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Sugar Free Sweets - what does carbohydrate 77g (3%) of which sugars 0.3g (1%) mean

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Nige13

Nige13

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hi,
Can someone please expalin to me once and for all what does carbohydrate 77g (3%) of which sugars 0.3g (1%) mean?
Per 10grms of sweets (sugar free liquorice)
I have been calculation incorrectly all this time 😱
 
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Nige13 said:
Hi,
Can someone please expalin to me once and for all what does carbohydrate 77g (3%) of which sugars 0.3g (1%) mean?
Per 10grms of sweets (sugar free liquorice)
I have been calculation incorrectly all this time 😱
Click to expand...
I can’t really tell, from the info provided, how the adding up works out. But if for example there is a lot of an ingredient such as Maltilol, this is one of the polyols which although strictly a carb, it isn’t absorbed by the body, so they don't count as carbs. Because they pass through the body undigested, however, they can cause you to trot to the loo quite frequently if you eat too much.
 
It means they are 77% carbohydrate but that is mostly not from sugar. Don’t eat more than one or two unless you have constipation
 
Robin said:
I can’t really tell, from the info provided, how the adding up works out. But if for example there is a lot of an ingredient such as Maltilol, this is one of the polyols which although strictly a carb, it isn’t absorbed by the body, so they don't count as carbs. Because they pass through the body undigested, however, they can cause you to trot to the loo quite frequently if you eat too much.
Click to expand...
This is one of the very damaging misunderstandings. Not all polyols are equal. Maltitol is a dreadful sugar substitute that spikes blood sugars as much and sometimes more than actual sugar! It is absorbed by the body and is not at all good for diabetics. Always check for maltitol and if it is the polyol the manufacturer is using then it is best avoided because it is very difficult to deal with if you are type 1 needing to work out how to calculate it and if you are type 2 you need to count it the same as actual sugar if you want to avoid sugar spikes especially if you are managing your sugar levels by keeping your carbs down because this polyol acts as if it is any other carb as far as blood sugar raises are concerned and it kicks people out of ketosis.
The Glycemic Index is a ranking system for carbohydrates and how they effect blood glucose levels.

Click to expand...
 
NotWorriedAtAll said:
This is one of the very damaging misunderstandings. Not all polyols are equal. Maltitol is a dreadful sugar substitute that spikes blood sugars as much and sometimes more than actual sugar! It is absorbed by the body and is not at all good for diabetics. Always check for maltitol and if it is the polyol the manufacturer is using then it is best avoided because it is very difficult to deal with if you are type 1 needing to work out how to calculate it and if you are type 2 you need to count it the same as actual sugar if you want to avoid sugar spikes especially if you are managing your sugar levels by keeping your carbs down because this polyol acts as if it is any other carb as far as blood sugar raises are concerned and it kicks people out of ketosis.
Click to expand...

2g is around the equivalent of 5g of sugar.
So treat it as 40% equivalent to sugar.
 
NotWorriedAtAll said:
This is one of the very damaging misunderstandings. Not all polyols are equal. Maltitol is a dreadful sugar substitute that spikes blood sugars as much and sometimes more than actual sugar! It is absorbed by the body and is not at all good for diabetics. Always check for maltitol and if it is the polyol the manufacturer is using then it is best avoided because it is very difficult to deal with if you are type 1 needing to work out how to calculate it and if you are type 2 you need to count it the same as actual sugar if you want to avoid sugar spikes especially if you are managing your sugar levels by keeping your carbs down because this polyol acts as if it is any other carb as far as blood sugar raises are concerned and it kicks people out of ketosis.
Click to expand...
Oops, I assumed they were all the same. Apparently not!
 
Not for me I’m afraid.

