sugar free products

[Oceanbreeze]

I wanted to give a warning to those who may be inclined to eat sugar free products. Please be extremely careful when consuming anything with the substance sorbitol. Last night, I ate about 5-6 sugar free cookies containing sorbitol and ended up spending the rest of the night in the bathroom!

I know that sorbitol CAN have a laxative effect if the product is consumed in large amounts, but I didn't think eating 5-6 cookies over the course of say 5 hrs constituted a huge amount, but my body said otherwise!

Anyway, I just wanted to warn everyone about this. Be careful with these products! If you don't know what your body can tolerate, either don't eat anything containing sorbitol or have maybe one or two. I don't want anyone else going thru what I did last night! It wasn't fun!

Here's a link on sorbitol if anyone is interested:

Sorbitol’s Laxative Effect Might Cause Abdominal Problems - Diabetes Health

 

[Bottesini]

I know that about Sorbitol, and I don't eat it.

 

[sequoias]

and sugar free products cost more and end up with more bathroom breaks.

 

[Oceanbreeze]

and sugar free products cost more and end up with more bathroom breaks.

It actually wasn't very funny as I didn't get much sleep and my stomach still isn't right.

 

[sequoias]

It actually wasn't very funny as I didn't get much sleep and my stomach still isn't right.

Sorry, just couldn't help it. I hope you get better soon. Maybe there will be a class action lawsuit for that issue.

 

[Banjo]

Just to say something...

It's not sugar-free if the substance's name ends with tol. It is a form of sugar alcohol.

So, I wouldn't recommend it for people with diabetes. It's something that bothers me on a deep level. They often label it as a sugar-free product when in fact it isn't.

Sugar alcohol is basically a hydrogenated form of carbohydrate. Whenever you consume any food with carbohydrates, it will break down into sugar.

Carbohydrates aren't good for people with diabetes. They can consume it, but it has to be in small dosages to prevent any problems from showing up. The last they need is a high dosage of sugar.

If that wasn't the case, doctors wouldn't be telling their patients they can only eat one or two small potatoes at a time to avoid any problems.

 

[Oceanbreeze]

Just to say something...

It's not sugar-free if the substance's name ends with tol. It is a form of sugar alcohol.

So, I wouldn't recommend it for people with diabetes. It's something that bothers me on a deep level. They often label it as a sugar-free product when in fact it isn't.

Sugar alcohol is basically a hydrogenated form of carbohydrate. Whenever you consume any food with carbohydrates, it will break down into sugar.

Carbohydrates aren't good for people with diabetes. They can consume it, but it has to be in small dosages to prevent any problems from showing up. The last they need is a high dosage of sugar.

If that wasn't the case, doctors wouldn't be telling their patients they can only eat one or two small potatoes at a time to avoid any problems.

You are quite right, apparently. I was reading up on sorbitol earlier, and found that it is not recommended for diabetics because it can actually cause spikes in blood sugars. The labeling is very misleading (and the product can be very bothersome for some people; myself being one of them).

 

[Oceanbreeze]

Sorry, just couldn't help it. I hope you get better soon. Maybe there will be a class action lawsuit for that issue.

It's OK, Seq. I'm just a little grumpy about it but that's no reason to take it out on you.

As for a class action suit, I hope so but I doubt it. This stuff has been around awhile and apparently only a small number of people are affected by it. Also, the label indicates that these products can cause gastrointestinal upset. My gripe is that it says "in large amounts", but really, I wasn't eating that many for the timeframe involved and I just "erupted". Wasn't fun.

 

[sequoias]

It's OK, Seq. I'm just a little grumpy about it but that's no reason to take it out on you.

As for a class action suit, I hope so but I doubt it. This stuff has been around awhile and apparently only a small number of people are affected by it. Also, the label indicates that these products can cause gastrointestinal upset. My gripe is that it says "in large amounts", but really, I wasn't eating that many for the timeframe involved and I just "erupted". Wasn't fun.

Hmmm, the question is how many people are having the issue with it. At least there is a label telling you the side effects but probably not enough to alert some people, I think. I would guess probably no more than 2 million people in the united states have gastroinstestinal upset issues.

 

[Oceanbreeze]

Hmmm, the question is how many people are having the issue with it. At least there is a label telling you the side effects but probably not enough to alert some people, I think. I would guess probably no more than 2 million people in the united states have gastroinstestinal upset issues.

