Couldn't have said it better:
http://blog.nutritiondata.com/ndblog/2010/04/fructose-poison-or-nutrient-or-both.html
Friday, April 30, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Sugarless Candy (and sugar alcohols)
Here is this week's question I received from FOODPICKER.org:
Jeff W. asks: My doctor recently diagnosed me with type 2 diabetes. I know it is important to watch my sugar intake. Is sugarless candy really sugarless?
Answer: While sugarless candy will not contain sugar, be aware that it may contain other sources of carbohydrate. All carbohydrates will affect blood sugar, be it candy, potatoes or bread. (Really, all food will affect blood sugar, but carbohydrates have the greatest effect.) In the past, people diagnosed with diabetes were told they were not allowed to eat sugar. This is no longer true. People with diabetes can eat any foods but must pay closer attention to portion sizes and combination of foods.
Candy sweetened with sugar is a source of concentrated carbohydrate. You may choose to substitute with sugarless candy, but be sure to read the label and note the amount of carbohydrate in each serving - and the serving size! I would also suggest reading the ingredients listing and noting which artificial sweetener is used in the product.
Sugarless candy is often sweetened with sugar alcohols. The names of sugar alcohols usually end in -ol; some common ones are sorbitol, maltitol, xylitol, mannitol and lactitol. Sugar alcohols are metabolized differently than sugar, so they will not raise you blood glucose quite as much as sugar and they have slightly fewer calories. However, ingestion of large amounts of sugar alcohols may cause diarrhea. This occurs because sugar alcohols are usually not fully digested. The presence of undigested carbohydrate in the intestine alters the osmotic pressure, thus causing water to be drawn into the intestine, resulting in diarrhea. This reaction to sugar alcohols varies from person to person, so keep this in mind when trying out sugarless candy made with sugar alcohols.
Everyone is different - sugarless candy may affect your blood glucose differently than someone else with type 2 diabetes. As with incorporating any new food into your diet, the only way to know for sure is to try a small amount and test your blood glucose.
Jeff W. asks: My doctor recently diagnosed me with type 2 diabetes. I know it is important to watch my sugar intake. Is sugarless candy really sugarless?
Answer: While sugarless candy will not contain sugar, be aware that it may contain other sources of carbohydrate. All carbohydrates will affect blood sugar, be it candy, potatoes or bread. (Really, all food will affect blood sugar, but carbohydrates have the greatest effect.) In the past, people diagnosed with diabetes were told they were not allowed to eat sugar. This is no longer true. People with diabetes can eat any foods but must pay closer attention to portion sizes and combination of foods.
Candy sweetened with sugar is a source of concentrated carbohydrate. You may choose to substitute with sugarless candy, but be sure to read the label and note the amount of carbohydrate in each serving - and the serving size! I would also suggest reading the ingredients listing and noting which artificial sweetener is used in the product.
Sugarless candy is often sweetened with sugar alcohols. The names of sugar alcohols usually end in -ol; some common ones are sorbitol, maltitol, xylitol, mannitol and lactitol. Sugar alcohols are metabolized differently than sugar, so they will not raise you blood glucose quite as much as sugar and they have slightly fewer calories. However, ingestion of large amounts of sugar alcohols may cause diarrhea. This occurs because sugar alcohols are usually not fully digested. The presence of undigested carbohydrate in the intestine alters the osmotic pressure, thus causing water to be drawn into the intestine, resulting in diarrhea. This reaction to sugar alcohols varies from person to person, so keep this in mind when trying out sugarless candy made with sugar alcohols.
Everyone is different - sugarless candy may affect your blood glucose differently than someone else with type 2 diabetes. As with incorporating any new food into your diet, the only way to know for sure is to try a small amount and test your blood glucose.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Reversing diabetes?
Here is this week's question from FOODPICKER.org:
Tammy S. asks: My 45 year-old husband was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes a few months ago. Is it true that you can reverse diabetes?
Answer: Confusion abounds regarding whether or not type 2 diabetes can be reversed! The short answer is no. Diabetes is a chronic condition that cannot be cured - it can, however, be managed. There is a distinct difference.
