BellaOnline Forums Food and Wine Healthy Foods Sugar Substitutes

If you have decided to go sugar-free, but you aren't sure what to use instead, here are a few ideas.

Sugar Substitutes

What about stevia? xylitol? erythritol? all of these will not affect the glycemic index and can be used by diabetics without poisoning them like splenda and aspartame will.

Thank you for the reminder about Stevia. I actually meant to include it and will correct that now.

Artificial sweeteners fall under two general categories: sugar alcohols and nonnutritive sweeteners. Xylitol and Erythritol fall under the category of sugar alcohols. While they do promote a smaller rise in blood sugar levels, they can also lead to intestinal gas, cramps and diarrhea. As a rule, I am usually not in favour of artificial sweeteners. If a person suffers no ill side effects and uses these items in moderation, I will concede that, while not ideal, they are a better choice than nonnutritive sweeteners such as Sweet 'N Low (Saccharin), NutraSweet (Aspartame) or Splenda (Sucralose). I would never, at any time, recommend those.

Interestingly enough, Stevia is also considered a nonnutritive sweetener. It is, however, a natural substance and not a synthetic compound.

i used sugar free,because sugar is not good for health .... shany paul

I really like Truvia. I find Stevia powder a bit bitter. I know that it's not supposed to have a nasty after-taste, but it does for me. Truvia is granulated. I can cook with it. It is even good to sprinkle onto foods that need a bit of sweet.

I've tried other kinds of Stevia type sugars, but none of them do it as well as Truvia.

I found that Splenda, even though I love the flavor most among sugar substitutes, causes my blood sugar to spike. The company realizes this and now markets a version of Splenda with fiber which will help slow down the absorption.

Because of this, I tend to reach for Sweet 'N Low or Equal. I don't care for Stevia as, like Connie, I found that it is a tad bitter. Truvia has an odd taste to me.

I wish I could do without any sweeteners but the natural stuff is very bad for diabetes.

Splenda gives me headaches. I am not a fan of artificial sweeteners and instead prefer to eat small amounts of foods containing real sugar, honey or maple syrup.

The market can buy sugar-free food, but very professional to say here

We've been using stevia for about 10 years now. I even carry one in my purse for our iced tea when we eat out.

My husband and I decided to cut almost all sugar and chemicals from our diets. Since a lot of artificial sweeteners are full of chemicals, we don't use them at all, or products containing them.

Once you get used to stevia it's really good:)

People with diabetes weigh their options carefully when it comes to what they eat.