Posted by karaS on September 25, 2004, at 20:49:00
In reply to Artificial sweeteners, posted by Racer on September 25, 2004, at 13:08:06
> My diabetic husband and I were discussing artificial sweeteners this morning. I do remember saccarine (sp?), and sorbitol, and manitol, and now we have aspartame and whatever Splenda is. All are different in terms of their drawbacks, but I was wondering if anyone could offer any thoughts on which is *least UNhealthy?*
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> And does anyone know the health risks involved in Splenda? That's the one I know least about. I do keep some in the kitchen for when I cook for my dear husband, and for making his special treat of Whipped Cream. (Yes, I know -- there's them as hasn't ever actually whipped it at home. My mother once purchased the canned spray stuff when I was a kid and begged, but after that experience, I never asked for it again. Much better when Mutti makes it at home. Or, as we do now, for Racer to make it at home. I just don't eat it.)
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> Anyway, any and all thoughts welcome, but keep in mind the most important fact in this question: diabetes. Any sweeteners used must be artificial. Honey is not an option, fructose is not an option. My husband has more of a sweet tooth then I do, so we're looking for the least unhealthy option for indulging that.
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> Thanks!
From what I've read, the most healthy of the sugar substitutes are Stevia (an herb) and Splenda (sucralose is the ingredient and it is derived from sugar). I feel safe consuming sorbitol and manitol in very small quantities. Larger quantities can give you gas and diahrrea.I was getting frozen yogurt a lot this summer with Splenda as the sweetener. It's not super sweet at all. Not nearly as sweet as sugar but I liked it a lot once I got used to it. I think that it started to make me feel dizzy though. Maybe a coincidence a couple of times. I'll have to try it again.
I hate the taste of Stevia unfortunately. It has a strange aftertaste to me - but some people love it.
I've been wondering about the use of inositol powder as a sweetener. It's very sweet and you can take a lot of it without harm. I don't think it causes blood sugar problems. (Maybe someone who knows more about this will join in here.) I am not sure why it's not used for that. Maybe you can't cook with it and probably because it's not patentable.
Good luck!
Kara
poster:karaS
thread:394872
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/health/20040729/msgs/395061.html