Diabetics are generally happy with sweeteners, because it increases the choice in the supermarket a lot. What are the benefits of sugar substitutes for them?
People with diabetes should keep a close eye on their blood sugar. Diabetes sometimes has serious complications and a stable blood sugar helps reduce the risk of, for example, cardiovascular disease and nerve damage. Watching carbohydrate intake helps stabilize blood glucose levels. Eating fewer carbohydrates ensures that there are fewer high peaks, and less deep troughs. The blood sugars are therefore more stable.
Check the label
No, sweeteners can do no harm in diabetes. In fact, they are great for use in diabetes if you don’t want to consume too many carbohydrates, says the Diabetes Fund. It is wise to look carefully at which sweetener is used, because some sugar substitutes contain carbohydrates as a filler. So always check the label!
Intensive or Extendive Sweeteners?
Both intensive and extensive sweeteners can be used with diabetes. Intensive sweeteners are sweeteners that are 35 to 8,000 times as sweet as sugar, so you only need very little. They contain (almost) no calories. They are in sweeteners, liquid or powder, and often in diet soda, dairy products and sugar-free chewing gum. Examples of intensive sweeteners are acesulfame-K, cyclamate, saccharin, stevia and aspartame.
Extensive sweeteners, also called polyols, are half or as sweet as sugar. They also contain half the calories, but more than intensive sweeteners. These extensive sweeteners (unlike the intensive ones) have about the same volume as sugar. They are often found in ‘sugar-free’ products with the claim ‘suitable for people with diabetes’. Examples of extensive sweeteners are isomalt, lactitol, mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol and maltitol.
The benefits of sweeteners in diabetes
- They help reduce total sugar consumption.
- They do not affect blood sugar levels.
- They provide few or no calories and help limit your energy consumption.
- They can prove to be a valuable aid in controlling your weight.
- They are also an alternative to sugar in terms of taste.
