A lot of 'sugar free' foods seem to have more carbs versus 'regular' versions, are they worth the extra cost?

Question

Seems to be the case even if you subtract 1/2 the carbs derived from the sugar alcohols as the diabetes association says you can.

Answer 1

Most pre sweeteners have been proven to cause CANCER! Aspartame have 96 know side effects, including causing CANCER. Causes permanent Epilepsy in children 10 and younger.

ALL carb.s turn into sugar, then fat in our bodies. Some fruits do too.

Veg.s and meats have the least of these. So eat more of them.

Answer 2

Yes, quite a few "sugar-free" foods are as bad as the original versions for diabetics.  But some are useful.  It will take some work on your part to decide which to use and which to steer clear of.

First, as you are undoubtedly aware, there are other things besides sugar that will raise our blood glucose levels.  I distrust any "sugar-free" baked goods, because they are all full of BG-spiking flours, starches, and "this-or-that-dextrose" or "blah-blah-blah-dextrin".  It makes me angry, thinking that these companies are preying on these poor little old grandmothers or their well-meaning family members who might not be up on all the details of diabetes, and who see the "Sugar Free!!" label and think that those cookies are safer than regular cookies.  Grrrr.

Second, there are the artificial sweeteners: you're going to have to decide for yourself whether they are harmful or not, and whether or not you want to use them liberally, use them sparingly, or not use them at all.  (I personally have found that the anti-AS sites tend to be full of ranting lunatic scare tactics, so I don't give them too much credence.  But they could very well be right.)  I will use diet drinks (soda or crystal light), and sugar-free jello, without worrying that it's going to kill me.  But that's a personal decision.

Third, there the sugar alcohols.  As it does with many things, the ADA has simplified its instructions for counting sugar alcohols to the point of uselessness.  Sugar alcohols are all very very different from each other, and will each have very different effects on your blood glucose levels.  

Once, purely in the interest of scientific research, I decided to see how my body reacts to different types of sugar alcohols.  So I got some regular candy, and then some different types of "sugar-free" candy that was sweetened with different types of sugar alcohols.  Over a period of several days, I tried a measured amount of each product, and then recorded my BG levels every 15 minutes for several hours, and compared each sugar alcohol to the baseline regular candy.

What I found was that maltitol was almost as bad as regular sugar -- it raised my BG almost as high, and actually look a little longer than regular sugar to go back down to normal.  Lactitol, on the other hand, had no visible effect on my BG -- but it gave me the most painful intestinal cramps and diarrhea I have ever had.  No more lactitol for me!  Xylitol and sorbitol were both pretty good -- they cause slight rises in BG, but significantly less than either maltitol or sugar.  The best one I tried was erythritol: I could detect NO increase in BG at all, and had no unpleasant intestinal effects either.  

Anyway, based on that, if I see maltitol or lactitol in a product, I don't eat it at all.  (Unfortunately, maltitol seems to be everywhere!)  If I see that it has erythritol, I feel safe in discounting those carbs completely.

Different sugar alcohols may (and probably will) affect you differently, so don't take my word for it.  (But don't take the ADA's word for it either.)

Answer 3

I just tend to stay away from the sugar free c**p in general and try to stay the more natural route.  High protein works really well for me - lots of turkey, chicken, beans, lentils, nuts.  

I still eat a lot of fruit and veggies too.. and a lot of chocolate... :D

Just stay active, and I find that you won't have to sweat what's sugar free and what's not anymore.

Answer 4

many times no it is not worth it, learn to shop wisely and to limit the amounts of regular foods in your diet. Many Sugar free foods are also high in fats, which with diabetes, you need to watch as well. Never assume just because something says its sugar free that it will be better for you. You would be better to eat real whole foods with whole grains than most of the junk out there. That is one more thing you need to stay away from white breads, and stuff with a lot of simple carbs in it.  Complex carbs will not react as quickly and allow your body to process it over time preventing spikes in your sugar levels.  

Answer 5

Things labeled "sugar free" are mostly to catch the eye of dieters, sugar conscious people, and diabetics.  They are just ways of manufacturers to make money from these people.  Usually they are no healthier, and may contain more carbs than things that have more sugar in them.  There are a few that are ok, but for the most part you are better off to either eliminate the stuff from your diet, or eat the regular thing, but in a very small portion.  The same way with foods like soups and things that are labeled "healthy choice" or "low sodium".  Some of the labels really make me laugh.  But those that don't read labels buy them and don't know any different.  You should always read the labels on everything.

Answer 6

No they are not worth it. I dont waste my money on that stuff anymore. We discussed it in a diabetes class I took, A "sugar free" cookie vs. a regular cookie. They had the same carb count. The trick is to just eat one cookie and not all of them!! LOL

So go regular and cut back on the amount of whatever you are eating.