Hey, anybody out there having a problem with splenda rapidly raising bs levels? Ever since I got my dexcom CGM i’ve noticed a rapid increase when using it in my coffee. If I put half and half and truvia (stevia) in barely anything happens. Splenda and powder creamer cause a 80-100 mg/dl increase, half and half and splenda causes about 60 mg/dl increase and powder creamer and truvia still make it raise rapidly. Noticed the number one ingredient in the creamer is corn syrup. But splenda? They clam it has no effect on sugar levels. Just wondering if anyone had some input.
Splenda spikes my blood sugar and gives me migraine headaches, so I steer very clear of it. I had avoided it for over 2 years until someone told me that something they brought to a pot luck had a natural sweetener in it, but in reality, it was Splenda. Up went my BG and down I went with a day and a half migraine. Uggg.
I use agave syrup, stevia or just plain sugar. I bolus for the carbs and don’t eat many sweets (only for insulin reactions) so sugar is better for me than artificial sweeteners anyway in tea or whatever. I am dairy-free so I use coconut milk creamer in my hot tea too.
Michelle
Western Washington State
Been using Splenda for 2 years now. Per experience, it has not elevated my blood sugar so far. Coffee and creamer, however, does increase my blood sugar.
well for me its the splenda not the coffee, even though truiva has way more carbs it doesn’t do near the sugar spike like splenda. And half and half doesn’t do damage like powder creamer.
I didn’t realize Splenda could do that to anyone.That might be one reason why my numbers were up too.I’ve been using splenda for the last year.I’ll try what you’re doing and see how my numbers turn out.Thank you.
Splenda spikes my BGs in other things besides coffee. On fact, I don’t drink coffee. Splenda in soft drinks, caffeinated or not, raises my blood sugar. Also in baked goods, fruit salads, whatever. Like I said before, a migraine always follows it too, 100% of the time.
Michelle
I’ve experienced the same thing. Powdered Splenda has small amounts maltodextrin (sugar) & dextrose (sugar) as bulking agents. These bulking agents are added to make it measure as the equivalent of sugar because sucralose is intensely sweet.
Liquid Splenda doesn’t have maltodextrin & dextrose.
I use stevia powder (without added bulking ingredients) or liquid. It has no effect on my BG.
I have read others with a CGM report that coffee raises their blood sugar. Also creamers (especially flavored ones) have lots of carbs.
One cup of splenda has 11g of carbs. If you buy liquid splenda, it actually has zero carbs. I like this one:
FiberFit
It seems expensive, but I calculated for me that it is actually cheaper than Splenda because it is really strong and I only need to use a small amount for sweetening.
Yes, absolutely was driving me nut's. I kept getting very high readings after eating a blend of oatmeal and flax seed with a tablespoon of splenda. I finally switched it up and quit the splenda and went to agave syrup and PRESTO I went from 96 starting BS to 126 BS two hours later. Any questions it wasn't Splenda? Not in my book!!!
My dexcome let me know that the powder creamer works as fast as jelly beans for me. :( Worse than Splenda or caffeine.
Adam, I think it is the powder creamer. 2 packets of Splenda ,alone, or with half and half in my coffee or tea; does not spike me. Thanks for the info on the Liquid Splenda online source, Gerri . I have NOT been able to find it here in Columbus, Ohio.
God bless,
Brunetta
same with me, splenda does nothing to my blood sugars nor does coffee...powdered creamer would though...!
I eat splenda by the pound! Mostly in hot drinks, but alos in a few soft drinks and cooking. It doesn't do a thing to my BG levels.
The Splenda packets I use says it has 0 calories and I don't see any effect on my blood glucose levels by itself. The only way I feel it could raise blood glucose levels is if you are sensitive to it (or the additives) and it is effecting your hormones, i.e. allergic reaction, not by calories. That would also explain possibly getting headaches from Splenda. However I am not a Doctor or Nutritionist.
I tried an easy experiment and dissolved 10 packets in a glass of water and drank it. I did this at a time when my blood glucose was stable (hadn't eaten in a few hours) and monitored my glucose levels using a CGM. Over an hour of monitoring I did not see any spikes and it pretty much remain flat. If tried that with 20 teaspoons of sugar (1 packet = 2 teaspoons of sugar in sweetness) I can guarantee that my glucose levels would have went through the roof! I assume that my results would be similar to what would happen to the majority of diabetics, so in the case you do have a reaction and/or spike in glucose level, you will then have to decide if it is safe to use Splenda.
The problem is that Splenda isn’t JUST sucralose. Depending on which form of Splenda you get they may be cut with dextrose (packets) and maltodextrin (packets and granulated). In fact, sucralose is the last ingredient on the ingredients list. Dextrose is a simple sugar, chemically identical to glucose, made from corn. Maltodextrin is glucose+maltose. Splenda packets contain “less than 1 gram” of carbohydrate per PACKET, but a lot of people use more than 1 packet per cup of coffee, also, meaning they may be getting a full gram, or more, of carbohydrate from what is basically sugar if they are using multiple packets.
Many people with diabetes have found Splenda in the powdered forms to raise their blood sugar. If you think about it, it makes perfect sense. Dex4 glucose tablets are made of… 4g of Dextrose. So if you’re sitting and enjoying your morning cups of joe and going through 4-6 packets of Splenda, you may be ingesting almost as much glucose as you would from a glucose tablet.
It is a lot less sugar than one would be using if they were to use a packet of sugar at 4g each.
A better option is liquid sucralose drops, which haven’t been cut with dextrose or maltodextrin, liquid stevia, or stevia cut with erythritol.