Artificial Sweeteners can raise blood sugar

For and experiment, I checked my BS, it was 178, I drank a juice glass of water with a packet of the powder mixed in. My BS went up to 201!!

I looked at my generic 'sweet and low" packets, the main ingredient was dextrose. I remembered reading some time back that dextrose is just another name for glucose.

I have since switched to liquid Sweet and Low, it doesn't have any dextrose added and is much cheaper than the little packets too.

Some research I did on dextrose and maltodextrine, if you are interested;

Some info from:

"Maltodextrin digestion starts right when it enters the mouth. The salivary glands, located along the base of the jaw (there are actually three specific glands here - parotid, submandibular and sublingual), continually secrete lubricating mucus substances that mingle with food particles during chewing. The enzyme salivary amylase (ptyalin) breaks the hydrogen bonds between the repeating glucose units, beginning the reduction of maltodextrin into smaller linked glucose molecules "

Dextrose, commonly called glucose, d-glucose, or blood sugar, occurs naturally in food, and is moderately sweet. It is a monosaccharide (basic unit of carbohydrates, C6H1206) and has a high glycemic index (digested carbohydrates ability to raise blood glucose levels, also called Gl) ranking at 100. "

Some info from:]http://health.msn.com/health-topics/diabetes/articlepa ge.aspx?cp-documentid=100184842&page=2

"Stevia (SweetLeaf Stevia Plus, OnlySweet)

Sold as a "tabletop sweetener" (packets used mostly to sweeten beverages)

Commonly added to packaged foods and beverages

Heat-stable; can be used for baking

What is it? A concentrated powder made by extracting a sweet-tasting compound—steviol glycosides—from the leaves of Stevia rebaudiana, a plant native to South America. Commercially, stevia is sold as a liquid or a powder that is combined with bulking agents: often inulin, a soluble fiber, or maltodextrin, a sugar.

Sweetness factor: 300 x sugar

Take note: Since the FDA has not approved its use as a food additive, stevia is sold only as a dietary supplement in the United States. However, in the interest of launching a line of "natural" diet drinks next year, the Coca-Cola Company and Cargill are expected to petition the FDA to re-examine the safety science on stevia. Stevia itself does not raise blood sugar—neither does inulin—but maltodextrin does, so people concerned about blood glucose levels should read ingredient labels carefully."

from http://www.dorway.com/sweets.txt[

"HIGH GLYCEMIC NUTRITIVE SUGARS

Honey

Barley malt

Date sugar

Sucrose, sugar, table sugar (99.9% pure sucrose)

Brown sugar (contains molasses)

Raw sugar (96% sucrose, 4% molasses)

Turbinado sugar (95% sucrose, 5% molasses)

Invert sugar (product of hydrolysis of sucrose containing levulose and

glucose)

Caramelized sugar; prepared by heating sucrose until it browns)

Corn syrup

High fructose corn syrup (not the same as fructose; prepared from corn

syrup/glucose)

Glucose

Maltose

Molasses

Maple syrup/maple sugar (refined carbohydrate with little nutrient

content)

from http://drmericle.com/cinelli21/sugars3.pdf

"Maltodextrin

Maltodextrin is also a refined product usually made

from either corn or potatoes. It is multiple glucose

units somewhat loosely hooked together (a polymer).

Because the bonds between the glucose units are very

weak, it is also very readily absorbed and has a very

"Dextrose

Glucose is the most prevalent sugar in the human and

the only molecule that the brain can metabolize.

Dextrose is refined from corn starch.It has a very high

from http://paleoeater.blogspot.com/2008/02/more-hidden-sugars.ht ml

The blog "more hidden sugars" is so good I am not going to quote from it, I think you should read the whole article.

From

Diabetics should follow the advice of their physicians. MALTRIN® maltodextrin’s glycemic index should be considered metabolically equivalent to glucose (dextrose).

ffrom http://www.psha-inc.com/guai-support/sf/FAQ_DietingForHypogl ycem.htm#IsMaltodextrinSugar

"Do NOT have sugar, glucose, dextrose, corn syrup, honey, maltose, starch, etc., because these WILL invoke the insulin response. "

As for myself, I will be very careful from now on to read those labels and make sure that sugar free stuff is really sugar free.

Did you know that foods can be labeled sugar free if they don't contain sucrose, (table sugar), no matter how much other sugar they contain?

For instance, I have a box of "sugar free" raspsberry drink mix here that has as the first ingredient, malto-dextrine. It has a * beside the word malto-dextrine with the comment, "adds a trivial amount of sugar".

It may be a trivial amount if you don't have a diabetic metabolism. Not so trivial if you are a diabetic.

My experience has been that if a product says, "contains a trivial amount of sugar" Iit is best that I leave it alone.