sugar alcohols??

[rubes00]

so i love sweets. and i find myself eating a lot of sugar free candy. well not a lot but a five or six pieces a day. these dont have any fat, but do have small amount of calories and carbs which are all sugar alcohols. also my sugar free maple syrup has them. i am just curious if i should adding these to my macros, or i should be worrying about them at all.

any suggestions?? thanks

[RVA Ironman]

I wouldn't add that minimal amount into your macros, but it would be better to cut back your intake of sugar alcohols. There's no real health benefit from them, they're hard to digest and they give most people terrible gas. In addition, it is important to keep in mind that sugar alcohols effect your insulin levels, so going for a supposed "sugar free/carb free" candy 5-6 times a day really isn't as great as it sounds. Maybe try some sugar-free gum to cure your sweet tooth?

[rubes00]

Originally Posted by VTBuffZete

I wouldn't add that minimal amount into your macros, but it would be better to cut back your intake of sugar alcohols. There's no real health benefit from them, they're hard to digest and they give most people terrible gas. In addition, it is important to keep in mind that sugar alcohols effect your insulin levels, so going for a supposed "sugar free/carb free" candy 5-6 times a day really isn't as great as it sounds. Maybe try some sugar-free gum to cure your sweet tooth?

i was under the impression that sugar alcohols did not affect your insulin levels??

[RVA Ironman]

Originally Posted by rubes00

i was under the impression that sugar alcohols did not affect your insulin levels??

I've read conflicting studies on the issue. Some say maltitol (the sugar alcohol most commonly used to sweeten chocolate) does have an effect on insulin levels; others do not. Most articles I have checked say "no", so I'm assuming a large quantity must be consumed to have a significant effect. Either way, sticking to the theory of "garbage in, garbage out" is probably a good rule of thumb concerning sugar alcohols. Your body was simply not made to process them. It has been my experience that going for a natural sugar (apples, bananas, oranges, honey, milk, etc.) is a much better alternative for bodybuilders.

[breathingsky]

I would not add them to your macros. I haven't read anything to substantiate sugar alcohols affecting insulin levels, although I know it can cause some digestive discomfort. Everyone is different. I'm fine with sugar-free gum, but calorie-free maple syrup is really bad for my digestion.

If having a few pieces of sugar-free candy keeps you from eating a Snickers bar when you're having cravings, I'd say go for it. There's junk in everything we eat. Preservatives in protein powder, antibiotics in lean meats, pesticide residue on fruits and veggies, etc. A piece of SF candy isn't going to kill you.

[jg_girl088]

What about Sucralose (splenda)? Its pretty much in every protein powder/supplement thats flavored out there. Does it affect insulin levels? (That would be good post workout, but bad any other time)

[Emma-Leigh]

The calories still count. So if you are eating enough of them, then count them.

Insulin release? Sometimes they can (depends on the type of sugar alcohol and the amout you eat as to the extent) - but in all honesty I would not worry about this... It is not going to be an issue unless you are eating excess calories (to be then stored as extra energy) or unless you are trying to enter ketosis (eg: you are doing a keto diet... or.. I s'pose if you are epileptic and trying out this diet approach to help decrease seizures... ).

But some things you could read are:
http://www.mendosa.com/netcarbs.htm [It is a pretty good explination].

Also:
http://www.dif.org/d_topics/sugar_alcohols.html
http://ific.org/publications/factshe...ralcoholfs.cfm

[rubes00]

great... thanks for all the help ladies. and yes having a couple of sugar free candies or a popsicle a day does help me not grab a snickers and i would love to count those calories... im having a hard time getting in my 1600 a day!