# sorbitol counted as carb?



## hybriduno (Jun 6, 2013)

Hi, is sorbitol counted as a carb? we have bought some diabetics jam and it says


carbs 48
of which sugars    2 carbs
of which sorbitol 46 carbs


don't know whether to count it or not and he's desperate to try some jam


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## pgcity (Jun 6, 2013)

I found out the hard way with a packet of sugar free mints. I needed to count the carbs.


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## Mark T (Jun 6, 2013)

Just remember that sorbital is also a laxative!


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## DeusXM (Jun 7, 2013)

Sorbitol is technically a carbohydrate but is regarded as 'better' for blood sugar as the body shouldn't be able to metabolise it. 

However, generally one of two things happens when you eat sorbitol. And sometimes, if you're really lucky, both of them happen.

For some people, sorbitol raises their blood sugar as much as normal sugar. I'm one of those people. All of the bulk sweeteners (maltitol, sorbitol etc) might as well be sugar as far as I'm concerned.

For some people, eating these sweeteners does 'interesting' things to your guts and mean you'll need to stock up on loo roll. Sometimes if you eat a lot of this stuff you get real 'gastric distress' which can make you swell up like a hot air balloon, and the only way to fix it is to deflate yourself, so to speak.

I'm one of those lucky people who gets all the fun effects.

As a general rule, I would entirely avoid 'diabetic' foods - they are entirely a con. Some are sweetened with these dodgy '-ol' sweeteners which should probably be avoided for the reasons above. Others simply swap out the sugar for another carbohydrate, which will then have exactly the same effect as having sugar in there. You are better off buying the normal products and looking at how portion control, timing of when you eat and your medication can help you eat them with minimal effects on your blood sugar.


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## Northerner (Jun 7, 2013)

Sugar alcohols convert to glucose more slowly, so should have less of a spike. However, this also can make them difficult to bolus for if the glucose is released beyond the 'lifetime' of the insulin dose.

Other sweeteners, like some of the -ose types, depend on something called 'chirality', which is basically using the same atoms as conventional sugars, but arranged in a mirror image. These 'left-handed' molecules cannot be metabolised by the body and if they were the only type of carbs you ate you would starve!

http://www.rowland.harvard.edu/rjf/fischer/background.php


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## Pumper_Sue (Jun 7, 2013)

I was always told to bolus for half the total sorbitol content. So if 50 carbs for sorbitol then count as 25 carbs to bolus for.


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