Monday, August 2, 2010

Lip smacking treats for diabetics that ensure insulin spikes

I came across an article today by an author who says he is a dietician specializing in diabetic diets. But under natural sweeteners he recommends agave nectar, honey, barley malt syrup, maple syrup, & sugar cane juice right along side stevia. No, no, no, no, no.

Stevia, like ZSweet® (erythritol), is an all natural zero calorie, zero glycemic sweetener. Caloric sweeteners & sugar substitutes with a glycemic impact should not be grouped with Stevia or ZSweet® as if we're comparing apples to apples. It misleads the consumer into thinking they're all the same & can be consumed without monitoring calories or GI. Those other sweeteners may be all natural, but they are not the safest option for people with diabetes & responsible authors should publish nutrition values for their readers, especially diabetic readers, when making recommendations.

Agave Nectar - 60 calories / 15 glycemic index
Barley Malt Syrup - 60 calories / 42 glycemic index
Honey - 64 calories / 30 glycemic index
Maple Syrup - 52 calories / 54 glycemic index
Sugar Cane Juice - 25 calories / 43 glycemic index
Stevia - 0 calories / 0 glycemic index
ZSweet® (erythritol) - 0.2 calories / 0 glycemic index
(see links to for average serving sizes)

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