Alcohol sugar

[chesty]

I have noticed lately that a lot of so called low carb foods tout that the 15-30 carbs they do not count as they are sugars from alcohol. How true is this?

 

[Mr.X]

I have noticed lately that a lot of so called low carb foods tout that the 15-30 carbs they do not count as they are sugars from alcohol. How true is this?

What is sugar alcohol?
Sugar alcohols, also know as polyols, are ingredients used as sweeteners and bulking agents. They occur naturally in foods and come from plant products such as fruits and berries. As a sugar substitute, they provide fewer calories (about a half to one-third less calories) than regular sugar. This is because they are converted to glucose more slowly, require little or no insulin to be metabolized and don't cause sudden increases in blood sugar. This makes them popular among individuals with diabetes; however, their use is becoming more common by just about everyone. You may be consuming them and not even know it.


Identifying them
Common sugar alcohols are mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol, lactitol, isomalt, maltitol and hydrogenated starch hydrolysates (HSH). Sugar alcohols are not commonly used in home food preparation, but are found in many processed foods. Food products labeled “sugar-free,” including hard candies, cookies, chewing gums, soft drinks and throat lozenges often consist of sugar alcohols. They are frequently used in toothpaste and mouthwash too.

 

[Lifterforlife]

Read this....

http://www.mendosa.com/netcarbs.htm

 

[chesty]

Thanks, that is very interesting and exactly what i was looking for. It is freaking hard to watch ones carbohydrates these days. I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't spray our lettuce with sugar of some form!

 

[thelion2005]

I have noticed lately that a lot of so called low carb foods tout that the 15-30 carbs they do not count as they are sugars from alcohol. How true is this?

I count them at 1/2 their value.

 

[chesty]

I went and looked at one of my protein snacks and it lists Maltitol syrup as the number one igredient and that according to the site above has a glycemic index up to 53!. Now, my question would be how does that effect the sugar/insulin spike in a healthy non-diabet person?

I am dieting for the next twelve weeks and possibly competing, but I need to be srue of this and other things. If not, I will be eating plain chicken breast, tuna and lettuce for the next 3 months!

 

[Mr.X]

I went and looked at one of my protein snacks and it lists Maltitol syrup as the number one igredient and that according to the site above has a glycemic index up to 53!. Now, my question would be how does that effect the sugar/insulin spike in a healthy non-diabet person?

I am dieting for the next twelve weeks and possibly competing, but I need to be srue of this and other things. If not, I will be eating plain chicken breast, tuna and lettuce for the next 3 months!

The insulin spike should be minimal if you have low/moderate intake. If you take in too much SAs, you'll have an insulin spike.

 

[Lifterforlife]

Taking into consideration mixed meals, glycemic load will be of value to you.

 

[chesty]

Well, I am trying to keep all of my carbs below 150gms a day. I would prefer 100 or less, but I get loopy when I do that.

By too much you mean over a certain amount per serving correct? Some of the food I have now is only 18 gms of SA (maltitol syrup) per serving.