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Completely unscientific study on sweeteners

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Posted 4/30/2014 12:51 PM (GMT 0)
Everyone keeps telling us that sugar-sweetened beverages are really better than the artificially-sweetened ones. Supposedly the artificials increase your craving for sweets and make you eat more of them.

I've used nothing but "diet" drinks for at least 30 years. My hubby made a run to the store when we got home from vacation. They were out of the artificially sweetened beverage, so he bought the regular (being the sweet gullible who believes all the experts.)

So, I've had a short experiment. If I drink one sugared beverage any time in the day, my glucose goes up about ten points the following morning. If I drink it in the evening, it goes up 15 to 20 points.

I'm not saying the increased craving doesn't exist, just that it clearly doesn't affect everyone the same way.

Lesson: don't believe all the latest food "knowledge" until you check it out for yourself. There's a lot of opinion out there masquerading as science.
Posted 4/30/2014 1:38 PM (GMT 0)
I think the concern about the artificial sweeteners is for what "they" say they do to the body like cause cancer not because they raise blood sugar. That was the kerfluffle when saccharine came out so many years ago, but now no one talks about that one anymore. Now everyone talks about aspartame. It's so sweet that "they" are concerned about rodents' health though.

The way I feel about it, if I'm not ingesting tons of any particular artificial sweetener every day, then I just don't think it will kill me. I'm now drinking "unsweet tea" as plain old ice tea is ordered in these parts. I used to use a combination of the yellow, blue and pink packets to sweeten my iced tea because I like drinks sweetened - and that's been my problem with coffee.

It took me a long transition time to go from sugar in my coffee to just artificial sweeteners but my blood sugar would go up 20 or more points in the morning from just that! Part of the problem is that the powdered sweeteners in packets have dextrose for bulk and this will drive blood sugar up since it's a form of sugar, especially if a lot is used, and I would use four packets. So, now I'm buying liquid sweeteners but my blood sugar still rises about 15 points. That's not as bad as before but still that's quite a reaction considering. So, what I'm going to do next is use a smaller coffee mug. tongue Seriously. So I don't have to use as much sweetener.

I haven't noticed that my craving for sweets increases because of using the artificial sweeteners but that might be an individual thing.

The bottom line for me is how it affects my blood sugar period.
Posted 4/30/2014 2:59 PM (GMT 0)
I agree. I've never been much of a sweet eater, but my doctors, the TV doctors, the nutritionists (who seem to have decided they're doctors) all harp on artificial sweeteners in drinks making you crave sweets, so there you go.

I remember two years ago everyone in the UC forum "knew" that high-fructose corn syrup was causing their disease. Then last year it was gluten. This year it's GMO's. One would think the UC forum would be gone by now, but those folks just keep posting and they all still have UC.
Posted 5/1/2014 8:46 AM (GMT 0)
IMHO there needs to be more actual research into artificial sweetners, in particular on how they effect diabetics.

All I know for sure is that since switching drinking primarily water my blood sugar levels have dropped 20-30 points.
Posted 7/25/2014 2:51 PM (GMT 0)
There are actually two excellent sugar substitutes that are 100% natural. The first is Stevia leaf. It is actually sweeter than sugar so a little goes a long way and you can get it both processed into a powder or in leaf form which can be steeped and made into a liquid that you can add to just about anything. Stevia is calorie free and safe for those who are diabetic. Another option is monk fruit powder which is also sweeter than sugar but does contain 3 calories per 1/4 teaspoon. Either way I always think going the natural route is the safest and healthiest way to go.
Posted 7/25/2014 3:05 PM (GMT 0)
Or you can have a Lite beer with only 3 carbs 0 sugars 67 cals turn wink smilewinkgrin yeah
Posted 7/25/2014 6:38 PM (GMT 0)
Will, Will, Will eyes

Any sweetener, natural or not, that comes in a powdered form has dextrose or maltodextrin to bulk it up and even though a packet says "less than 1 gr carb", it will still affect your blood sugar if you're using more than one packet. I have tried the powdered forms of stevia, saccharine, sucralose, aspartame, stevia with erythritol, etc. and they all affect my blood sugar because I'd use about four packets in my mug of morning coffee. And, yes, it is a large mug.

Now, there are little bottles of liquid stevia, monk fruit, agave and sucralose available which should have less impact on blood sugar because there is no dextrose in them.

The bottom line is: test, test, test. Test before you eat or drink anything with those sweeteners and test an hour and about two hours afterward to see what the impact is on you.

Calories are not the same as carbohydrates. None of these sweeteners have calories but when you're affected by carbs, you do need to be careful with the powdered sweeteners.

Also, many of the vitamins available today are in the form of chewable 'gummies' or tablets and these will also raise your blood sugar if you're taking a bunch of different ones because in order for them to be palatable, they have artificial sweeteners. A word to the wise. yeah
Posted 7/25/2014 8:48 PM (GMT 0)
Never use sweeteners, I'm sweet enough blush blush eyes shakehead
Posted 7/25/2014 10:12 PM (GMT 0)
rolleyes
Posted 7/27/2014 6:49 PM (GMT 0)
I remember two years ago everyone in the UC forum "knew" that high-fructose corn syrup was causing their disease. Then last year it was gluten. This year it's GMO's. One would think the UC forum would be gone by now, but those folks just keep posting and they all still have UC.

