Type 2 Diabetes - Diabetes And The Benefit Of Artificial Sweeteners!

The variety of artificial sweeteners available is absolutely confusing for someone newly diagnosed with either pre-diabetes or Type 2 diabetes. Has your doctor and/or dietitian advised you to cut down your carbohydrate and sweet intake and, now to your horror, you find yourself struggling to fight your craving for sweet treats? When you have received a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes, one needs to be careful when adding sweetness to your eating plan.

We gravitate toward sweet flavors because we start out with the slightly sweet taste derived from breast milk. These days, products can be sweetened without containing a drop of sugar... thanks to the introduction of artificial sugars and sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners do not affect your blood sugar levels as they do not contain sugar but they may contain a low number of calories (or kilojoules).

If you are really craving something sweet, some prepared foods and drinks containing artificial sweeteners are the next big thing to help you curb your strong desire for a mouth-watering treat. Artificial sweeteners, also called sugar substitutes or low-calorie sweeteners, are used to add sweetness to your foods and drinks without too many added calories or carbohydrates. However, many of these foods also contain carbs and calories... so be sure to check the label and keep your quantity to a minimum. Just eat enough to curb your sweet craving.

The non-nutritive sweeteners, are sugar substitutes or artificial sweeteners that do not contain any calories and will not affect your blood sugar levels... they cannot be processed and broken down by your body. They, except for aspartame, pass the intestinal tract unaltered.

The FDA- approved Products in the U.S. Market include:

aspartamesucraloseneotamesaccharinacesulfame potassiumstevia

Many food and drink manufacturers use these sweeteners to accommodate the needs of diabetics and many weight-loss enthusiasts.

In the 1980's, aspartame was invented... this is sold as Equal, Sweetmate and Spoonfuls. As it is derived from natural sources, it was considered a nutritive sweetener... this means aspartame is digested and metabolized the same as other protein food. As aspartame is approximately 200 times sweeter than sugar, you really do not need much of it to reach the desired level of sweetness you are seeking. Aspartame is usually found in:

breakfast cereals,beverages,candy and gum,deserts,salad dressings, andvarious snack foods.

Sucralose, another sweetener, is sold as Splenda. It is a white crystalline powder, made from sugar itself and 600 times sweeter than table sugar. It is not absorbed in your digestive tract, so it contains no calories at all. Splenda is often found in:

frozen foods,hot or cold foods,baked goods, and manypackaged foods.

Although these artificial sweeteners can help you cut the carbs, most health experts still agree the best way to lose weight is to reduce your overall caloric intake and increase your energy expenditure through physical activity. Artificial sweeteners are only here to help you satisfy your cravings sometimes, without giving you a raise in your blood sugar level.

When eating foods containing these sweeteners, you should still take some special precautions. While these sweeteners by themselves do not add any calories, the foods where they are usually found have loads and loads of calories. Eating foods containing any artificial sweetener does not mean you can just throw all caution to the wind. You still need to watch your caloric (or kilojoule) intake.

What are the downsides of using these products?

a bitter aftertaste. Most of the artificial sweeteners in the market have a bitter aftertaste. Some people can tolerate this taste while others don't.some artificial sweeteners, such as Splenda, can alter your intestinal bacterial environment. This results in the decreased resistance of your gastrointestinal tract against the attack of disease-causing microorganisms, according to a study published by the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health in 2008.artificial sweeteners, Splenda for example, can cause possible drug interactions according to the above-mentioned study published by the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health. However further studies are necessary to establish this fact.

To discover answers to questions you may be asking yourself about Type 2 Diabetes, click on this link... Natural Diabetes Treatments