Lucyr
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The weight loss should help your blood sugar in the long term.
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Take a look at our new Type 2 Diabetes Remission section on the Diabetes UK website: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/diabetes-the-basics/type-2-remission
Maltodextrin - been avoiding it?
- Thread starter meggsy
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rebrascora
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You will only lose weight if the Maltodextrin used in these products is not digested. You could potentially spend 12 weeks on the diet, not loose weight and damage your gut and exacerbate your diabetes, if your body does digest it.
Losing weight is not simple or straightforward and I think some clarification is needed from DUK on the high percentage use of Maltodextrin in these products, when it is deemed to be unsuitable for diabetics.
Lucyr
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The calories will be on the packets, on 800 calories a day you definitely lose weight.
rebrascora
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If that calorie count is based on the fact that you don't digest the maltodextrin then fair enough but some or all of it may be, so I think you are missing my point.
Some Maltodextrin is broken down by the digestive system. We know for a fact that the manufacturers don't generally have their product analysed but take the figures from the constituent ingredients. And no one is able to analyse how we digest particular foods to release glucose except perhaps ourselves in a limited fashion with a BG meter. It is like putting me on a diet that is 20% lentils or beans.... I am one of those people who extract more glucose from pulses than they are supposed to contain because presumably my body seems to digest some of the fibre. My digestive system will get almost twice the glucose from pulses than the suggested content, so I will likely get nearly twice the calories.
From what I have read, there are two types of Maltodextrin. One that supposedly cannot be digested and one that can. What if the manufacturer inadvertently purchased the wrong Maltodextrin... the digestible one..... Both white powders. What if not everyone's digestive system has read that it can't digest the resistant one and the manufacturer is using the correct one but @meggsy's digestive system is still breaking it down. If she is getting more glucose from it and then she may not lose weight.
You are assuming the nutritional info on the label is accurate and it may not be, particularly in respect of a controversial product like Maltodextrin.
Some Maltodextrin is broken down by the digestive system. We know for a fact that the manufacturers don't generally have their product analysed but take the figures from the constituent ingredients. And no one is able to analyse how we digest particular foods to release glucose except perhaps ourselves in a limited fashion with a BG meter. It is like putting me on a diet that is 20% lentils or beans.... I am one of those people who extract more glucose from pulses than they are supposed to contain because presumably my body seems to digest some of the fibre. My digestive system will get almost twice the glucose from pulses than the suggested content, so I will likely get nearly twice the calories.
From what I have read, there are two types of Maltodextrin. One that supposedly cannot be digested and one that can. What if the manufacturer inadvertently purchased the wrong Maltodextrin... the digestible one..... Both white powders. What if not everyone's digestive system has read that it can't digest the resistant one and the manufacturer is using the correct one but @meggsy's digestive system is still breaking it down. If she is getting more glucose from it and then she may not lose weight.
You are assuming the nutritional info on the label is accurate and it may not be, particularly in respect of a controversial product like Maltodextrin.
harbottle
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My blood sugar in the morning when I get up is almost allways around 7-8. Few days after starting the diet its been 10. It will slowly drop to 6.5 -7.6 mid afternoon when not on these soups. (When not doing this diet I skip breakfast.) Since doing the diet after having 2 soups or a soup and a shake its been going up to 12 mid afternoon. Higher after last meal and not dropping before bed. I lost 6 kg in first 2 days of this and nothing since in just over 3 weeks. I've felt off - like my blood sugar is too high. Have been waiting for the sudden energy boost you are said to have after first 5 day - had nothing, feeling awful. Sleepy, cold etc.
Leadinglights
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How do those levels compare with the readings you were getting with your dietary regime before you started on the program. It sounds as if it is worse than doing nothing.
Do you have support from a councillor whilst on the program as if so you need to discuss the results you are getting pre meal and 2 hours post meal readings alongside the exact shake/soup you had.
I've put my before diet readings above. Readings are the same after any of the products, I just noticed today that maltodextrin in the second item listed on every product which got me wondering if that was the problem. That's why I posted here to double check myself. Yes, I will discuss it with them next call but as they work for the company selling the product, not sure they are going to be much help. I just wanted to know everyone elses results and if their meal replacements were the same as this. Thats all. I will stop posting if that's causing a problem. I just wanted a comparison is all. To work out myself if I should carry on or if its doing more harm than good doing so. Thanks
harbottle
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So fasting level has gone up to 10 since starting on these soups, and your afternoon readings now 12 instead of 6.5 to 7.6.
Being in double figures a lot of the time will make you feel bad and is not good, no wonder you are feeling sleepy, as my levels were like this when I was diagnosed and I felt awful.
The idea with this remission pathway is that the weight loss leads to improved insulin secretion, but if it's not working and making you feel bad you'd be better off talking to your GP/Nurse for alternatives. Are you on any medication?
Being in double figures a lot of the time will make you feel bad and is not good, no wonder you are feeling sleepy, as my levels were like this when I was diagnosed and I felt awful.
The idea with this remission pathway is that the weight loss leads to improved insulin secretion, but if it's not working and making you feel bad you'd be better off talking to your GP/Nurse for alternatives. Are you on any medication?
Leadinglights
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Sorry I missed that.
