Are sweeteners a good choice for insulin resistance and diabetes?
Sweeteners are substances that can help you reduce your sugar intake. It is often difficult to give up sweets completely, but for the sake of your health, it is worth keeping the amount of sugar in your diet as low as possible. This is especially true if you have carbohydrate metabolism disorders. Sweeteners can help, but there is a lot of conflicting information about them. It is easy to get confused when trying to adopt healthier eating habits. To help you make your choice, this article will introduce you to the most popular table sugar substitutes.
Sweeteners can be natural or synthetic. They are characterised by a lack of calories or a lower calorie content compared to classic sugar (sucrose) and a low or zero glycaemic index. It is precisely because of their low GI and calorie savings that they are a beneficial substitute for sugar.
Do sweeteners affect blood sugar levels and insulin spikes?
Simple sugars such as glucose and sucrose (table sugar) cause a rapid rise in glucose levels, leading to a sharp insulin spike.
In most cases, sweeteners have no energy value or their calorie content is negligible. The change in blood sugar and insulin levels after consumption is usually insignificant and is related to the glycaemic index of the sweetener and the small amount of insulin secreted in the so-called head phase of digestion as a result of consuming sweet-tasting foods. Interestingly, a small amount of insulin may also be released when we are exposed to the sight or smell of food. Probably everyone has experienced an increase in appetite when watching advertisements for food that appeals to us or even when passing by a restaurant from which the pleasant smell of food is wafting.
Let’s move on to the characteristics of the most popular sweeteners.
For comparison, let’s start with sucrose, or table sugar.
Sucrose:
– has approx. 400 kcal per 100 g,
– the sucrose GI is 65.
– consists of 50% glucose and 50% fructose, which means a rapid increase in blood glucose and stimulation of insulin secretion. Sucrose is found in white and brown (cane) sugar, honey and maple syrup,
Natural sweeteners:
Xylitol:
– sugar alcohol with a sweetness level very similar to sugar,
– has fewer calories than sugar (240 kcal/100 g)
– the GI of xylitol is 8.
– blood sugar levels rise slightly after consumption,
– has anti-caries properties,
– in excess, it may cause flatulence, diarrhoea, abdominal pain (the reaction is individual),
– subtle menthol aftertaste,
Erythritol:
– sugar alcohol, less sweet than sugar (approx. 60-70% of the sweetness of sugar),
– approx. 20 kcal/100 g
– GI = 0,
– blood sugar levels do not rise after consumption,
– is better tolerated by the digestive tract,
– has a stronger menthol aftertaste than xylitol,
Maltitol
– sugar alcohol, has approx. 90% of the sweetness of sugar,
– approx. 210 kcal/100 g,
– GI = 35,
– like xylitol and erythritol, it may cause gastrointestinal problems, but the reaction is individual,
Stevia
– owes its sweet taste to steviosides, not carbohydrates, which means it has a neutral effect on blood sugar levels and can be safely consumed by people with diabetes or insulin resistance,
– It is 200-300 times sweeter than sugar,
– has 0 kcal and GI = 0,
– Stevia is well tolerated even by people with sensitive digestive tracts and does not adversely affect the intestinal microbiota,
– it has a distinctive aftertaste that may not be to everyone’s liking,
Synthetic sweeteners:
Aspartame
– calorie content approx. 1 kcal/100 g,
– GI = 0,
– neutral effect on glycaemia and insulin
Acesulfame K
– calorie content approx. 1 kcal/100 g,
– GI = 0,
– neutral effect on glycaemia and insulin
Sucralose
– calorie content approx. 1 kcal/100 g,
– GI = 0,
– affects glucose and insulin levels (although not to the same extent as sugar), so it is a poorer choice for people with insulin resistance and diabetes,
– may adversely affect the gut microbiome,
Saccharin
– calorie content approx. 1 kcal/100 g,
– GI = 0,
– may slightly stimulate insulin secretion,
– may adversely affect the gut microbiome,
When switching from sugar to sweeteners, it is worth observing how your body reacts. Some people notice an increase in appetite. This is because when you consume sweeteners that do not raise blood sugar levels, your brain may feel cheated. This can lead to increased appetite and further cravings for sweets. However, this mechanism does not occur in everyone, and often replacing sugar with sweeteners has a beneficial effect and helps to reduce the consumption of sweets. It is also worth noting that consuming sweeteners too often can negatively affect hunger and satiety mechanisms by increasing appetite. Therefore, as always in nutrition, everything should be consumed in moderation and care should be taken to ensure that the diet is varied and nutritious.
The impact of sweeteners on the gut microbiome has not yet been thoroughly researched. However, we do know that polyols (xylitol, maltitol, erythritol) can cause digestive problems such as bloating or diarrhoea in some individuals and are not recommended for people with IBS or SIBO, as they belong to the FODMAP group and ferment in the intestines, thereby exacerbating symptoms. Among synthetic sweeteners, sucralose and saccharin have shown the most noticeable effect on the gut microbiome. However, it is worth noting that classic sugar is also not neutral to our gut microbiome.
Sweeteners are healthier substitutes for sugar and definitely a better choice for people with insulin resistance and diabetes. They help with carbohydrate metabolism disorders by facilitating the maintenance of a neutral or negative energy balance. By replacing sugar with sweeteners, it is easier to stabilise blood sugar levels, preventing unfavourable fluctuations in glucose and insulin levels.
However, I would like to point out that sweeteners should be used sensibly and in reasonable amounts. The mere fact that a sweet product is sweetened with sweeteners instead of sugar does not necessarily mean that it is healthier or more nutritious, so it is always a good idea to read product labels. It is worth striving for a varied diet based mainly on natural (unprocessed) products (such as vegetables, fruit, meat, fish and eggs) and low-processed products (such as good quality bread, dairy products, groats and pasta). Sweets should only be a pleasant addition.
