Artificial Sweeteners and Diabetes

I'm sure you often wonder if life with diabetes tastes sweet or bitter. The answer (usually) is bitter. But you are very wrong. In the last half century artificial sweeteners were discovered. Natural sweeteners ( other than sugar ) have also been discovered, and they are are much healthier for the body than sugar, and can be many hundreds times sweeter than this one. In the article that follows we will speak about them all, together ( natural or artificial ), without rank, and only for mentioning them to you, as an alternative to one of the most widely used sweetening substances worldwide: refined sugar.

What Is an Artificial Sweetener?

You may hear many names for sweeteners: sugars, reduced-calorie sweeteners, low-calorie sweeteners. Only some of these sweeteners are "artificial." Use this list to compare sweeteners:

• Sugars are naturally occurring carbohydrates. They contain calories and raise your blood glucose levels -- the level of sugar in your blood. Examples are brown sugar, cane sugar, confectioner's sugar, fructose, honey, and molasses.
• Reduced-calorie sweeteners are sugar alcohols. These sweeteners have about half the calories of sugars and are considered a separate type of carbohydrates. They can raise your blood sugar levels, although not as much as other carbohydrates. Examples include isomalt, maltitol, mannitol, sorbitol, and xylitol. You'll often find these reduced-calorie sweeteners in sugar-free candy and gum.
• Low-calorie sweeteners are "artificial." This means they were created in a lab rather than found naturally. Low-calorie sweeteners are considered "free foods." They have no calories and do not raise your blood sugar levels.

Types of Artificial Sweeteners for Diabetes Patients

What are the best artificial sweeteners for diabetics? The FDA has approved these low-calorie sweeteners for diabetic nutrition. It considers them to be safe for use by the general public. The American Diabetes Association also recommends their use.

• Saccharin can be found as Sweet 'N Low and Sugar Twin. You can use it in both hot and cold foods. Avoid this sweetener if you are pregnant orbreastfeeding.
• Aspartame is found as NutraSweet and 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 acesulfame-K is found as Sweet One, Swiss Sweet, and Sunett. You can use it in both cold and hot foods, including in baking and cooking.
• Sucralose is found as Splenda. You can use it in hot and cold foods, including in baking and cooking. Processed foods often contain it.

Finding Artificial Sweeteners for Diabetes Patients in Prepared Foods

No sugar, low-sugar, naturally sweetened, no added sugar -- the list of what you encounter on products while shopping can be overwhelming. Use this "cheat sheet" to identify which products are sweetened the way you want them.

• No sugar means the product does not contain sugar at all. It may contain sugar alcohols or artificial sweeteners.
• No added sugar means that during processing, no extra sugar was added. However, the original source might have contained sugar such as fructose in fruit juice. Additional sweeteners such as sugar alcohols or artificial sweeteners might have been added.
• Sugar free means that the product contains no sugars. It may contain sugar alcohols or artificial sweeteners, however.
• Dietetic can mean a lot of things. It's likely that the product has reduced calories.
• All natural simply means that the product does not contain artificial ingredients. It may contain natural sweeteners, such as sugars or sugar alcohol.

When in Doubt, Read the Nutrition Label

To know for sure what kind of sweetener a food product contains, check the Nutrition Facts label. Under the Carbohydrate section, you can see how many carbohydrates the product contains. You can also see how much of these carbohydrates are in the form of sugar or sugar alcohol.

For even more information on diabetic nutrition, read the Ingredients list. It should indicate any added sweeteners, whether they are sugars, sugar alcohols, or artificial.

Remember Your Goal for Using Artificial Sweeteners for Diabetes Patients

By understanding more about artificial sweeteners and diabetes, you will be able to make better food choices. Artificial sweeteners give you another strategy to help you balance pleasure from eating with good blood sugar control.

Artificial Sweetener Reference Chart

Five Sweeteners Approved by the FDA

From Debra Manzella, R.N., former About.com Guide

Updated April 23, 2007

Are you looking to cut calories? According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Americans eat an average of 20 teaspoons of sugar a day. Most of this sugar is hidden in the foods we buy. Sugar is found in obviously sweet foods, like sodas and packaged baked goods, and also in the not-so-obvious, like spaghetti sauces and canned soups. Artificial sweeteners can reduce calorie intake and help weight loss efforts.