Nobody knows what causes IBD but one thing some of us do know is that some foods can trigger symptoms. High on the list are HFCS, gluten, and dairy.

Unlike most I can tolerate dairy. But as far as gluten is concerned, I could be in remission for weeks but eating just one meal with gluten will trigger bloody diarrhea later that evening. I am not saying it happens some of the time, I am saying that for the past 5 years it has happened ALL the time. Be grateful that you are unaffected by gluten. Not everyone is.

One really good sugar substitute is stevia. Some complain about an aftertaste. I thought so at first but apparently I must have gotten used to it. But as LanieG has said most stevia found in the super market is contaminated with additives like maltodextrin and other junk. Here is one brand of pure stevia without any additives:
www.vitaminshoppe.com/p/stevia-extract-organic-28-g-powder/vs-2589#.U9VJarF8FVI

Not only is stevia a good substitute for sugar but it may help control Blood Sugar and Insulin levels:
www.lef.org/magazine/mag2014/feb2014_Sweet-As-Sugar-Health-Benefits-Of-Stevia-And-Xylitol_01.htm?source=search&key=stevia

Extracts from stevia leaves have been used for centuries as a medicinal herb in the traditional treatment of diabetes in South America. Today, scientific evidence on stevia supports its historic precedent in the regulation of blood sugar and insulin.
Posted 7/29/2014 12:47 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Y'all...I'm just always scratching my head over all the new sugar substitutes.  I'm always trying the latest new one on the market and almost always with the same results...higher blood sugar levels. 

I have gotten used to unsweetened iced tea.  I actually love it!  I started drinking Coke Zero and after drinking one every other day or so I noticed that my BS was going up several points.  Waking up with higher than usual BS.  I've stopped drinking the coke and my levels are lower.  Maybe it's just me but lower levels are worth stopping the coke.

Lanie, I never thought of the fillers used in the sugar substitutes being the problem.  I'm an "old lady" but I never quit learning!  I'm grateful for this message board...thank you, Lanie and all the rest of you good folks!

Joni

Posted 7/29/2014 3:58 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Joni!  I don't drink any kind of soft drinks anymore either and I've learned to drink my iced tea with only lemon and no sweeteners at all.  I wish I could do that with coffee!

I have bought every single one of those artificial sweeteners in packets (a powder), and every single one raises my blood sugar.  Including stevia.  As I wrote above, all powdered sweeteners have dextrose or maltodextrin as a filler to bulk up the measurement.  Fortunately, our supermarket now sells bottles of liquid stevia, sucralose (Splenda), monk fruit and agave.  (I had to look up what monk fruit is.  I'd never heard of it.)  Hopefully, the liquid artificial sweeteners should not have that effect on blood sugar but I have not gotten around to testing.  rolleyes

Posted 8/4/2014 6:44 AM (GMT 0)
Sugared beverages have a ridiculous amount of carbs in them. It's very good for fixing an upcoming hypo yourself. When I got diabetes I started drinking artifically sweetened sodas, lots of them. I didn't drink sugared ones before that too much. I know that sugared beverages would give me a huge spike, so I avoid them completely. Since then, I've stopped drinking carbonated drinks and am moderating the amount of artificial sweeteners too.

Artifical sweeteners are very different. Some of them supposedly don't have any carbs, some of them have almost as much carbs as sugar. Pure aspartame for example is very sweet and you can't use it that much even if it had any carbs, but when you buy it in a container in powder form, they add starch or something as filler to make it more measurable. These days, I drink lots of coffee and only put half a cup of milk in it and no sweeteners. When I don't drink coffee, I mostly drink water.

I haven't researched sweeteners much lately. Stevia popped up at some point and I'll have to look into this. Back when I got diagnosed, they said "just use fructose instead of table sugar". We have a lot more options 25 years later. Is stevia the kind of stuff you can use in baking as a sugar replacement or is it "just" a sweetener?
Posted 8/4/2014 12:14 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Chaul! I'm glad to see you're back! I hope you're doing well.

Stevia is made from a plant with small green leaves. The leaves themselves taste very sweet when you chew them and now we can buy them and plant them in the garden. Originally, the plant came from South America. Now you can find stevia in powdered form (just like all the other artificial sweeteners) but as we've noted, powdered sweeteners had added dextrose which adds carbs. The best artificial sweeteners to use which do not (or should not) affect our blood sugar are those in the liquid form.
Posted 8/5/2014 5:59 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks, Lanie. I got back from a vacation this week. I'm still a little bit dazed, confused and lost weight, but I'll manage.

Ok, I found a local store that sells Stevia in different forms - powder, tabs and liquid. It seems that they often mix erythritol with Stevia.

I found out that Stevia has only recently been accepted by EU in 2011 and the so called acceptable dose is very low. In Stevia sweetened products this means that they can add another sweetener, even regular sugar into the product... One has to be careful when buying these products to know what's actually in there.
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