i find that whenever i use something like Splenda, my sugars go up. i have absolutely no idea how much insulin i would need to cover it. when going onto the internet to do some research on this, i only found conflicting information. many sites claimed that there was no impact on BGs at all, and other sites claimed that the synthetic sugars elevate BGs by sending signals to the liver to produce glycogen (or something in that vein).
anyone have issues w/ artificial sweeteners and BGs? and if so, have you found a solution?
I have found that they raise my BG some…some more than others. I recently found stevia without additives in forms of bulking sugars. It is under the namebrand of Sweetleaf. It comes in packets, tablets, and very small jars fort baking. I haven’t seen any BG rise since using it. I also am a fan of DiVinci sugar free syrups. Even though they have splenda, a little in my morning coffee or plain yogurt seems to do fine.
Ditto for me. I use them pretty infrequently these days, but in the past (3 - 4 years ago), I used Equal (aspartame) with abandon, again with essentially zero effect on my BG.
To me, I wonder what you are also eating/drinking when you use an artificial sweetener. Also, what happens to your BG if you consume the artificially sweetened item(s) without the sweetener??
i only use the artificial sweeteners for decaffeinated teas like chamomile or peppermint.
i will use them in my coffee, but b/c i also use half and half, i have figured out the exact amount of carbs i need to bolus for to drink the entire cup. (20 grams)
I use stevia on a daily basis–liquid form. Once a year, when I bake for the holidays, I use splenda for baking just because it’s easy. No problems…I haven’t tried erythritol, but it sounds worth trying. I also chew gum made with xylitol (it helped me quit smoking 9 years ago) which seems ok, too. I’m glad you’re figuring these things out!
I suck down Crystal Light Energy while at work and it doesn’t affect my numbers, otherwise I don’t use much artificial sweeteners, though I remember reading somewhere that it can raise them. Are you sure it’s the Splenda? Could it be the tea, or perhaps you always drink tea around the same time of day, or always sit down and relax afterwards which could be raising your numbers, I don’t know, just an idea.
Certain artificial sweeteners are bulked up with things like Maltodextrin, which actually does raise your blood sugar. Check the packaging to see what they added to the mix. Liquid stevia is usually a good artificial sweetener that doesn’t affect your blood sugar.
Yes. I found that frequent use of artificial sugars did not necessarily spike my BG but kept it from going all the way down to normal fasting level. Quitting artificial sugars helped correct this and has made me crave sweetness less.
thanks a lot mtru. i only crave the sweetness in my coffee/tea. i have never been a desert person, nor a chocolate or ice cream nut. but that spike in my BGs after using Splenda is significant. i think i will try and detox from the Splenda habit. i hope this works for me.