In my early months with diabetes I developed a handy formula (by a process of unpleasant experimentation):

commercial ‘sugar free’ sweets / biscuits = disappointment + painful wind + upset stomach = not worth it

On the other hand I do know people who actively seek out Amazon reviews of ‘Sugar Free Haribo” when they need cheering up. some proper horror stories in there 😱 😳
 
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I used sugar free sweets when I was first diagnosed, particularly for long car journeys. My gut seems to cope with them OK although I never ate lots of them.... maybe 3-4 on a long journey with no need for toilet stops. I used to buy the Sula brand or cheaper version from Lidl in the little boxes. Rhubarb and custard were particularly good. I don't know which sweetener they use but they didn't affect my BG and served a purpose in weaning me off the sweet eating habit. I haven't bought any for a couple of years now that I don't need that "comfort" crutch/blanket anymore.
I think as with all things diabetic and relating to digestion and gut biome, some will have issues and some won't. Some will be able to break down some of the polyols and some won't. As always, experiment on yourself and if it doesn't upset your gut or cause a rise in BG then you just have to decide if that extra sweetener in your diet is necessary or good for you rather than just not being bad for you and do you get enough pleasure from it to warrant it. As I say, I enjoyed them and didn't have a problem, but I don't see any need or want for them in my diet now, it was just a habit that I have now broken.
 
The best rule of thumb as to whether a polyol is able to be absorbed by the body is to look at the calories. You can find the calories and GI for them online. The ones that have 0 calories are the ones that won't affect blood sugars. Maltitol has around 2 calories per gram compared with 4 calories per gram of sugar and spikes blood glucose for many people and has side effects and so for me it isn't a good choice. But it is better than aspartame etc as regards to not being so harmful generally long term but worse than aspartame etc as regards to having calories and causing blood spikes.
 
Nige13 said:
Hi everyone - and thanks for your answers. These are the sweets in question 😱

View attachment 22143
Click to expand...
While these have fewer calories than if they were made from sugar - the maltitol portion of the ingredients have half the calories of sugar - while the modified starch has the full amount of calories and carbs it would have if the sweets were made from sugar.
Maltitol is absorbed by the body and recognised as a carb in the blood and causes blood spikes.
 
Blimey Nige, liquorice is known as a leg swinger on its own with added artificial sweetener more so, I wouldn't eat more than 3 at a time.

You'd be in trouble if you ate a quarter of that bag. Proceed with caution.
 
Jodee said:
Blimey Nige, liquorice is known as a leg swinger on its own with added artificial sweetener more so, I wouldn't eat more than 3 at a time.

You'd be in trouble if you ate a quarter of that bag. Proceed with caution.
Click to expand...

The best use of liquorice (and toffee) is dissolved in vodka. 🙂
 
Jodee said:
Blimey Nige, liquorice is known as a leg swinger on its own with added artificial sweetener more so, I wouldn't eat more than 3 at a time.

You'd be in trouble if you ate a quarter of that bag. Proceed with caution.
Click to expand...
I have on ever had five at a time (10g) and thats only maybe once or twice in a week 🙂
 
rebrascora said:
I used sugar free sweets when I was first diagnosed, particularly for long car journeys. My gut seems to cope with them OK although I never ate lots of them.... maybe 3-4 on a long journey with no need for toilet stops. I used to buy the Sula brand or cheaper version from Lidl in the little boxes. Rhubarb and custard were particularly good. I don't know which sweetener they use but they didn't affect my BG and served a purpose in weaning me off the sweet eating habit. I haven't bought any for a couple of years now that I don't need that "comfort" crutch/blanket anymore.
I think as with all things diabetic and relating to digestion and gut biome, some will have issues and some won't. Some will be able to break down some of the polyols and some won't. As always, experiment on yourself and if it doesn't upset your gut or cause a rise in BG then you just have to decide if that extra sweetener in your diet is necessary or good for you rather than just not being bad for you and do you get enough pleasure from it to warrant it. As I say, I enjoyed them and didn't have a problem, but I don't see any need or want for them in my diet now, it was just a habit that I have now broken.
Click to expand...
I have never had any rise in BS after eating five of these on any occasion but will be thinking about re-buying now 🙂 :confused:
 
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