Type 2 diabetes occurs when the pancreas either does not produce enough insulin, or the body's cells do not respond to insulin properly (insulin resistance). In either case, the not enough glucose is moved from the bloodstream into the body's tissues, and you are left with high blood glucose levels.
Let's look at an example: 2 hours after a meal, blood glucose should be below 140 mg/dl. When your blood glucose is over 140 for longer than 2 hours, other constituents of blood are skewed: triglyceride levels increase, fibrinogen (used in clotting) decreases. Over time (in terms of years) this will increase your chances of damaging the tiny blood vessels in eyes, kidneys and nerves - leading to a host of other problems.
A person without diabetes can eat chocolate cake or a salad for lunch - in either case, 2 hours after a meal his/her blood glucose will be below 140 (probably more like 120). The pancreas will compensate depending on what is eaten. In a person with type 2 diabetes, like your husband, eating chocolate cake for lunch (and nothing else) puts a huge glucose load on his bloodstream. His pancreas kicks into overdrive to compensate, but it just can't keep up. Two hours later his pancreas is still trying to clear all the blood of the sugar from lunch. It's like using a spork to eat soup - it sort of works, but is not totally efficient! Now, if your husband had eaten a salad and maybe some broiled fish or chicken followed by a smaller portion of chocolate cake, his blood glucose might be within a normal range 2 hours later.
Does that mean his diabetes is cured? No! If he goes back to eating cake for lunch, his diabetes manifests again.
However, diabetes complications should not be considered manifest destiny! This does not mean that you cannot live a healthy, long life with diabetes. Treatment of type 2 diabetes includes a healthful diet, physical activity, blood sugar monitoring and medication.
The most successful person with type 2 diabetes takes control of their treatment by:
Tammy S. asks: My 45 year-old husband was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes a few months ago. Is it true that you can reverse diabetes?
Answer: Confusion abounds regarding whether or not type 2 diabetes can be reversed! The short answer is no. Diabetes is a chronic condition that cannot be cured - it can, however, be managed. There is a distinct difference.
Type 2 diabetes occurs when the pancreas either does not produce enough insulin, or the body's cells do not respond to insulin properly (insulin resistance). In either case, the not enough glucose is moved from the bloodstream into the body's tissues, and you are left with high blood glucose levels.
Let's look at an example: 2 hours after a meal, blood glucose should be below 140 mg/dl. When your blood glucose is over 140 for longer than 2 hours, other constituents of blood are skewed: triglyceride levels increase, fibrinogen (used in clotting) decreases. Over time (in terms of years) this will increase your chances of damaging the tiny blood vessels in eyes, kidneys and nerves - leading to a host of other problems.
A person without diabetes can eat chocolate cake or a salad for lunch - in either case, 2 hours after a meal his/her blood glucose will be below 140 (probably more like 120). The pancreas will compensate depending on what is eaten. In a person with type 2 diabetes, like your husband, eating chocolate cake for lunch (and nothing else) puts a huge glucose load on his bloodstream. His pancreas kicks into overdrive to compensate, but it just can't keep up. Two hours later his pancreas is still trying to clear all the blood of the sugar from lunch. It's like using a spork to eat soup - it sort of works, but is not totally efficient! Now, if your husband had eaten a salad and maybe some broiled fish or chicken followed by a smaller portion of chocolate cake, his blood glucose might be within a normal range 2 hours later.
Does that mean his diabetes is cured? No! If he goes back to eating cake for lunch, his diabetes manifests again.
However, diabetes complications should not be considered manifest destiny! This does not mean that you cannot live a healthy, long life with diabetes. Treatment of type 2 diabetes includes a healthful diet, physical activity, blood sugar monitoring and medication.
The most successful person with type 2 diabetes takes control of their treatment by:
- testing blood sugar as recommended
- following a meal plan to control blood sugar
- exercising on a regular basis
- taking medications as prescribed
- maintaining a healthy body weight (or losing weight, if needed)
- visiting healthcare providers on a regular basis - endocrinologist, dietitian, CDE, etc.)
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