How much artificial sweetener is too much for a diabetic?

My late mother NEVER used artificial sweeteners because she claimed they were cancer causing agents. I don't care for Stevia for its plant-like taste, which it is. Could or would this individual like raw sugar?

It is also good to remember that xilitol is deadly to dogs. Lots of us have a 4 legged child running around, also.

I am concerned and disappointed that the "expert" advice did not even MENTION Glycemic Index. In my experience with weight loss 3+ years ago, the kinds of food I ate (including foods I added to my diet, as well as ones I cut down on or eliminated) were at least as important, I believe, than simply limiting carbs & portion control. My goal was to avoid diabetes. I learned that the only way to avoid bingeing on sweets was to avoid extremely low blood sugar and very high. The best way, and this is the current science, to maintain even levels of blood sugar is to go beyond the carbs= bad thinking. Most- not all- complex carbs are healthy because they are not refined, and the body gets more nutrients- including fiber, and takes longer to metabolize. This means the body has to work harder to digest it, so it takes longer & prevents the spikes and the dips that refined 'foods' can cause. For years I believed popcorn and rice cakes were 2 of the best carb snacks. Then I read that both are very high on the Glycemic Index. Why? I don't know about popcorn, but one is advised to use oil on it vs. eating it plain- plain, it raises sugar too high. The fat slows this down. As for rice cakes, rice is actually kind of high, so one should limit one's intake. Better to eat barley, quinoa, cracked wheat- even pasta. Then come rice cakes, light as a feather, right? Turns out the kind of starches used to make the popped rice stick together are very high! A half a bagel raises sugar much faster than half an English muffin. I highly recommend "Easy GI DIET," Helen Foster.

If you want to know the truth about artificial sweeteners, watch the movie ellelenn recommended: "Sweet Misery." Just because the FDA approves something doesn't mean it is fit for human consumption. The government alphabet agencies are notorious for doing what is best for the corporate bottom line, not for us.

Often the very things we crave are the most damaging because we have become addicted to them. We cease to get relief or satisfaction, and thus the craving for more and more, like nicotine or alcohol. It sounds like your partner is addicted not so much to the sweetness, but has developed a dependency on the chemical compounds in artificial sweeteners.

If he is not suffering from dementia perhaps you could reason with him about the damage done by such substances and seek an alternative. I'm not conversant with natural sweeteners that diabetics are able to use, but there must be a wealth of information on the Internet. Long ago they used to tout tupelo honey, but I don't know if that is still considered safe for diabetics.

Regardless of what you use---and this goes for non-diabetics as well---human beings were never meant to consume the amount of sugar that is part of the typical modern diet.

Wannek: That's because your mom has probably lost the olfactory sense.

agave is supposed to be natural but I also read where it is higher in sugar content than regular sugar. who knows anymore, but I do know that personally I try not to get anything with artificial sweetner if possible. i try to read all labels, but so many things have so many chemicals, we are better off eating like our early ancestors. meat, real potatoes, real veggies, real fruits and nothing boxed or canned. and drink water.

Oh, bummer....wasn't sure. Never used it. Just heard about it and that it was supposedly organic and natural. 😊

Splenda can be really bad for you; I have to watch for it on labels because my digestive tract rejects it. Stevia is the only one I use; agave, btw, is almost pure fructose. Suggestion for a snack (or small meal replacement): Real plain yogurt, full fat, unflavored, swirl a mixture of cinnamon and stevia into it.

What about agave nectar???

Be leery of Xylitol - it can cause diarrhea. Read the label. Try to avoid ANY sweetener which is chemical in the process, and it can cause migraines. Yes, I agree that Stevia's somewhat bitter taste alone will turn you off, but I put it in my coffee with French Vanilla International Coffee liquid and it is great!

Even the smallest amount of Splenda gives me a 3 day headache. I recommend avoiding it when at all possible.

Switch to Stevia, a natural plant sweetener which is very sweet, so a little bit goes a long way. It tastes different at first, but is a much better alternative to chemical sweeteners.

I have been dealing with the same problem dealing with an elderly diabetic with memory issues. I found informative the article "Sweet Nothings: Safe… or Scary? The Inside Scoop on Sugar Substitutes" in the newsletter from NutritionAction of Center for Science in the Public interest. It charts all sweeteners out there (some I had never heard of), the validated studies and qualities issues. I checked the website- it's $10 digital for the single article. I get it as part of the yearly subscription. It recently had a useful article on salt substitutes as well. Not pushing product here but the combination of subject information followed by tables of grocery market items tabulated for comparison has been eye opening. I may not be a nutritionist but I can try at least keep up. Splenda is now cited for questionable effects especially for diabetics so I will attempt to move her over to Stevia as well but she does not like it. Good luck.

