavourings Including Caffeine, Acidity Regulator (Sodium Citrate). Contains a Source of Phenylalanine I'm sure they are fine when consumed in moderation, I did use to drink these sort of carbonated drinks but now find they make me bloated. Thank you Catherine and Noblehead - midnight here so I will research the link so kindly provided and the ingredient Phenylalanine tomorrow. Have been using Zero for a number of years here and, because it is a very good substitute, am wondering what the 'catch' is. I think coke is ok as a cleaning product. Would't want to drink any The catch is it has aspartame in it which is an artificial sweetener which a lot of people say is bad for you, apparently it turns toxic when ingested BUT I have been searching the net about it as I find it very hard to give up the odd diet fizzy and I can't find any scientific study to support this theory so for myself at least I will still enjoy my diet fizzies. Wait for everyone to jump on the band wagon of you shouldn't drink it its bad for you blar blar blar. I only drink Pepsi Max nothing else all day long have done for 20+ years and you know what there is nothing wrong with me funny that @Victorri - I am not being sarcastic but are you a diabetic? Also, is Pepsi Max unadulterated, e.g., as I would expect Coke Cola (Not Zero) to be? I only drink the odd can or two, if I am out and about, on a very hot day, Ice cold and that's it. I always look for zero carbs, Continue reading >>
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What Everyone Must Know About Coke Zero And Diabetes
If you have diabetes you may be thinking quitting your regular Coke and opting for Coke Zero is going to do you a big favor. After all, it's sugar free and therefore healthier, right? Wrong! Once you read this, you'll understand that the scientific research shows quite the opposite. What is Coke Zero? Coke Zero was launched in 2005 as a sugar free, low calorie alternative to regular coke. One thing that's quite funny is that while Diet Coke has been around since the 1980’s, many men thought the title “diet” sounded a little too feminine and they weren’t interested in buying it. So as a result, Coke Zero was born. It was marketed mostly towards men who wanted to enjoy the taste of a classic Coke with zero guilt. Coke Zero comes in several different flavors, including classic, vanilla, and cherry. You might be thinking that a sugar free soda sounds too good to be true. And you would be right! Unfortunately, Coke Zero and other sugar free sodas are not a soda lover’s dream come true. And you'll soon see why… Nutrition Facts You probably already know that regular soda has a ton of sugar in it, which means you should steer clear of it at all costs – diabetic or not. For example, a 12 ounce can of regular Coke contains 39 grams of sugar, all derived from high fructose corn syrup, which makes that a double no, no. That can of soda also packs 140 empty calories – meaning, you don’t get any nutrients from it. It’s easy to see why so many people were thrilled when diet sodas hit the market. After all, the promise of cutting down on sugar to lose weight, and reduce your risk of obesity and diabetes – that sounds like a good deal, right? Well, unfortunately those promises aren't all they're cracked up to be. The sweetener in Diet Coke is called ‘aspartame,' Continue reading >>