Sugar Substitutes for People with Diabetes with Type 2 Diabetes

Not all sugar alternatives are made fair for blood sugar and weight management. Determine which solution is best for your health objectives. Sugar replacements provide sweetness whilst making carbohydrate intake and blood glucose levels easier to manage (sugar).

When determining which sugar alternatives to employ, keep in mind that there are two types:

Nutritive: These are calorie-dense and can alter blood sugar levels.

Non-nutritive: These are non-nutritive and offer few or no calories.

Sucralose

For patients with type 2 diabetes, this sweetener is ideal. That’s because, despite being 600 times sweeter than sugar, Splenda does not affect blood sugar levels. Splenda also travels through the body with little absorption.

Saccharin

According to the Sweet ‘N Low website, saccharin, the sweetener offered in pink packets underneath the brand name Sweet ‘N Low, is calorie-free and around 300 to 500 times sweeter than sugar.

Aspartame

As per the FDA, aspartame, which is available in blue packets under the brands Equal and NutraSweet, is a non-nutritive artificial sweetener 200 times sweeter than sugar. Whilst aspartame is not zero-calorie, such as some other artificial sweeteners, it is nevertheless a very low-calorie sweetener.

Stevia

Steviol glycosides are sweeteners produced from the leaves of the stevia plant and that is indigenous to South and Central America.

Sugar Alcohols

As per the Joslin Diabetes Center, sugar alcohols, or polyols, are generated from natural fibres found in fruits and vegetables.

Erythritol

According to the American Diabetes Association, erythritol is likewise a sugar alcohol sweetener; however, unlike the others, it has less than 1 calorie per gram and has little influence on blood sugar levels.

Monk Fruit Sweetener

This nonnutritive sweetener originates from a plant native to southern China, and it is also referred to as Luo Han Guo fruit extract and Siraitia grosvenorii Swingle fruit extract. Each serving of the extract has no calories.

Acesulfame Potassium

This nonnutritive sweetener, also referred to as Ace-K, is FDA-approved as well as 200 times sweeter than sugar.

Allulose (Dolcia Prima)

As per the FDA, allulose is a low-calorie sweetener that can be found in small amounts in brown sugar, wheat, dried figs, raisins, and molasses.