Sugar substitutes for diabetics

Diabetics and Sugar

Diabetes mellitus or just diabetes is a medical condition characterized by lack of insulin or body ignorance to produce insulin. Because of that diabetic patients can’t use glucose from the blood as the energy fuel. Glucose (blood sugar) starts to accumulate and influence many normal processes in the body. High blood sugar might affect their heart, blood vessels, nerves and eyes, leading to many serious health complications.

Sugar Substitutes

First of all, you should know that all sugars have the ending “ose”. In products, sugar is usually labeled as glucose, fructose, dextrose (these “oses”), and also corn and cane syrup and molasses. Almost everything in the store, if it not labeled as diabetic food, may contain some form of sugar. Doctors always recommend sugar free or sugar limited diets to diabetic patients.

Diabetic patients and their families have to think much more about the food they eat. Many prepared food contains certain amount of sugar and may not be suitable for people who shouldn’t eat sugar. These days, there are many products made especially for diabetics, so they wouldn’t have to worry about their food. However, patients should watch for natural sugar, such as lactose, which is sometimes present in dairy products or other food.

Today, there are many sugar substitutes and diabetic patients can enjoy their sweets without worrying about their health. These candies, chocolates, cookies and cakes, actually almost anything labeled as diabetic food, won’t raise their glucose level. Also, diabetics can use these sugar substitutes to cook or bake something at home.

Splenda or sucralose is a sweetener that doesn’t contain any calories whatsoever. It is made of table sugar and it can be used to make almost anything. You may use splenda to cook or bake and it can replace sugar.

Stevia is well known all around the world as a sugar substitute. It is 300 times sweeter than regular sugar, and it is also suitable for diabetics. It can’t be bought anywhere else, except in health stores, and you might use it for both cooking and baking.

Sweet One is also known as sunsett or acesulfame K is also without calories. It is much sweeter than sucrose, even some 200 times sweeter. Sunsett is also suitable to cook and bake for diabetic patients.

Sweet-n-Low is saccharin. This substance is 300 times sweeter than sugar. The only problem is that it can’t be heated, since it becomes quite bitter.

Nutrasweet Equal contains aspartame. Aspartame is also sweeter than sugar, about 180 times sweeter. It is suitable for use in anything cold, including drinks, milk products and food. You can’t use it to cook something, because it breaks down and loses all sweetness.