# Sugar alcohols



## kvyd (Mar 24, 2004)

Can anyone tell me how they are broken down and how they effect the body.

Ive heard they are over all bad for you.  can someone give reasons and such.

thanx


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## atherjen (Mar 24, 2004)

go to www.mercola.com and search artificial sweetners, aspartame, sucralose, etc. 
scary.


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## OmarJackson (Mar 25, 2004)

> _*Originally posted by atherjen *_
> go to www.mercola.com and search artificial sweetners, aspartame, sucralose, etc.
> scary.



no offense to mercola or nothing, but the testimonials on his site are hilarious. one lady was like "i started using splend and the next day i was sluggish and depressed." hmmm.... maybe thats because your a fat sack of shit. anyway i've been using splenda every day for more than a year and i haven't noticed anything, except that i am enjoying my oatmeal again. 

regardless, sugar alcohols are not the same as artificial sweetners, some sugar alcohols do have calories in them.


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## Jodi (Mar 25, 2004)

I don't care for Mercola myself.


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## Akateros (Mar 25, 2004)

Here's the Low-Carb Forum info page on artificial sweeteners, including sugar alcohols:
http://www.lowcarb.ca/tips/tips006.html

Bottom line _appears_ to be "technically, they're not supposed to count". However, in practice, I know they are anathema to _me;_ not only do they wreak evil in my bowels even in tiny doses, but they will completely stall an otherwise swimming diet for days.

And my brother, who is diabetic, says they mess up his insulin levels and blood sugar much more than they're claimed to, so he doesn't consume them either.


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## kvyd (Mar 25, 2004)

alright, thanx.   Im just going to avoid them.


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## Vieope (Mar 25, 2004)

> _*Originally posted by Akateros *_
> And my brother, who is diabetic, says they mess up his insulin levels and blood sugar much more than they're claimed to, so he doesn't consume them either.



_True_



> *What Are Sugar Alcohols?*
> 
> The sugar alcohols commonly found in foods are sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, isomalt and hydrogenated starch hydrolysates. Sugar alcohols come from plant products such as fruits and berries. The carbohydrate in these plant products is altered through a chemical process. These sugar substitutes provide somewhat fewer calories than table sugar (sucrose), mainly because they are not well absorbed and may even have a small laxative effect.
> 
> ...


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## Nuclear Blast (Mar 27, 2004)

If I had to choose a sweetner, it would be Splenda.  Seems to be the best for you out of all of them.  I'm sorry, but despite the gallon or so of water I drink a day, I consume a couple of glasses of decaf tea a day and I "must" have my splenda added as well as to my morning oatmeal.


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## Nuclear Blast (Mar 27, 2004)

Oh, and by the way, for anybody that does comsume protein bars...just a reminder, they also contain sugar alcohols.  So if you're gonna totally eliminate them from your diet then you might as well not ever eat another protein bar ever again (any type)!


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## camarosuper6 (Mar 27, 2004)

I would die without Splenda on my morning oatmeal.


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## greekblondechic (Mar 27, 2004)

stevia! stevia! stevia!


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## atherjen (Mar 28, 2004)

I agree with Vivian - I use Stevia now as suggested by my ND


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## Nuclear Blast (Mar 28, 2004)

What is Stevia?  Never heard of it before.


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## atherjen (Mar 28, 2004)

> _*Originally posted by Nuclear Blast *_
> What is Stevia?  Never heard of it before.



http://www.healthy.net/hwlibrarybooks/stevia/questions.asp


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