# Are sweeteners okay for coffee



## dx052 (Mar 2, 2020)

I like coffee but not a fan of coffee with out sugar, was wondering if sweeteners are okay?


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## ianf0ster (Mar 2, 2020)

It depends upon the sweetener. Some sweeteners raise the Blood Glucose of some diabetics.
The only way you will know which ones are good or bad fr you is to try some and test each one with your BG meter.

Alternatively you might try ditching sweeteners and trying it with double cream , or butter, or coconut oil as many of those on a Keto way of eating do.


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## Northerner (Mar 2, 2020)

Yes, I have never liked coffee without some sort of sweetness, so I put one Sweetex in a mug (I only drink instant, I'm not a connoisseur  ) Hasn't been a problem for me for nearly 12 years


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## dx052 (Mar 2, 2020)

I picked up a sachet of sweeteners from one of those high street coffee shops, i'll give a go then test my levels and see if causes any issues


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## Northerner (Mar 2, 2020)

dx052 said:


> I picked up a sachet of sweeteners from one of those high street coffee shops, i'll give a go then test my levels and see if causes any issues


Shouldn't affect your levels at all. The main problem with sweeteners generally is that they can cause some gastric upset for some people, especially in big quantities (hence why people are not recommended to buy 'diabetic' chocolate or sweets etc. One sweetener (equivalent to one teaspoon of sugar) is neither here nor there


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## rebrascora (Mar 2, 2020)

I am another one who would advocate trying to cure your sweet tooth and trying cream in your coffee instead of sweetener. I find that the cream works great (I do occasionally have butter if I am out of cream, but haven't quite acquired the taste for that yet.... never tried the coconut oil but will be giving it a go) and without having to tolerate the artificial sweetener taste. I consider it one of my little decadent luxuries to have cream in my coffee every morning when I have had to forego so many other foods for my diabetes.


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## Ljc (Mar 2, 2020)

I use a sweetener in my coffee, it doesn’t affect my BG levels .  Imo it’s whether or not you like the taste of a particular sweetener, some I find are vile and some taste no different to the real thing.


I have cream in my morning coffee too along with the sweetener


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## Ljc (Mar 2, 2020)

Northerner said:


> Yes, I have never liked coffee without some sort of sweetness, so I put one Sweetex in a mug (I only drink instant, I'm not a connoisseur  ) Hasn't been a problem for me for nearly 12 years


It’s only instant for me , Nescafé gold is my favourite


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## Neens (Mar 2, 2020)

rebrascora said:


> I am another one who would advocate trying to cure your sweet tooth and trying cream in your coffee instead of sweetener. I find that the cream works great (I do occasionally have butter if I am out of cream, but haven't quite acquired the taste for that yet.... never tried the coconut oil but will be giving it a go) and without having to tolerate the artificial sweetener
> 
> taste. I consider it one of my little decadent luxuries to have cream in my coffee every morning when I have had to forego so many other foods for my diabetes.


I would second this. I never took sugar in drinks but do enjoy a weekend coffee with cream. I love the fact that I can have something so treat like as cream and it makes up to all the foods on my Not anymore list. 
Hope the advice helps you decide.


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## Eddy Edson (Mar 2, 2020)

I use aspartame in coffee ("Equal" here in Oz). No impact on BG.

Sugar-alcohol sweeteners (mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol, lactitol, isomalt, maltitol) like those often used in "sugar free" chocolate etc can be more of a problem for BG, apart from laxative effects. Some of them do have a noticeable impact on my BG.


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## Matchless (Mar 2, 2020)

I only use Stevie it is a natural sweetener and safe is not a chemical.


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## Kaylz (Mar 3, 2020)

I cant stand the taste of sweeteners and went cold turkey from previously having 2 sugars in a coffee, I find I enjoy my coffee much more these days and I use unsweetened almond milk to cut even more carbs, I dont just drink instant though and treat myself to cafetiere coffee every afternoon, if there is a movement in your blood sugars it could be the caffeine in the coffee as some find that affects them xx


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## grovesy (Mar 3, 2020)

I am sure we had a member who had problems with sweeteners but they have not been seen or posted for quite some time.


