|  | Conditions Treatments | Diabetes

Alternative Sweeteners for Diabetics

Diabetes is a medical condition that affects millions of people in the United States, both children and adults. It is a disorder in which the body does not make or utilize insulin in the proper manner. Insulin is a type of hormone that is required to transform sugars and starches into the energy that is necessary for living. Diabetics are advised to avoid sugar, as it increases their glucose levels. There are several different types of alternative sweeteners that may be consumed by diabetics.

  1. Splenda

    • Splenda is one of the most popular alternative sweeteners. Splenda doesn't contain any calories, and is a replacement for sugar. It can be used instead of sugar for baking and cooking, and consists of a tiny amount of traditional food ingredients (such as maltodextrin and dextrose), though the amount is so minute that is still classifies as containing no calories.

    Sooo Sweet!

    • Sooo Sweet! is a Stevia supplement that is all natural. It is another popular alternative sweetener. Made from the Stevia plant (a shrub from South America that has been used by Paraguayan people for years), it is a popular sweetener due to its lack of bitter, unpleasant aftertaste. It consists of no calories or carbohydrates and is entirely organic.

    Sweet 'N Low

    • Sweet 'N Low is an artificial sweetener that consists of saccharin, which is a safe substance that was discovered in the late 1800s. It is manufactured by Cumberland Packing Corporation in Brooklyn, New York, and has been in existence since 1957. It is 300 to 500 times sweeter than table sugar. It also consists of dextrose, which is a natural carb that is extracted from corn.

    Truvia

    • Truvia is another all-natural alternative sweetener that is made from Stevia leaves. The all-natural sweetener is 100 percent calorie-free, and has many uses, whether for sweetening coffee or making fruit even tastier. It is a highly popular alternative sweetener for diabetics, and is even kosher certified. A single Truvia packet is equivalent in sweetness to two packets of table sugar.

    Equal

    • Equal is the brand name for a zero-calorie substance called aspartame. Asparatame consists of two amino acids and is a safe substance that is utilized in more than 6,000 products. It is appropriate for both insulin dependent (Type 1) and non-insulin dependent (Type 2) diabetics.

Diabetes - Related Articles