What is the GI for artifical sweetners

I recently bought a box of Stevia Plus. (Sweetleaf Brand). On the back of the box it lists Stevia with a GI of 0, Sugar: GI 70, Splenda, Equal, Sweet N Low wih GI of 80.

Is this true? I cannot find a reliable source for the Glycemic Index of artificial sweetners. I would think that if this is true, that the entire Diabetic community has been "hornswoggled."

Please help me find a source?

SCHELE

That’s hard, if not impossible, to find. Many use a combo of different sweeteners, artificial & natural, as bulking agents (dextrose) to make them the measuring equivalent of sugar & to cut the after taste of artificial ingredients.

I only use zero carb sweeteners–pure stevia powder, liquid Splenda & erythritol.

Sugar alcohols are supposed to be zero carb, zero GI, but some people do metabolize sugar alcohols & then they have the same effect as sugar.

Personally, I find GI of dubious use to diabetics. Perhaps of some help to T2s like you, but useless for T1s.

There are specific measurements for GI and GL. David Mendosa published a list of these for a wide range of bnatural foods, including sweeteners, but not the artificial sweetener, nor stevia (http://www.mendosa.com/gilists.htm). Mendosa had previously published a table of the GI for a range of sweeteners, including the sugar alcohols, but not stevia (http://www.mendosa.com/netcarbs.htm). Only Erythritol and Mannitol have a zero GI, the rest of the sugar alcohols have “some” GI. and I’ve not found a reputable source, but the claim is that stevia (pure) is zero GI and GL.

In my experience, the “best” natural sweetener is stevia mixed with Erythritol. It has a zero GI, has a good taste, mixes well and is a good replacement for sugar.

Initially I used a brand of stevia cut with dextrose which is actually another name for a form of glucose. After reading Dr. B’s book in which he warns about hidden sugars in commercially prepared food, and specifically bulking agents in artificial sweeteners, I switched to Stevia Plus (the same as Chele bought). It uses inulin, a soluble fiber, as the bulking agent.

Inulin is a naturally occurring substance found in fruits vegetables and grains. Recent studies implied multiple benifits and you will find it used more and more as a food additive.

Problem solved…well maybe not. If you search the web you will also find people who think it has negative side effects.
These claims are not supported by scientific studies, at this time, while the benifits have been. So as usual, you can drive yourself crazy deciding what to eat and not eat based on various claims, studies and hunches. Since I use less than a packet per day I have chosen to ignore the negative claims. Liquid stevia might be a better choice if you would rather avoid the inulin.

I agree with Gerri, GI is of dubious value for diabetics especially T1’s. Although to be fair some people seem to be able to treat T2 using GI as their basic tool. I tried it and it didn’t work for me. But all that proves is that my metabolism is probably more damaged than that of the folks for whom it worked. Instead I test foods and meals for their effect on me and eliminate those that cause unacceptable spikes. In effect I have produced a custom GI just for me.

While I agree GI is a malformed concept for diabetics, a more useful concept would be something which captures the net area under the glucose curve, it still has some use. I personally don’t like the inulin version of stevia because much of my use is as a sweetener in water, and the inulin does not disolve well.

But, Gerri I am T2 Insulin Dependent, therefore should it not matter? So which is better for a lower GI: Solid or liquid
artificial sweeteners?

It matters if it effects you:) A food that’s low GI because of high fiber that slows digestion isn’t necessarily a benefit. It makes timing of insulin to food more difficult. You don’t want food hitting when the insulin is gone.

Solid or liquid doesn’t matter as long as it’s something that’s zero carbs. Liquid Splenda is zero carbs, zero calories. Pure stevia powder is also zero carbs, zero calories. Erythritol (powdered or granular) is also zero carb. Different sweeteners work better in different recipes. Stevia loses some sweetness when heated.

A food that is low in GI because it contains fat with the gobs of carbs also doesn’t help. Chocolate cake has a GI of 38 and ice cream has a GI of 37 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycemic_index). Yummy, I guess I should follow the chocolate cake and ice cream diet.