Artificial sweeteners are so much sweeter than sugar that very small amounts are needed to create a sweet taste. That is what minimizes the calories of the sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners contribute almost no carbohydrates to foods, so people with diabetes can enjoy their favorite foods without affecting blood glucose levels. Currently, five FDA approved artificial sweeteners on the market.

Saccharin:

Saccharin is the oldest artificial sweetener, developed in 1879. It is 200 to 700 times sweeter than sugar. After being suspected of causing bladder cancer in rats in 1972, many studies were done which ultimately disproved any link to cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, "Human epidemiology studies (studies of patterns, causes, and control of diseases in groups of people) have shown no consistent evidence that saccharin is associated with bladder cancer incidence."Saccharin has been considered safe for human consumption since 2002 and is marketed under the brand names ' SweetNLow, Sweet Twin and Necta Sweet.

Aspartame:

Aspartame was approved by the FDA in 1981. It is 200 times sweeter than sugar. Its chemical compound breaks down into a substance known as phenylalanine. This can pose a danger for people who have Phenylketonuria, (PKU) but overall, aspartame is considered safe for the general public. Equal and Nutrasweet are the brand names for aspartame.

Acesulfame-K

Acesulfame-K was approved in 1988 as a "tabletop sweetener" and in 2003 as a general purpose sweetener. It is not metabolized by the body, which means that no calories are absorbed when eaten. It is 200 times sweeter than sugar. It is marketed under the brand names, Sweet One and Sunett. It is frequently blended with other artificial sweeteners.

Sucralose:

Sucralose comes from sugar, but it is 600 times sweeter. It isn't absorbed by the body, so it does not add calories to foods. In 1999, it was approved as a general purpose sweetener. It can also be used in home baking to reduce calories in homemade foods. The brand name for sucralose is Splenda.

Neotame:

Neotame is a cousin to aspartame, and is 7,000 to 13,000 times sweeter than sugar. It was approved in 2002 as a general purpose sweetener. Although it is related to aspartame, it doesn't carry the same warning about phenylalanine, because a minimal amount of phenylalanine is produced during digestion. Neotame is not marketed under any brand names yet.

_Sources:

"Artificial Sweeteners: No Calories... Sweet!" FDA Consumer Magazine Vol. 40, Number 4, July-August 2006 20 Apr 2007.

"Artificial Sweeteners and Cancer: Questions and Answers."National Cancer Institute Fact Sheet. 05 Oct 2006. National Cancer Institute. 20 Apr 2007.

Artificial Sweetener Reference Chart

Alternative Natural Sweeteners for Diabetes

Natural Sugar Substitutes and Sweeteners

From Debra Manzella, R.N., former About.com Guide

Updated September 15, 2009

Some natural alternatives to refined sugar still have as many or more carbs than table sugar, and a high glycemic index. Sweeteners like honey, corn syrup, brown sugar, and maple syrup can still make your blood sugar spike. But, there are two natural sweeteners that can be considered an acceptable alternative to sugar.

Agave Nectar

Agave nectar comes from the Agave plant. It has been used for centuries as a sweetener, especially by the Aztecs. The nectar tastes sweet and has a consistency similar to honey. Agave is gaining popularity as a natural sweetener, because it has a lower glycemic index (GI) than table sugar or honey. The glycemic Index of agave nectar is around 20 to 30. Regular sugar has a GI of 60 to 65.

When compared to sugar, 21 grams of agave nectar is 60 calories and 16 grams of carbohydrate. The same amount of granulated sugar is 64 calories and 16.8 grams of carbs. So the benefit of using agave instead of sugar lies in the glycemic index. A lower GI means it doesn't spike blood sugar as fast as ordinary sugar does.

Stevia

Stevia is another plant that has been used since early times as a sweet source. It grows in South America, and the leaves are similar in shape to the mint family. Because Stevia is many times sweeter than sugar, it takes very little to make things sweet. This automatically cuts calories and carbs.

There is a new sugar substitute product on the market that contains Stevia, called Truvia. It's sold in small packets, and each packet is equivalent to 2 teaspoons of sugar. Truvia has no calories, and only 3 grams of carbohydrate per serving. Two teaspoons of sugar has 32 calories and 8.4 grams of carbs.