Sugar Substitutes For Diabetics And On The Keto Diet

2023 Author: Lynn Laird | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-21 21:10

For a diabetic, sugar should be avoided as much as possible, in the same way as all foods with a high glycemic index. While it might seem impossible, living without added sugar isn't that hard. Fortunately, there are alternatives to table sugar these days that are much more beneficial for our health. And along with that, are there any diabetic sugar substitutes that don't affect blood sugar? Since artificial sweeteners have no nutritional value or good reputation, sugar alcohols and naturally occurring sources remain the best substitutes for sugar. These are in particular the stevia and the fruit Monk or "Luo han guo", which have gained popularity in recent years and have a reputation of being safe for diabetics. More,the sweeteners in question are also suitable for people on a ketogenic diet, as they allow them to save calories and carbohydrates.

Sugar alcohols: a healthy alternative for diabetics

Sugar alcohols such as mannitol, sorbitol, and xylitol are used to replace sugar in sugar-free desserts and chewing gum. Unlike artificial sweeteners, sugar alcohols do not, or cause a very small increase in blood sugar. Sugar alcohols, also called polyols, occur naturally and come from the fermentation of fruits and vegetables. Their impact on blood sugar depends on their glycemic index and can vary, ranging from 13 for xylitol to 9 for sorbitol. Despite their relatively minimal impact on blood sugar, some sugar alcohols (such as xylitol) can have a laxative effect if consumed excessively.

Sugar substitutes for diabetics: use in cooking and baking

Sugar substitutes can be used in our favorite preparations, such as smoothies, cookies, pancakes, muffins, breads, mousses, etc. Since the majority of sweeteners have a much higher sweetening power than table sugar, you will have to adjust your recipes to taste. Even though there are dosage instructions, as a precaution it is best to use a small amount at the start and add more if necessary. Fortunately, there are already several recipes for diabetics with very precise sweetener dosages.

Here are some other things to watch out for:

• When using alternatives to sugar, cooking time may also be affected;

• Certain sweeteners can make a bitter taste if they are present in too much quantity in the culinary preparations;

• Take into account that by using sugar substitutes, your cakes will not rise the same way, because the sugar provides a dough structure.

Natural sugar alternatives for diabetics and people on keto diets

Whether one is diabetic or not, excessive sugar intake will inevitably unbalance the sugar levels in our body leading to various diseases. Reducing sugar consumption is therefore of major importance for good health. In the case of diabetes, sugar substitutes are particularly recommended because their impact on blood sugar is much lower compared to white sugar.

Xylitol

Xylitol is a sugar alcohol that tastes like sugar and has similar sweetening power but has a lower caloric intake of 2.4 kcal / g. It is widely used and used as a substitute for sucrose. Its low glycemic index of 7 makes it edible by diabetics. In addition, being half the calories of sugar, xylitol is also recommended as part of a low calorie diet.

Erythritol

Erythritol, too, is a natural alcohol sugar that comes from the natural fermentation of fruits and vegetables (like melon, grapes, asparagus, mushroom, etc.). It can also be obtained from the fermentation of corn. Erythritol has zero glycemic impact and is an excellent sugar substitute for diabetics. This natural sweetener looks like white sugar and is slightly less sweet than white sugar.

It is interesting to know that erythritol is a sugar which is not assimilated by the liver and which comes out of the digestive system without having been absorbed by the body. For your information, erythritol enjoys better tolerance from the entire digestive tract and is suitable even for those with irritable bowels. However, this sugar can cause indigestion if consumed in large amounts.

The Monk fruit or "Luo Han Guo"

The Monk fruit, used in traditional Chinese medicine, has recently gained popularity as a natural alternative to sugar. In addition, this sweetener is 150 times sweeter than white table sugar and contains zero calories. It does not raise blood sugar, making it a great choice for diabetics.

The Monk fruit, also known as the "Buddha fruit" is a small round fruit cultivated in Southeast Asia. To extract the famous sweetener from the fruit, first we remove the seeds and the skin. Then, the fruit is crushed and the juice collected, which is then dried and made into a concentrated powder. Although the fruit contains natural sugars (fructose and glucose), it is believed that these are not the main compounds responsible for its sweet taste. As it turns out, the Monk fruit gets its intense sweet taste from unique antioxidants called mogrosides.

Yacon syrup

Yacon or ground pear, it is a vegetable with a sweet potato look that offers an appetizing syrup and benefits from aromatic and dietary properties. Yacon syrup, made by cooking yacon juice, is a syrupy paste with a superb caramel color, which is very digestible, rich in prebiotics and soluble fibers. With its 197 kcal per 100g, yacon syrup is less caloric than honey, agave syrup or maple syrup, for example. In addition, it can boast of a very high content of fructooligosaccharides - fibers stimulating the development of bacteria useful for the intestinal flora.

With its glycemic index of 1, yacon syrup is an excellent sugar substitute for diabetics. The taste of this syrup resembles that of molasses, with a deep, caramelized sweetness. It is very well suited for baked goods, sauces and desserts.

Stevia

Stevia is a natural sweetener made from the Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni plant, which has been cultivated for centuries in South America. With its sweetening power on average 300 times greater than sugar and 100 times more than aspartame, and its absence of calories, stevia has something to tempt. In addition, stevia helps maintain and control blood sugar, so it has its place in the diet of the diabetic. Another benefit of the sweetener in question is that it is not addictive to sugar.