[Guest]

So when is a sugar NOT a sugar.. and are some better or worse than others?

I decided that this question needed to be looked into when I read a post on another web site, so I grabbed a few items out of the pantry and refrigerator to see what I could find.

100% No sugar added vegetable juice = 10g (Various vegetable concentrates)
White Cranberry Peach fruit juice = 28g (Various fruit concentrates)
2% Reduced fat milk = 12g
100% All natural fruit spread = 9g (Sugars from fruit/fruit juice)
Apple jelly = 12g (Natural ingredients)
Dark Amber all natural pure Maple syrup = 53g (Maple syrup)
Clover Honey = 17g (Pure honey)
Demerara Cane Sugar = 4g (Natural cane sugar)
Splenda = 0.5g (Backed by the ADA)

Now that I'm more confused than I ever was, I'll once again ask my original Thread Topic, ie: "Are some sugars better or worse than others".. and if so, which ones.. or is a sugar a sugar no matter what?

In the same light, what's considered the maximum amount of sugar(s) one should consume per day.. or does it depend upon the action/reaction (and thus the bg level) that one has in relationship to that same sugar consumption?

Boy.. having the big "D" sure does make life interesting.

Breeze 2 User

 

[onaughmae]

I find that for myself...what matters most is the total carbohydrate count (that includes all sugars). I will usually opt for the sugar free version of things because they generally have a lower overall carb count. I keep my carb intake 30-45g per meal. I do sometimes use real sugar in small amounts...I just have to count it

 

[Shanny]

My solution is to just not use sugar at all. I'd rather use my carb count toward more filling components of my meals, like the high-fiber tortilla for my burritos & the green veggies, squash, etc., that make up a lot of my diet nowdays.

If I need to sweeten something, I use saccharin, sucralose or eyrithritol. I am very wary of the granulated sweetener mixtures like Splenda which are bulked up with maltodextrin and/or other sugars. Liquid sweeteners are more likely to be free of added sugars. My easy method for recognizing sugars is that most end in "ose". Except for sucralose (the Splenda kind), all the glucose, dextrose, fructose, lactose, etc., etc., are sugars and are likely to affect our blood levels negatively. Be especially leery of high fructose corn syrup and its cousins, corn syrup & corn syrup solids. These get added to every bloomin' thing anymore. Read the labels!

Some diabetics can use sugar alcohols without a flicker in their blood sugars. Examples of sugar alcohols are sorbitol, maltitol, xylitol, mannitol, eyrithritol, etc. It all boils down again, to eat it & test - eat & test. What works for me may not work for you. None of the "no-sugar-added" products can pass my meter test - there's just still too much natural sugar in those jams, jellies, spreads & juices.

 

[breezeonby]

My solution is to just not use sugar at all. I'd rather use my carb count toward more filling components of my meals, like the high-fiber tortilla for my burritos & the green veggies, squash, etc., that make up a lot of my diet nowdays.

If I need to sweeten something, I use saccharin, sucralose or eyrithritol. I am very wary of the granulated sweetener mixtures like Splenda which are bulked up with maltodextrin and/or other sugars. Liquid sweeteners are more likely to be free of added sugars. My easy method for recognizing sugars is that most end in "ose". Except for sucralose (the Splenda kind), all the glucose, dextrose, fructose, lactose, etc., etc., are sugars and are likely to affect our blood levels negatively. Be especially leery of high fructose corn syrup and its cousins, corn syrup & corn syrup solids. These get added to every bloomin' thing anymore. Read the labels!

Some diabetics can use sugar alcohols without a flicker in their blood sugars. Examples of sugar alcohols are sorbitol, maltitol, xylitol, mannitol, eyrithritol, etc. It all boils down again, to eat it & test - eat & test. What works for me may not work for you. None of the "no-sugar-added" products can pass my meter test - there's just still too much natural sugar in those jams, jellies, spreads & juices.

Shanny: I am still having a really hard time with sweeteners. There are so many. Many are a mix of good & bad. My taste buds crave maltodextrin. I have tried the sugar free DaVinci simple sweetener syrup and was very disappointed. It is nothing more than watered down sucralose. I tried some Sweet'n Low and it is terrible. I did ordered some Sweetzfree and it is OK but is pricey, but still missing the maltodextrin. I ordered some eyrithritol from Netrition today, I have read that is has a cooling after taste. I think I am going to have a hard time finding a carb free sweetener that tastes good. I will probably have to settle with some Splenda or Equal bulk and Sweetzfree mix. I only use sweetener when I make Kool-aid and I have loved this since my childhood. 2 quarts of Kool-aid requires a cup of sugar and if I use Splenda it has 24 carbs for a cup. To get the right sweetness, I had to use twice as much Sweetzfree. That stuff is $18 per ounce.

 

[Shanny]

Maybe I'd better be thankful that my sweet tooth isn't any more assertive than it is! My downfall is bread, of course, although I was never averse to loading up my toast with cinnamon & sugar or homemade elderberry jam - it just wasn't my usual recipe.

Once in a great while I'll pour some liquid saccharin into my coffee (which is already laced with heavy cream - heheh), but my sweets consumption is pretty low.

I wish I had a magic wand for you to sweep away all the weird undertones & aftertastes of this stuff and especially the sky-high prices!