# Sweeteners



## larkie (Mar 5, 2012)

Is anyone else using XYLITOL ? I have been using it for about 3 weeks now. I love the product think its wonderful but am now wondering about the long term effects on my blood sugar levels. Has anyone been using for an extended period of time ?


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## Pumper_Sue (Mar 5, 2012)

larkie said:


> Is anyone else using XYLITOL ? I have been using it for about 3 weeks now. I love the product think its wonderful but am now wondering about the long term effects on my blood sugar levels. Has anyone been using for an extended period of time ?



Hi Larkie,
welcome to the forum.
the OL gives the thumbs down for me, as any product ending OL means you end up with the runs for your money if to much is used in a day.

My own personal like is Splenda.


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## Northerner (Mar 5, 2012)

Hi Larkie, welcome to the forum  I don't really use sweeteners much at all so can't answer your question I'm afraid! What do you mainly use it in? Many people find that they have a laxative effect if consumed in large (or even small) quantities. I seem to remember that most sweeteners have a chemical composition that, although they contain carbs, they don't get converted to glucose by the body so shouldn't affect levels in the same way as sugar etc.

Have you been diagnosed long, and are you on any medication for your diabetes?


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## larkie (Mar 5, 2012)

Thanks for replying folks...Despite its VERY chemical sounding name Xylitol is 100 % natural product..its made from birch tree extract...has a GI of 7..and has (SO I'M LEAD TO BELIEVE) been recomended by dentists cause it helps to reduce the build up of plaque in your mouth. So far i have only used it to replace sugar in my coffee..about 2 cups a day but i did bake a cake with it and that turned out great!! it looks like sugar and taste like it to...so it all seems a bit to good to be true.Wondered if anyone had been using it long term and if they had felt any benifits from it. I have not had any (SHALL WE SAY UNPLEASANT) side effects from it yet .Have been type 2 for 5 years now..did have good control at first but after having 2 kids have been  STRUGGLING of late..Need a SWEET light at the end of the tunnel to make behaving myself a little less depressing lol..


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## HOBIE (Mar 6, 2012)

Made me smile Larkey !  Next time sumone asks me if i want sugar in me tea. Will just say half a burch tree please.      I just use sweetex


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## sandym (Mar 6, 2012)

I use a teaspoon of Xylitol on my porridge when I have it, and that's the only time i use it.  Can't say I noticed an effect on my blood sugar levels but I am generally all over the place with that anyway!  I have never had any nasty side effects  But I only use the one teaspoon a day.


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## larkie (Mar 6, 2012)

Well things are looking up for Xylitol (so far). No one has screamed '' DONT USE IT'' yet..so one can only imagine i have found a wonder product..smile happily and bake another cake with it .


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## Medusa (Mar 6, 2012)

it is in smints..... i like smints ..... lol


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## larkie (Mar 6, 2012)

Medusa said:


> it is in smints..... i like smints ..... lol


HAHAHAHA!!! Now i know why i like smints too ....


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## Northerner (Mar 6, 2012)

I believe it is also what is used in sugar-free chewing gum


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## KateR (Mar 6, 2012)

Medusa said:


> it is in smints..... i like smints ..... lol



Mmmm I'm sucking one atm.


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## larkie (Mar 7, 2012)

Northerner said:


> I believe it is also what is used in sugar-free chewing gum



Well the mystery is slowly unfolding  it makes sense to me now why i like some sugar free product and not others...i know diet coke is DISGUSTING...aspartame being its main sweetner  find anything with that particular sweetner leaves a awful bitter aftertaste...!!!


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## Duskie (Mar 9, 2012)

Northerner said:


> I seem to remember that most sweeteners have a chemical composition that, although they contain carbs, they don't get converted to glucose by the body so shouldn't affect levels in the same way as sugar etc.



Is that really true? Lately I've been really worrying about the carbs in sweeteners. So does this mean that I don't have to worry about them as much?

Oh and with regards to xylitol, I tried that last night. I actually quite like it, and its quite nice picking up the pack and actually feeling some weight to it! The first time I bought splenda I was worried that the pack was empty, silly me. It is quite pricey, sadly, but if the carbs in sweeteners are something I do have to worry about after all, it might be worth the money.

I read that stevia contains no carbs at all somewhere on the internet, I can't quite remember where. Does anyone know if this is true?


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## larkie (Mar 9, 2012)

Had a friend in the good old U.S of A who liked Stevia..comes from cactus or agarve plants i think...did look into it but for some reason the british and european health boards were very reluctant to pass it for use in this country ..kinda made me suspicious..I'm with you on the splenda thing..its far to light to cook with..needs that proper granula feeling. Xylitol Is pricey tho..would like to know where you got it from..i ordered mine on line but would love to be able to store buy it ?


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## Vicsetter (Mar 10, 2012)

Xylitol is a sugar alcohol (or polyol) which is difficult to digest, so should not spike your blood glucose levels.
It has a GI of 13 and 3 calories per gram.
It is extracted from Birch wood or more commonly corn cobs.  It has 5 carbon atoms compared to sugars 6 carbon atoms.  This make it difficult for bacteria to digest it so it is used in gum to remove the mouth bacteria.  It also has a cooling taste.
Other polyols are: Maltitol, Isomalt, Sorbitol, Lactitol, Erythritol and Mannitol.
The last 2 of these are true 0 GI and you may see them listed as Gum ingredients.

You are a lot better off weaning yourself off sweeteners in your tea/coffee, if you can.

P.S. take care with Xylitol it is poisonous to dogs!


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## larkie (Mar 10, 2012)

Thanks for all the information...i hardly drink tea or coffee but couldnt stand to drink it without the sweet taste...use it more for my weetabix or if i decide to do some baking...glad to hear it wont spike my sugar levels. Dont have any pets so no need to worry there..i did read on the website that it wasnt suitable for pets. I have to say i have really noticed a diffrence in the build up of plague in my mouth...what a bouns side effect


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## Duskie (Mar 11, 2012)

larkie said:


> Xylitol Is pricey tho..would like to know where you got it from..i ordered mine on line but would love to be able to store buy it ?



I actually found mine in Sainsburys, near the other sweeteners. Its called Total Sweet. It is still pricey at about ?2.50 a 225g bag (I think... My memory is terrible!) but it might be worth it depending on how much the delivery costs of ordering it are.


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## Phil65 (Mar 12, 2012)

I've changed over to the new 'yellow' canderel...it doesn't taste as bad as others I have tried....but they are more expensive.


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