# Homemade jam with xylobrit or similar



## Michael Shallcross (Jul 26, 2016)

Hi, I've recently been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. I guess I must still be in the bargaining stage of grieving for lost jam: I've been wondering if it's possible to use natural sugar substitutes like xylobrit in homemade jam. 

I've been using it in coffee and it seems a decent enough solution, but obviously that's just in very small quantities. I've picked some rhubarb from my allotment and would love to make some rhubarb jam, but don't want to ruin the batch with a badly thought-out experiment.

I'd really appreciate any guidance - the same question also applies to cakes!


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## Northerner (Jul 26, 2016)

Hi Michael, welcome to the forum  How did your diagnosis come about, and what insulin regime are you on? You ought to be able to eat the 'real thing' as you can balance the carbs with insulin (have you been taught how to 'carb count'?) - just in moderation, which is - of course - the rule everyone should follow  With sweet items, it's usually best to eat them as part of a main meal as the other components of the meal will often slow the digestion of the sugar and have less impact on blood sugar levels. Timing of insulin doses can also be an important factor, so it's worth doing lots of testing and experimentation to find out what works well for you 

As you may have guessed, I have no idea about sugar substitutes, but I know there are others here who know much more, so hopefully they will be along to help


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## Michael Shallcross (Jul 26, 2016)

Thanks! I was diagnosed about three months ago after I went to the doctor because I'd been feeling really tired all the time for no apparent reason. I'm 37 and otherwise in pretty decent health. They think they caught it quite early and that I'm still in the 'honeymoon period', so I'm only on one shot of Levemir a day at the moment. They originally put me on mealtime NovoRapid shots too, but it was making my blood sugar level go too low. Even on a pretty low daily dose of Levemir (8 units) my levels are almost always under 10 at the moment, but they say that it won't be long before this starts getting more tricky to maintain...

It's good to hear that I can potentially have small quantities of normal jam, and thanks a lot for the general tips on incorporating sugar within my diet. I haven't been shown how to carb count yet, and I've probably been over-careful up to now with cutting sugar out as much as possible. I tried some low sugar jams (not the 'diabetic' stuff, just reduced sugar) but they don't seem quite the same somehow!


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## Northerner (Jul 26, 2016)

Michael Shallcross said:


> Thanks! I was diagnosed about three months ago after I went to the doctor because I'd been feeling really tired all the time for no apparent reason. I'm 37 and otherwise in pretty decent health. They think they caught it quite early and that I'm still in the 'honeymoon period', so I'm only on one shot of Levemir a day at the moment. They originally put me on mealtime NovoRapid shots too, but it was making my blood sugar level go too low. Even on a pretty low daily dose of Levemir (8 units) my levels are almost always under 10 at the moment, but they say that it won't be long before this starts getting more tricky to maintain...
> 
> It's good to hear that I can potentially have small quantities of normal jam, and thanks a lot for the general tips on incorporating sugar within my diet. I haven't been shown how to carb count yet, and I've probably been over-careful up to now with cutting sugar out as much as possible. I tried some low sugar jams (not the 'diabetic' stuff, just reduced sugar) but they don't seem quite the same somehow!


Ah, I see - good that it was caught before you became really ill, as many do (me included!). I was 49! Carb counting isn't really relevant if you're not injecting novorapid at the moment, as it is this that you match up with the carbs (an example might be 1 unit of novorapid for 10g of carbs). It's good that you weren't misdiagnosed as Type 2, as many adults often are 

When I was diagnosed I had a big clearout of my cupboards of all the things I thought I would no longer be able to have, but gradually I discovered that I shouldn't have bothered - I just need to keep things sensible and make sure I have my insulin. It's a long process with a steep learning curve, although much of what you learn is from experience. However, I would highly recommend getting a copy of Type 1 Diabetes in Children Adolescents and Young People by Ragnar Hanas (don't be misled by the title - this book is relevant to people of all ages! ) because just browsing it will give you a good idea of what you might expect and help you to get the most out of any time you spend with healthcare professionals, as you will be more clued-up on what questions to ask, and how to interpret the answers! 

Let us know if you have any more questions, and please keep us updated on how you are getting on with things


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## Ljc (Jul 26, 2016)

Michael Shallcross said:


> Hi, I've recently been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. I guess I must still be in the bargaining stage of grieving for lost jam: I've been wondering if it's possible to use natural sugar substitutes like xylobrit in homemade jam.
> 
> I've been using it in coffee and it seems a decent enough solution, but obviously that's just in very small quantities. I've picked some rhubarb from my allotment and would love to make some rhubarb jam, but don't want to ruin the batch with a badly thought-out experiment.
> 
> I'd really appreciate any guidance - the same question also applies to cakes!