A friend passed this one along to me- for the taking of the keys and driving issue. You tell your parent that you will sorry and miss them if they have an accident and get hurt or die, but that you can not in good conscience let them drive and hurt anybody else- especially a child. Of course it's been seven years since "I made my mother stop driving and sold her car". That would be the woman who can't see out of one eye and the one I get large print books for weekly from the library for ten years. That car would be the one I was keeping up the maintenance, paperwork and trying to drive every two weeks. The other helpful bit, is when the "I won't be here much longer" gets played is to say "fine, since you know when you are going to go, tell me and I'll pencil it on my schedule" and/or reminding them having lived X years and the IRS says they will live to X+more and you believe the IRS because the government wants the money. After so many years dealing with my mom, I am down to cribbing the social workers "you are free to make unwise and foolish choices" with my version- I will not be the one to take you to the emergency room, again or visit you in rehab. I am done. My brother (ha- and she knows it) will have to do it. I currently count 3 friends whose equally stubborn mothers crashed and lay on the floor from several to 56 hours, because they were not wearing or did not push the lifeline buttons. I'm so burned out from dealing with what she won't, I am the one who won't now. It frustrates me no end that senior facilities can use the "activities of daily living" scale to charge more but we can't make laws that invoke a safety removal for people with age related dementia who can no longer perform ADL's on their own. Little Old Lady syndrome, a not so LOL for mostly daughters, has refusal to move to safe choices as one of its key symptoms. Still, I agree that being positive and cheerful redirection keeps the agitation/resistance down but it gets harder and harder to do. At some point, you also have to acknowledge you have no control over what is going to happen-the crash and burn- but you can still pull down your own oxygen mask so to speak, once you have done what you can and told all possible responsible parties what's coming. It's insane but there is no sensible planning from within our communities to deal with the elderly, like you did not pass the stay at home test and so you either get in-home help or move to a facility. I can at least have a sensible plan for myself.

I am no way an expert but I believe in using the real thing, even for diabetics just use in moderation, watch carbs, etc. I am sure it is very hard, my mother is diabetic and I know she is eating some candy bars. I know they need a treat now and then, but I guess basically we ALL need to watch how much sugar we eat.

Be aware mass produced sweeteners like Truvia are controversial at best, being highly processed and containing very little actual stevia. If you want to avoid all that you will probably need to get the real thing at a health food store.

Definitely use Stevia of Xilitol. All the others are not natural and are really bad for you. Throw out a lll of your Splenda, Aspartame (Equal) and Sacherine. Sorry can't spell that one. All are bad for you except for Stevia, Truvia.

YouTube Sweet Misery....a documentary on aspartame.

The thing about diabetes is to keep carbohydrates and proteins balanced, right? Refined carbs throw the balance off whether from sugar, other sweeteners, dinner rolls, pasta or whatever. I think sometimes we're fooling ourselves with this 'sugar-free' stuff; carbs are carbs.

Good reading on this subject are the "Zone" books by Barry Sears.

Very interesting question. My mom has dementia and diabetes and had increased her intake from 1 sweet n low packet to 2-3 per each cup of coffee and i too am concerned. However, she hardly likes the taste of anything anymore that I don't want to restrict her. However, there are traces of sugar components in artifical sweetness so that's a concern as they add up

pamstegma is absolutely correct. She left one thing out though, what is causing this. Stevia is great, I use it as a pancreatic cancer survivor. Remember, certain drugs can cause loss of taste, olfactory (loss of smell) problems can cause it, and a low salt diet can complicate it. Check with a specialist, not a general practitioner,about this. A good ENT is what you need. Stevia is truly natural and several packets won't hurt him a bit. Find a true salt substitute, not the strange spice mixture that is Dash. I use a low sodium salt, 50% less that regular salt. The difference is made up of potassium chloride. Remember salt is even used in desserts to increase the sweetness registered by the tastebuds. Good luck. It is never easy.

You are absolutely right. Too much splenda will give you diarrhea. Actually, he might like the Stevia packets from puritan's pride. I use one packet to replace a CUP of sugar. The stevia in the grocery store is very weak in comparison. Stevia also helps increase insulin sensitivity, so be careful not to trigger hypoglycemia. Talk to the MD about stevia.