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Sugar Alcohol Question

3K views 6 replies 3 participants last post by  Shanny 
#1 ·
I bought some Maple Grove Farms, sugar free butter flavored syrup today and I wanted to get some opinions on how to count the carbs in sugar alcohol. The general population says that you can deduct 1/2 of the total grams of sugar alcohol from the total amount of carbs per serving. So if a serving of the syrup is 1/4 cup and contains 12 grams of carbs per serving and 11 grams are listed as "sugar alcohol" then you would deduct 5.5 from the total amount of carbs for a net of 6.5 carbs? Sounds easy enough. But....I went to blood sugar 101 and read up on sugar alcohol and there are claims that certain types of sugar alcohol can affect your blood sugar. And while I am in the diet section of the forum, there are some interesting remarks about Dreamfields pasta. There are now claims that the new pasta does affect blood sugar but very slowly and a 2 hour PP test will not catch the spike. This is one of the best articles that I have read about "net carbs". Marketing Tricks: Net Carbs, Sugar Alcohols, Tricky Portion Sizes. Very important information.
 
#3 ·
I usually count them all, but I have a pretty good degree of insulin resistance so it takes a bit more to drop me into hypoglycemia. I would suggest deducting half and see what your blood sugar does.

I still havent had the nerve to try the dreamfields pasta. I cant decide how to dose for it. I am scared to count it as low as they suggest. Maybe I will take my own advice and just count half then see what happens. At worst I end up a little low and have to have a snack later :)
 
#4 ·
You got me thinking about the Dreamfields, after I went to read what Jenny had written about it. So tonight I made a batch of mac & cheese, sat down & ate the whole two cups of it, and then just waited. I finally tested about six hours later & clocked 112. I'll test again before I go to bed, but this is what Dreamfields has done to me other times - my levels actually drop. I think I'd better be thankful - if BS101 is really onto something, then everyone isn't having such good luck as I. 'Course I'm the one who doesn't even cook it as long as the directions say, so . . . who knows?! :rolleyes:

I went to blood sugar 101 and read up on sugar alcohol and there are claims that certain types of sugar alcohol can affect your blood sugar. And while I am in the diet section of the forum, there are some interesting remarks about Dreamfields pasta. There are now claims that the new pasta does affect blood sugar but very slowly and a 2 hour PP test will not catch the spike. This is one of the best articles that I have read about "net carbs". Marketing Tricks: Net Carbs, Sugar Alcohols, Tricky Portion Sizes. Very important information.
 
#5 ·
I am going to have to try it and see. I wonder if it depends on how much insulin the person is still making. FOr instance...if it causes a slow rise, in a person that is resistant, but still making insulin ..it might be slow enough that your body can deal with it. But in someone like me that makes hardly any insulin at all...or no insulin...if we bolus for it over a couple of hours.(if a pump) or right away if MDI...then it causes a slow rise hours later, then maybe thats where people are having issues. Should be an interesting experiment.
 
#7 ·
Full disclosure on Dreamfields

Having eaten two cupfuls of mac & cheese about 6pm last night, I tested 112 at 11pm and stated that I'd test again before going to bed.

At 1am I tested 159. A couple of things muddied the waters, but I think I'm safe in saying the main culprit was Dreamfields. The other things were handful of cashews, and a s/f popcicle (I had forgotten I was testing Dreamfields . . . :()

Upon awakening at 5:40am, I tested 136, fell back asleep until 11:15 at which time I tested 135. Another thing that muddied the waters is that I discovered I had forgotten to take my meds last night, so this experiment was terribly unscientific, and I will be making further tests. Granted, eating two cupfuls was pushing the envelope - next time I'll try one cupful, and reduce portion size from there.

Breeze, I can't thank you enough for raising this issue. :hug:
 
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