Some people have tried other soups and shakes like the Tesco ones, I wonder if you tried those to see if they have the same effect on your blood glucose.
This is my last ditch attempt before having to use insulin as I've had bad reaction to every med they've tried me on (really bad). I'm wondering if trying keto may be my alternative to that as I don't want to be using insulin if I can help it. I think I may try switching to hardcore keto and staying on it if needs be. Been looking it up today. Thank you.
Leadinglights
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The blood glucose levels you posted of before you started the soups /shakes don't look too bad, what sort of regime were you following, it may be that a bit more tweaking of that will be sufficient without going down a keto route which can be very hard to sustain and what you need is a regime that is sustainable.
I don't know if you have looked at this link for a low carb approach. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/ Many have found this successful.
Thanks, will take a look at that. Was just avoiding sugar (and things like maltodextrin) and cutting back carbs a bit but clearly that wasnt enough to brings numbers down - so needed to do something more.
ColinUK
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I’ve a few sachets laying around.
If I recall correctly my BG would rocket if I gulped one of their shakes down but if I consumed it over a slightly extended period (even say 20 minutes) then it was a much less steep incline.
Lucyr
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I know nutritional labels have a margin of error, but even if it was 50% out then on an 800 calories a day diet that’s 400-1200 calories and still losing weight not gaining.
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Looks like Maltodextrin is mentioned twice on these labels too.
I’ll ask the information team if they have any insight into maltodextrin and any concerns over its suitability for people with T2.
I stopped it. One day on keto, my blood sugar is 7 this morning and lost 1 kg and my eyes are no longer blurry. Obvs. very early days but fingers crossed. Whatever they say - it was clearly not having a desirable affect on myself. Thanks.
Docb
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Bit late to this thread but i have done my usual thing and looked up maltodextrin to see what it was and the first section on the Wikipedia maltodextrin page is quite interesting.
As I read it, "maltodextrin" is a portmanteau word and refers to a family of glucose polymers with a common generic formula.
Maltodextrins can be split into two broad groups. One group is easily and rapidly digested to produce glucose and are not recommended for people with diabetes. The other group are not easily digested and don't break down to produce glucose and so are OK for people with diabetes, at least as far a blood glucose is concerned.
So, when talking about maltodextrin you have got to be a bit careful which maltodextrin you are talking about. The shakes may or may not be suitable for diabetics depending on which maltodextrin is used in the formulation. The shots of the labels do not appear to be very enlightening, simply referring to maltodextrin.
Bit like referring to sugar.
As I read it, "maltodextrin" is a portmanteau word and refers to a family of glucose polymers with a common generic formula.
Maltodextrins can be split into two broad groups. One group is easily and rapidly digested to produce glucose and are not recommended for people with diabetes. The other group are not easily digested and don't break down to produce glucose and so are OK for people with diabetes, at least as far a blood glucose is concerned.
So, when talking about maltodextrin you have got to be a bit careful which maltodextrin you are talking about. The shakes may or may not be suitable for diabetics depending on which maltodextrin is used in the formulation. The shots of the labels do not appear to be very enlightening, simply referring to maltodextrin.
Bit like referring to sugar.
So, my darling daughter who runs marathons and is non diabetic, never had a blood sugar reading above 4.5 (4.2 pre meals) has been very concerned since my diagnosis. She was horrified that I am choosing to stop the shakes as wants to see me in remission. She wasn't having any of it that maltodextrin could be that bad, NHS wouldn't use it is it was etc. We had a few heated chats about it and she then said "I will try that shakes for 1 day and we can test my blood sugar". So she had them all day yesterday. Been for a run this morning had one for brekkie pre run too. We decided to test her blood sugar before lunch. It was 6.2! I find this disturbing myself. She is shocked and now supportive of me stopping them. I'm still confused as to why they would use malodextrin if it does this. I have looked and found other diet replacement shakes that do not contain it so... right now I'm doing keto but could always buy the shakes to try that do not contain maltodextrin if I need to.
Docb
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@meggsy. i was just trying to make the very simple point that my limited researches suggested there are different sorts of maltodextrins and suggesting it would be sensible to bear that in mind when discussing the shakes with maltodextrin on the ingredients list. They might lead to an increase in blood glucose, they might not, it depends on exactly what maltodextrins were used.
It was more a comment about the rules and regulations surrounding labelling than it was about anything else. They are good as guidelines but you need to be a bit wary when trying to use them to evaluate blood glucose changes.
One might expect that the maltodextrins used in shakes designed to assist blood glucose control might be of the sort that are not digested to produce glucose. One would have to dig a little deeper than examining the ingredients list find out.
PS... I make my own soups and am the sort who would not contemplate consuming artificial foods like shakes of this sort. They may be right for some, but not for me.
It was more a comment about the rules and regulations surrounding labelling than it was about anything else. They are good as guidelines but you need to be a bit wary when trying to use them to evaluate blood glucose changes.
One might expect that the maltodextrins used in shakes designed to assist blood glucose control might be of the sort that are not digested to produce glucose. One would have to dig a little deeper than examining the ingredients list find out.
PS... I make my own soups and am the sort who would not contemplate consuming artificial foods like shakes of this sort. They may be right for some, but not for me.
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