Living with diabetes means managing your weight and paying close attention to what you eat, especially when it comes to sweets. Eating the wrong type of sweetener when you have diabetes can lead to several issues. Sugar can cause blood sugar levels to spike, so finding the right kind of sweetener is crucial when you’re trying to manage your diabetes.
This spike in blood sugar can lead to heart disease, kidney damage, and nerve damage. On the other hand, choosing the right type of sweetener can help you manage your diabetes more effectively. In this article, we will go over some of the best sweeteners to use as a diabetic.
1 – Stevia
Stevia is a natural sweetener made from the leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana plant, which is native to South America. For centuries, people have used stevia leaves to sweeten food and drinks. It’s sweeter than sugar, however, it contains no calories.
For diabetics, stevia does not raise blood sugar levels, making it a safe choice when you’re trying to reduce glucose levels. This can help you manage diabetes better, preventing the spikes in blood sugar that can occur with other sweeteners.
There are some potential downsides to be aware of such as experiencing side effects like bloating or nausea, although these are relatively rare. Be sure to read the label as some stevia products have some other sweeteners added to it which may not be diabetic friendly.
2 – Erythritol
Erythritol is a type of sweetener known as a sugar alcohol, which occurs naturally in some fruits and fermented foods. Unlike regular sugar, erythritol is manufactured through a fermentation process where a type of yeast ferments glucose from corn or wheat starch. The result is a powder that tastes sweet but has almost no calories.
Erythritol has a low glycemic index, meaning it has little to no impact on blood sugar levels. This makes it a safe alternative to sugar and other high-glycemic sweeteners. It also has a side benefit of not causing tooth decay.
The downside is that sugar alcohol is not easy for the body to digest. In small amounts there is nothing to worry about but large amounts may cause bloating, gas, or diarrhea. It’s a good idea to start with small doses the first few times you use it to see how your body responds.
3 – Aspartame
Aspartame is an artificial sweetener commonly found in many low-calorie, sugar-free products, ranging from soft drinks to chewing gum. Aspartame is known for being much sweeter than sugar, so you can use less of it to achieve the desired sweetness.
Aspartame is great because it doesn’t affect blood sugar levels. This is because it is completely broken down by the body into its component parts, including phenylalanine, aspartic acid, and methanol, which do not raise blood glucose levels.
There have been concerns about aspartame’s safety and potential links to cancer. However, the FDA found it to be safe for human consumption within the recommended limits.
