Can someone explain sugar alcohols vs real sugar regarding effects on the body?

[JonT]

There are many health bars and foods claiming to have a low "impact carb" number. What exactly are these sugar alcohols and do they affect the body differently? Are they healthy? Any nutrition guys care to comment? Thx

[Jandrews]

Great question. There are so many docs and others on here, surely there is a nutrition expert on here somewhere.

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[the]

Sugar alcohols are carbs that are not completly absorbed by your body. So they do not effect blood sugar levels like other carbs do.

That's the whole low impact carb thing - carbs that don't affect blood sugar levels significantly (glycemic index) are considered low impact by some.

But this is not accepted by all. If you read Atkin's original and earlier book (up to the most recent revised one), sugar alcohols are not treated differently than other carbs. It was only in the latest version that he changed. I believe it was because of money - they started selling a lot of products (protein bars, snacks, etc.), and they need something to sweeten the stuff. So they changed the book to allow the sugar alcohols.

If you are trying to lose weight on low carb, count ALL carbs, including sugar alcs. You'll do much better.

[VincentVega]

Be careful if you eat a lot of sugar alcohol, they send some to the john on a regular basis.

[nostatic]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_alcohol

[RallyJon]

Sugar alcohol makes you fart.

If you are trying to lose weight on low carb, count ALL carbs, including sugar alcs. You'll do much better.

So true.

[CJFusco]

At least it's sugar, and not aspartime.

[many944s]

Amen CJ!
I am one of the un-lucky few that are deathly allergic to Aspartame! Since my father was diagnosed with Diabetes several years ago I tried to watch my diet to make sure I was keeping an eye on my daily sugar intake.... Until I had a full on cardiac arrest! Yup, a $$ ride in an ambulance, and 96 hours of observation later I was able to go home. I was worthless for over a week.

Since then I have talked to sever people that get migraines, or a dizzy feeling after consuming the dreaded fake sweetener.

Beware, after much investigation this stuff is NOT healthy!

-Nick

[CJFusco]

Yup. When people hear that aspartame causes cancer in labrats, they think "well you'd have to drink a lot of Diet Coke to have an effect on a full-grown human..." What they fail to take into account is long-term and synergistic (sp?) effects.

As we've all heard, aspartame is a toxin that decomposes into formaldahyde, which is a carcinogen. This, however takes a long time. So, I hear John Q. Public thinking, "big deal, I have to piss like 45 mins after drinking my Diet Pepsi..."

When you drink NATURAL toxins, such as alcohol, the body's liver breaks down these toxins. Drink too much alcohol and you risk damaging your liver, obviously. Aspartame, however, is not a natural toxin, it is a chemical creation. The body doesn't know what to do with it, so it stores it in body fat.

Now. what happens to Jane Q. Public when she decides she wants to start losing weight? SHe's been drinking DIet Coke for years, hoping to keep off the pounds, but has now come to the sad realization that a person also has to EXERCISE to keep in shape. She starts running every day, and the fat burns off. With it, the aspartame, possibly starting to decompose, is released into the bloodstream en masse. Health problems ensue.

There is a direct correllation between the rise of cancer rates in the Western world and the increase in artificial chemicals that have been put into our food.

[Hugh R]

I had a friend who owned a restaurant once who told me that mice and rats won't eat Aspertaine, that should tell you something.