Can I Eat Sugar Alcohols On My Low Carb Diet?

"Polyols" or sugar alcohols are a number of different carbohydrates that are neither sugars nor alcohols--and are commonly used as artificial sweeteners in a range of products, from ice cream to chewing gum.

While these tasty sweeteners appear to be the perfect solution for both low-carb dieters and low-carb food producers, recent studies of sugar alcohols have painted a somewhat different picture.

To begin with, sugar alcohols are not entirely carb-free. Most studies have indicated that sugar alcohols contain approximately 1/2 to 1/3 the amount of calories as sugar--and in the form of carbohydrates.

In addition, studies have shown that sugar alcohols are absorbed by the small intestine, but the process is slower and fractured. This affects a rise in blood sugar, but again is smaller and more gradual than with sugar--and the rise tends to vary from person to person.

Sugar alcohols also have a laxative effect on some consumers. Since they are only partially absorbed, they bring water into the bowel--and undigested carbs into the colon, creating gas and bloating as the carbs are acted on by bacteria.

Over-consumption of sugar alcohols can often have an adverse effect on low carb dieters, even when they can digest them properly. Sugar alcohols can trigger cravings in low carb dieters, causing them to deviate from dietary restrictions.

In addition, sugar alcohols can often cause low carb dieters to choose an unhealthy diet of sweets, which appear to be carb-free, over a varied diet that includes essential nutrients.

If you are currently on a low carb diet and want to mix sugar alcohol products into your diet, it is very important that you monitor your total sugar alcohol intake--and keep it at a minimum while consuming a healthy diet.

One easy way to do this is to determine the total amount of carbs in sugar alcohol products you are consuming. You can do this by subtracting the amount of fat and protein calories per serving from the total amount of calories per serving. Simply multiply the grams of protein by four and the grams of fat by nine. Now subtract the sum of the two from the total amount of calories per serving.

Using these figures, you can determine whether or not carbs are being "hidden" in "carb free" sugar alcohol products you consume, allowing you to make a better-informed decision that fits the prescriptions of your low-carb diet.

Benji Paras runs http://www.list-of-low-carb-food.com, specializing in the benefits of the low-carb lifestyle. The site contains a treasure trove of information for losing weight, and includes a list of low carb foods along with informative articles and the latest low-carb headlines.

---

How To Avoid Gaining the Holiday 7

As the holidays approach, a frequent question from my clients... Read More

The Diet Dilemma. Why Diets Dont Work

Let's face when it comes to overweight and obesity there... Read More

Diets, Diets, Diets?Do They Work?

Almost everyone has attempted to follow diets and weight loss... Read More

Tracking the Elusive Calorie - Weight Loss Tips

Why Making Small Changes in Your Eating Habits Adds up... Read More

7 Part Plan To Beating Childhood Obesity

Everyone from politicians to parents is talking about fighting the... Read More

Fat Burning Foods

Are there any foods that burn body fat? If yes,... Read More

Dealing with Childhood Obesity

Experts tell us that overweight or obese children have reached... Read More

Treadmill Weight Loss Tips

These treadmill weight loss tips are a great way to... Read More

The Most Effective Fat Burning And Muscle Building Workout That Takes Just 13 Minutes

Most people who want to burn off some excess pounds... Read More

Are You Stuck Losing Weight?

Don't get discouraged. I, too, have found myself in this... Read More

Catching Yourself In A Binge or Compulsive Eating: Stopping Behaviors

Oh, no . . . You suddenly realize that you... Read More

Weight Loss - Sustained Success through Simple Steps

Weight Loss ? Basic Lessons for Sustained SuccessWeight loss is... Read More

To Be or Not To Be: Low Carb...

I get asked all the time, "what do you think... Read More

Too Many Calories

How many calories do you need? Well, that depends on... Read More

Is Your Ability to Buy Dietary Supplements, Herbal Preparations, and Tonics in Jeopardy in the USA?

When the DSHEA (Dietary Supplement Health Education Act) was passed... Read More

Get Back Weight Loss Motivation with NLP: Setting an Anchor

NLP Setting an Anchor Process to Get Back Motivation for... Read More

How to End the Food Cravings with EFT

Breaking Down Cravings One at a TimeI know you've heard... Read More

Changing Our Eating Behaviour

Changing our eating behaviour is one of the critical lifestyle... Read More

Weight Loss Options -- Infrared Radiant Heat Saunas (IR Saunas)

Infrared Radiant Heat (IRRH) is a form of radiation that... Read More

Eating for Health, Happiness and Successful Weight Control

Don't diet, just eat and lose weight!First, the following "diet"... Read More

Is Losing Weight The Same As Losing Fat?

Contrary to common belief, your weight is not really the... Read More

Coconut Oil Diets

Have you heard about coconut oil diets yet? People are... Read More

Dieting Torture By Another Name, It Doesnt Need To Be That Way

I have tried many "diets" here in the USA and... Read More

Does It Matter If You Are Overweight?

Everywhere we look in the western world we are inundated... Read More

Cleansing the Body for a Detox Weight Loss!

Cleansing: How to Kickstart your Alkaline LifestyleDue to the highly... Read More

For All Walks of Life

Why Walking Could Be the Solution to Your Fitness Dilemma.Walk,... Read More

Psychological Factors in Weight Management

To continue the educational series on your health and fitness... Read More

Weight Loss With Bontril: Smooth Sailing On The Weight Loss Ocean

As many of us know, it's the first few days... Read More

Best Diet Plan Available

Diet Fads-Forget about 'EmAnother fad "best diet" bites the dust.... Read More

Setting Objectives For Weight Loss

I am sure that when I mention setting objectives for... Read More

5 Tips to Keep Your Mental Health in Shape as You Diet

Losing weight and going on a diet can be quite... Read More

Weight Loss Setbacks and the All or Nothing Attitude

I want to talk about the "all or nothing" outlook... Read More

Low Carb Diets - The South Beach Diet, Atkins Diet, Zone Diet, and More

The low carb diet craze has become extremely popular amongst... Read More