Hyer  Michael. To be honest I'd be careful with this sweetener.
It's a polyol and excessive consumption can cause , putting it mildly, lots of running to the loo and the loo roll manufacturers in profit .
I thought I'd try  a some jam labelled suitable for diabetics, it's illegal to label foods such now. It was a polyol and two slices with a scrape of said jam had the most undesirable effect mentioned above . It went in the bin.
Here's a link about the actual sweetener not the jam
http://www.lloydspharmacy.com/en/xylobrit-xylitol-based-table-top-sweetener-250g.

Personally I like sweet and low granulated sweetener ,if you can find it or Splenda, they have no nasty aftertaste nor any unplanned trips to the loo. they don't cause me any spikes either so they might be fine for you .
As for jam  I know the reduced sugar ones are not quite the same as the full fat(sugar) ones but being  T2 we have to make some sacrifices for our future health but if you want the full fat one, have just a scrape occasionally, I do.


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## trophywench (Jul 26, 2016)

Haha!  Very interesting!!!!  https://www.nutracheck.co.uk/Calori...ugar-Free+Natural+Sweetener+250g#.V5fYQd5TGcw - see Carb content per 100g weight - 100g.  Whereas normal sugar has about 95g carb per 100g weight.  However - you would use less of it - a quarter to a third by weight, so it would be that much less carbs for the same sweetness.

My Godmother used to make Rhubarb and Sultana jam in the 1950s and I'm not sure there was any sugar in it at all - but of course it was a wartime recipe anyway so there wouldn't have been much of either sugar or sultanas, the main purpose of the jam was to enable you to use every scrap of what you grew in the garden, and either bottling or jamming were the only methods a housewife had of making fruit keep.


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## DeusXM (Jul 26, 2016)

One slightly left-field approach you might want to try is using sugar-free jelly as jam - I know it's not quite the same but the texture and flavour aren't massively dissimilar.

If I recall correctly, the key thing that makes jam 'jam' is pectin - I think special 'jam sugar' comes with this added in. You _may _be able to make jam with one of the more conventional sweeteners eg Candarel if you can get pectin separately.

Interestingly, according to Wikipedia, pectin binds to cholesterol and slows down the absorption of carbohydrates, so it's pretty good stuff - if it wasn't conventionally eaten with a tonne of sugar!

EDIT: just googled the theory here and apparently I'm on the money here - looks like there are a few 'no sugar' recipes that use pectin and stevia or splenda. I've literally never made jam before but good to see my instincts work! Of course, by definition any jam will have a reasonable quantity of sugar in it anyway from the fruit. The jelly option might be best if you're really watching carbs but then again I suppose you're going to be using it on bread or pastry, which makes that a bit redundant.


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## Robin (Jul 26, 2016)

DeusXM said:


> f I recall correctly, the key thing that makes jam 'jam' is pectin - I think special 'jam sugar' comes with this added in. You _may _be able to make jam with one of the more conventional sweeteners eg Candarel if you can get pectin separately.


if you're making something like raspberry or blackcurrant jam, there should be enough natural pectin in the fruit. Jam sugar only contains it to help get a better set when using fruit low in pectin, such as strawberries, but you can put a couple of slices of lemon in for the same effect, there's pectin in citrus pith and the pips, ( which is why traditionally you tie up the pips in a muslin bag and lob them into the pan when making marmalade)


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## silentsquirrel (Jul 27, 2016)

I make my own jam, marmalade and chutney, but reduce the sugar in recipes to about 70% of what it suggests.  Tastes better, and does not affect the keeping properties.  I am tempted to try reducing a bit more.


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## Mark Parrott (Jul 27, 2016)

I haven't quite made jam, but made a compote using frozen berries & truvia. Had no ill affects loo wise, but it wasnt a big portion. Just used to put on a cheesecake l made.


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## Michael Shallcross (Jul 28, 2016)

Thanks everyone for your really helpful advice. This forum is a godsend! I'll be going ahead with making my rhubarb jam over the weekend, just reducing the proportion of sugar a little... 
And thanks Northerner for the tip-off on the book, I'll definitely pick up a copy!


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