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## Matchless (Mar 3, 2020)

Kaylz said:


> I cant stand the taste of sweeteners and went cold turkey from previously having 2 sugars in a coffee, I find I enjoy my coffee much more these days and I use unsweetened almond milk to cut even more carbs, I dont just drink instant though and treat myself to cafetiere coffee every afternoon, if there is a movement in your blood sugars it could be the caffeine in the coffee as some find that affects them xx


I only drink espresso black no sugar at home and out but I do use stevia in food and in infusion s as I have very little tast and smell after a bad dose of flu 9 years ago I do taste sweet and bitter that comes from the tongue, the virus distroyed the fine hairs in the upper nose


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## grovesy (Mar 3, 2020)

Matchless said:


> I only drink espresso black no sugar at home and out but I do use stevia in food and in infusion s as I have very little tast and smell after a bad dose of flu 9 years ago I do taste sweet and bitter that comes from the tongue, the virus distroyed the fine hairs in the upper nose


I have little sense of smell but can still taste, mine is due to chronic allergic rhinitis,  and I can not eat some artificially  sweetened foods as dont like the aftertaste .


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## Matchless (Mar 3, 2020)

grovesy said:


> I have little sense of smell but can still taste, mine is due to chronic allergic rhinitis,  and I can not eat some artificially  sweetened foods as dont like the aftertaste .





grovesy said:


> I have little sense of smell but can still taste, mine is due to chronic allergic rhinitis,  and I can not eat some artificially  sweetened foods as dont like the aftertaste .



Before i found stevia i did not use sweeteners for the same reason you say but to me stevia does not have a after taste you should try it its not expensive for a 75gram tube.


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## grovesy (Mar 3, 2020)

I have had stuff Stevia in I still do not like the aftertaste.


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## Drummer (Mar 3, 2020)

I used to have three sugars in black coffee in my youth - it kept me awake for late night breakdown and travelling home after a gig, and I could not have imagined I'd ever drink anything without sugar - ah to be nineteen and immortal.
These days peas and beetroot taste sweet and the coffee is not sweetened at all - nor is anything else.
If I am baking I do a test run to see if something will work without the shovelful of artificial sweetener many people seem to think is essential, as if the taste buds are not bombarded with sweet things, they become more sensitive.


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## Oblivious (Mar 7, 2020)

I use Splenda, it's sucralose and doesn't have the fake/artificial taste some sweeteners do. i also found it's so sweet you only need to use half the amount of others


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## Matchless (Mar 7, 2020)

Oblivious said:


> I use Splenda, it's sucralose and doesn't have the fake/artificial taste some sweeteners do. i also found it's so sweet you only need to use half the amount of others


It's also a chemical stevia is made from leaves of a plant.


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## Oblivious (Mar 7, 2020)

Matchless said:


> It's also a chemical stevia is made from leaves of a plant.



everything is made of chemicals, Steviol Glycosides are chemicals from the leaves of plants (Stevia rebaudiana). Sucralose is created from sucrose, sugar


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## grovesy (Mar 7, 2020)

My hobby is gardening but am unable to smell the flowers. Though I do occasionally get a temporary return of smell I did whilst visiting Singapore Botanic Gardens a few years ago, and I loved the smells of the Orchids.
I found a slight benefit of not being able to smell, when I worked in the NHS as bad smells did not affect me.


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## grovesy (Mar 8, 2020)

Benny G said:


> I think it has been too long for me, I can't remember the smell of flowers.
> Bad smells have gone for me too.
> Occasionally I do get the odd whiff of something, but it's difficult to describe or make sense of. But that means there is at least some olfactory nerve plumbing, that's a win in my book.


Yes that is what happens to me too.


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