Do Artificial Sweeteners Affect Glucose Levels
SNACTIVATE
India's 1st Protein Wafer Bar (OG)???! One-stop shop for indulgent protein snacks to activate your everyday.
What are Artificial Sweeteners?
Artificial sweeteners are synthetically produced chemicals that are sugar substitutes. They are generally used in food, desserts, and drinks to increase the sweetness without increasing the calorie count. We choose artificial sweeteners to reduce our added sugar intake and keep a check on our calorie intake.?
But are artificial sweeteners safe to consume? Recently there have been claims that artificial sweeteners can raise blood sugar and insulin levels.
What causes blood sugar and insulin levels to rise?
When we ingest carbohydrate-containing foods our blood sugar levels rise. These foods can include bread, pasta, cakes, sweets, rice, etc. Blood sugar levels rise from digestion when carbohydrates get broken down into glucose to get absorbed into your bloodstream.
Having high blood sugar levels on a regular basis will lead to many serious chronic diseases and is a primary cause of type 2 diabetes. The more you understand how food affects blood sugar, the better you can defend against type 2 diabetes.?
Do artificial sweeteners affect glucose levels??
When artificial sweeteners get consumed, the pancreas releases insulin, which the body interprets as glucose because of its sweet taste. Thus, it raises the insulin levels in your bloodstream, which eventually causes a decrease in receptor activation.
Artificial sweeteners are much sweeter than sugar, it can be 200-1000 times sweeter than sugar based on the type of artificial sweetener you are choosing. That is why we usually need real tiny amounts of artificial sweeteners to sweeten food.?
Research has shown that people who consume artificial sweeteners on a regular basis have higher insulin resistance, which is a similar pattern and a common case observed in diabetic patients. Also, the regular use of artificial sweeteners changes the balance of our gut bacteria which will contribute to metabolic dysregulation and make body cells increasingly insulin resistant. As a result, it could further lead to increased insulin and blood glucose levels.?
Few types of Artificial sweeteners to watch out for in your foods -
?
Beware of them and use them only when absolutely necessary and don't overdo it as it may cause your gut to go on overdrive and cause insulin spikes.
Are Natural sugars the best replacements for Artificial sweeteners??
Natural sugars like honey, jaggery, or dates may be the solution on some occasions, but keep in mind these sugars also have a glycemic index pretty close to that of normal table sugar and will spike your insulin. Many Instagram recipes or television shows tell you that this might be the way to go and honey, jaggery or dates are healthier alternatives to refined sugar. However, that may not be entirely correct. Keep a check on your intake of these natural sugars.
If you’re unsure which kind of sweeteners to use in your foods, drinks and desserts try the natural sweeteners listed below:-?
Luckily, there are other sugar alternatives derived from natural sources which can be used in your daily foods in moderation to combat your sugar cravings. They can be used to make your homemade desserts, sweets, milkshakes, smoothies, and coffee without any impact on your blood sugar levels and the above-discussed negative impacts of refined sugar:-
1) Stevia - It is roughly 100x as sweet as refined sugar and is natural. It is 0 calories and 0 Glycemic indexes.
2) Monk Fruit - It is roughly 300x as sweet as refined sugar and is natural. It is 0 calories and 0 Glycemic indexes.
3) Erythritol - This is a type of sugar alcohol that is about 70-80% as sweet as refined sugar. It is 0 calories and 0 Glycemic indexes. This sweetener is obtained from grapes, watermelon, peaches, and pears
4) Allulose - This is a rare form of sugar and is equal to refined sugar in sweetness. It is 0 calories and 0 Glycemic indexes.
?
Planning to start a Healthy Diet??
Try India's 1st?Protein Wafer Bar ?now!