Is Pure Maple Syrup ok for Diabetics

I've read some questionable articles about Splenda...

But would recommend trying to find a natural sweetener called "Stevia".

It is made from a plant leaf which is very sweet.  The problem you have is, finding a product which has a base "filler" other than maltodextrin.  I have 3 brands of Stevia on my shelf right now.  2 of them use rice maltodextrin; the 3rd uses inulin fiber.

Do you have a "Whole Foods" market near you?  If not, try searching on line.

Hi Faerun,

1st off, Maple syrup is certainly not diabetic safe.  I go to Vermont to go skiing and one of the popular things they sell up there is the maple sugar candy made from the pure maple syrup.  A much more natural form of sugar, but sugar nonetheless.

As to recipes; Diabetic Gourmet Magazine (an online magazine) has tons and tons of desert menus in their archives.  I subscribe to their "daily diabetic recipe" by email; a free service that has some really nice recipes.  Hope this helps

Warren

You could try making your own desserts and baked goods. My mom used to completely omit the sugar and add things like applesauce or raisins. For example banana bread you could put either applesauce or raisins instead of sugar, or maybe oatmeal cookies with raisins instead of sugar. Also splenda is great for baking and desserts too. ( but it does have maltodextirn in it ). Good luck! Robyn

Hi chutsman,

Well, there is a raging debate over sweetners going on.  There are over 6000 web sites that mention aspartame, with many hundreds alleging aspartame to be the cause of multiple sclerosis, lupus erythematosis, Gulf War Syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, brain tumours, and diabetes mellitus, among many others. Virtually all of the information offered is anecdotal, from anonymous sources and is scientifically implausible.  Likewise, the same is happening for Spenda. If you read through the posts you'll find a much more lengthy discussion on artifical sweetners.

There doesn't seem to be any hardcore scientific proof on any of this stuff, but Stevia seems to be safer from a common sense standpoint as it is not lab created.  I sincerely doubt that there are any double blind studies that show Splenda raises Ha1c levels and for the time being its certainly better than eating real sugar.

 Warren

See posts on "Spenda", "Aspartame" and "Artificial Sweetners"

Post Edited (Warren) : 12/2/2005 8:05:53 PM (GMT-7)

Yes, Warren, it is certainly a confusing world out there and moreso for us diabetics.  Something like one week coffee is good for you, next week they say it isn't.  Same for aspirin.  I'm sticking to the Stevia for my sweetner.

thank you all so much for your help :)

i will have a look around sorry its taken so long to reply

I know I'm a little late in replying to this posting, but have you tried or looked into Xylitol?  It is naturally made from birch sugar.  I think it tastes better than Stevia & you can substitute it evenly in recipes.  It is also great for baking.  I'm not sure if if meets your no MSG requirement though.  Also Agave nectar has a low gycemic index & is safe for diabtics.  To make brown sugar for baked goods, you could mix 1 cup xylitol with 4 tbs of Agave (or less if you find this too sweet) & decrease the overall recipe liquids by 3tbs.

I took out the link as I think anyone interested in any of these products can find them on the net or find more info by doing a google!  However, thanks for the info, it is a much overlooked sugar substitute. - Warren

 

Post Edited By Moderator (Warren) : 5/25/2006 9:55:34 AM (GMT-6)