I honestly don't know a number, but it's probably not that many. You also have to figure the degree of stomach upset involved as well. Some people don't react at all. Others have issues like bloating and what not. Then, there's people like me who had full on diarrhea for hrs. So, I think there's a spectrum of symptoms involved as well as the number of people. Basically, you're looking at problem that probably effects a small number of people, and the symptoms can vary from person to person.

 

[Aleser]

Just to say something...

It's not sugar-free if the substance's name ends with tol. It is a form of sugar alcohol.

So, I wouldn't recommend it for people with diabetes. It's something that bothers me on a deep level. They often label it as a sugar-free product when in fact it isn't.

Sugar alcohol is basically a hydrogenated form of carbohydrate. Whenever you consume any food with carbohydrates, it will break down into sugar.

Carbohydrates aren't good for people with diabetes. They can consume it, but it has to be in small dosages to prevent any problems from showing up. The last they need is a high dosage of sugar.

If that wasn't the case, doctors wouldn't be telling their patients they can only eat one or two small potatoes at a time to avoid any problems.

This is wholeheartedly inaccurate. The days of all diabetics being on low carb diets are long, long gone. Only SOME diabetics significantly restrict their carbs, and type 1 diabetics don't need to restrict their carbs at all.

You're talking about diabetes treatment the way we used to do it thirty years ago.

 

[Banjo]

This is wholeheartedly inaccurate. The days of all diabetics being on low carb diets are long, long gone. Only SOME diabetics significantly restrict their carbs, and type 1 diabetics don't need to restrict their carbs at all.

You're talking about diabetes treatment the way we used to do it thirty years ago.

A lot of people still have to. I happen to know some.

Why on Earth would a person with diabetes be on an unrestricted diet?

The treatments (such as insulin) are meant to help improve the quality of your life. However, it does not cure diabetes. You still have to watch what you eat.

People still have to be on a restricted diet when it comes to carbohydrates because they break down into glucose which is what? Yep, sugar.

Ask any nutritionist or diabetic specialist.

 

[Oceanbreeze]

A lot of people still have to. I happen to know some.

Why on Earth would a person with diabetes be on an unrestricted diet?

The treatments (such as insulin) are meant to help improve the quality of your life. However, it does not cure diabetes. You still have to watch what you eat.

People still have to be on a restricted diet when it comes to carbohydrates because they break down into glucose which is what? Yep, sugar.

Ask any nutritionist or diabetic specialist.

I would tend to agree with you, Banjo. She's probably right that the treatment OPTIONS are probably better then they were 30 yrs ago. Better insulin, ect. But, the overall treatment is the same. She probably is also right that some people can be more flexible with how much carb they can ingest,but that doesn't mean that the overall treatment for diabetes is vastly different. It most certainly isn't, I'm sure. People with diabetes most definitely have to be careful regarding what they take in and how much.

 

[KristinaB]

I have to be careful with sugar free options since I am allergic to aspartame. That's in 95% of all sugar free/fat free stuff. Makes it hard when I want to continue to lose weight and can't have jello or pudding or even yogurt.

 

[Banjo]

I would tend to agree with you, Banjo. She's probably right that the treatment OPTIONS are probably better then they were 30 yrs ago. Better insulin, ect. But, the overall treatment is the same. She probably is also right that some people can be more flexible with how much carb they can ingest,but that doesn't mean that the overall treatment for diabetes is vastly different. It most certainly isn't, I'm sure. People with diabetes most definitely have to be careful regarding what they take in and how much.

Yes, there are more options out there these days and people with diabetes are living longer than the previous generations.

However, they still do have to watch what they eat. Just like any healthy people, we all have to watch what we have to eat if we want to remain healthy.

I know people with diabetes and they are still being told to eat a small amount of carbohydrates at a time to this day, even with the insulin.

It's just somewhat irresponsible to say that people don't have to restrict their intake of carbohydrates. People shouldn't be given the idea that it's okay to eat a whole bunch of potatoes in a single meal.

It's great what progress we are making and people are able to live better with the medical treatments available. However, they still have to use their common sense and watch what they are eating.

 

[Oceanbreeze]

Yes, there are more options out there these days and people with diabetes are living longer than the previous generations.

However, they still do have to watch what they eat. Just like any healthy people, we all have to watch what we have to eat if we want to remain healthy.

I know people with diabetes and they are still being told to eat a small amount of carbohydrates at a time to this day, even with the insulin.

It's just somewhat irresponsible to say that people don't have to restrict their intake of carbohydrates. People shouldn't be given the idea that it's okay to eat a whole bunch of potatoes in a single meal.

It's great what progress we are making and people are able to live better with the medical treatments available. However, they still have to use their common sense and watch what they are eating.

I agree. I know someone with type 1 diabetes. She was diagnosed in 1986 @ age 16. I was shocked at some of the things she consumes. One of her favorite passions is sampling ale. That's certainly isn't good for her, and for now shes getting away with it, but her disease will catch up to her eventually. I've not actually seen her in years, so I can't vouch for her current state of health, but she's probably a time bomb waiting to go off.

Sad.

 

[Aleser]

Yes, there are more options out there these days and people with diabetes are living longer than the previous generations.

However, they still do have to watch what they eat. Just like any healthy people, we all have to watch what we have to eat if we want to remain healthy.

I know people with diabetes and they are still being told to eat a small amount of carbohydrates at a time to this day, even with the insulin.

It's just somewhat irresponsible to say that people don't have to restrict their intake of carbohydrates. People shouldn't be given the idea that it's okay to eat a whole bunch of potatoes in a single meal.

It's great what progress we are making and people are able to live better with the medical treatments available. However, they still have to use their common sense and watch what they are eating.

Sorry, this is just wrong holier-than-thou generalizations about a disease you DONT EVEN HAVE.

A type 1 diabetic can -most certainly- tuck into a pile of potatoes, top it off with a few cups of ice cream, and wash it down with soda, and it would be no more unhealthy for them than it would be for someone who isn't diabetic at all.

Thanks to basal/bolus dosing systems and insulin pumps, the days of restrictive diets, eating certain amounts of food, or eating at specific times.. are long gone for many diabetics.

You're living in the past. Please don't presume to know more about this disease than people who have it.

I consume about twice as many carbs per day as an average, healthy, nondiabetic would consume. My last a1c was 5.6, which is better than some nondiabetics.

So how's about you take those generalizations and shove them?

 

[Aleser]

I would tend to agree with you, Banjo. She's probably right that the treatment OPTIONS are probably better then they were 30 yrs ago. Better insulin, ect. But, the overall treatment is the same. She probably is also right that some people can be more flexible with how much carb they can ingest,but that doesn't mean that the overall treatment for diabetes is vastly different. It most certainly isn't, I'm sure. People with diabetes most definitely have to be careful regarding what they take in and how much.

Wrong. Since all those years ago, the invention of rapid acting insulins, basal insulins that don't have peaks, and insulin pumps, have made the idea of carbohydrate restricting for type 1s one that is VERY obsolete. In the past, type 1s would be subject to eating when their insulins peaked, having minimal feedback on how their blood glucose was doing, and having erratic glucose pretty much all the time. thanks to new insulins which can be dosed on a basal/bolus system, and thanks to glucose meters which mean diabetics can test all the time, and neat gadgets like pumps and CGMs... diabetes care has TOTALLY changed. You can eat what you want, when you want, just like a nondiabetic. There's no mandates anymore.

 

[Oceanbreeze]

Wrong. Since all those years ago, the invention of rapid acting insulins, basal insulins that don't have peaks, and insulin pumps, have made the idea of carbohydrate restricting for type 1s one that is VERY obsolete. In the past, type 1s would be subject to eating when their insulins peaked, having minimal feedback on how their blood glucose was doing, and having erratic glucose pretty much all the time. thanks to new insulins which can be dosed on a basal/bolus system, and thanks to glucose meters which mean diabetics can test all the time, and neat gadgets like pumps and CGMs... diabetes care has TOTALLY changed. You can eat what you want, when you want, just like a nondiabetic. There's no mandates anymore.

I just dont see it, but OK. I'll concede since I don't want to argue a point that really is of no consequence. You have your opinions and I have mine. Lets leave it at that. But, I would like you to please supply a source for your assertions. All the sources I've come across indicate that monitering if one's intake it still required.

 

[Banjo]

Oh gee, somebody's taking it a tad too personal.

Somebody here clearly don't have a clue about how carbohydrates work.