Opinion Needed: Atkins' "Sugar Alcohols" vs fat-burning diets

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half_moon
half_moon Posts: 807 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all!

I'm attempting a very low-carb diet as a way to jump-start a plateau. I've been doing really well and got past the headachey crappy part of the "transition." I'm feeling great and my carbs are under 15 g a day.

However... I may be inadvertently cheating. And I want to do this right. One of my indulgence snacks throughout the day is an Atkins bar: the Chocolate Chip Granola Bar.

If you are familiar with Atkins, you are aware of their "Net Carb" scheme. It sounds fishy to me, and the internet has varying opinions. The gist is that a "Sugar Alcohol" digests slowly and differently than regular sugar, so it doesn't "count" as a sugar carb. While this bar in particular has 19 carbs, the packaging says to subtract 11 g (because those are from "Sugar Alcohols") and 3 g (because those are from fiber).

Okay, obviously this is a marketing ploy. What I want to know is if, in your EXPERIENCE, do Sugar Alcohols elevate blood sugar levels and allow your brain to run on glucose vs. fat? Let's see how well we can have a good convo about this before it devolves into a debate about processed foods vs fresh foods.

I read that if you get a big of indigestion or diarrhea while eating sugar alcohols, your body probably isn't processing the stuff as glucose (and instead passing it on as a fiber). Maybe I should just wait and see what my gut "tells me"! Haha.

Thanks for relating your experience with this.

Replies

  • LessCookiess
    LessCookiess Posts: 538 Member
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    If it fits into your calorie goal feel free to eat it.
  • cheryldumais
    cheryldumais Posts: 1,907 Member
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    I can't really answer your question but why not get some Keto Stix and see if it bumps you out of ketosis? That should let you know how your body is reacting to it.
  • half_moon
    half_moon Posts: 807 Member
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    xchocolategirl wrote: »
    If it fits into your calorie goal feel free to eat it.

    Thanks, but I'm going for more of a low-carb diet, as well as a low-calorie diet. My goals are a bit more complex than calories in/calories out.
    cheryldumais wrote: »
    I can't really answer your question but why not get some Keto Stix and see if it bumps you out of ketosis? That should let you know how your body is reacting to it.

    This is a really good idea. I actually haven't considered Keto Stix. Maybe I should cut the bars for a week, do the Keto Stix, then sneak a bar in the following week and see if anything changes. Real results!
  • annacole94
    annacole94 Posts: 997 Member
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    Different sugar alcohols are metabolized differently. Which one(s) are in your bars? Erythritol does get absorbed but is poorly metabolized. Others are not absorbed, as you'll notice if you eat too large of a serving (stomach pain, digestive problems). Fiber really is indigestible, and thus, has few calories and no sugar.

    Do some reading if you want to know how ingredients work.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_alcohol
  • half_moon
    half_moon Posts: 807 Member
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    annacole94 wrote: »
    Different sugar alcohols are metabolized differently. Which one(s) are in your bars? Erythritol does get absorbed but is poorly metabolized. Others are not absorbed, as you'll notice if you eat too large of a serving (stomach pain, digestive problems). Fiber really is indigestible, and thus, has few calories and no sugar.

    Do some reading if you want to know how ingredients work.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_alcohol

    Thanks so much! I was hesitant because I'm not sure what's a reliable source, anymore. This sugar alcohols is "Maltitol".
  • JessicaMcB
    JessicaMcB Posts: 1,503 Member
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    half_moon wrote: »
    annacole94 wrote: »
    Different sugar alcohols are metabolized differently. Which one(s) are in your bars? Erythritol does get absorbed but is poorly metabolized. Others are not absorbed, as you'll notice if you eat too large of a serving (stomach pain, digestive problems). Fiber really is indigestible, and thus, has few calories and no sugar.

    Do some reading if you want to know how ingredients work.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_alcohol

    Thanks so much! I was hesitant because I'm not sure what's a reliable source, anymore. This sugar alcohols is "Maltitol".

    Malitol as I recall is 70-80% of the GI of sugar and most people in my keto groups outside of MFP either do not consume malitol or count half the sugar alcohol carbs in their net count due to the GI. YMMV obviously but there are much better alternatives to Atkins products out there for people practicing a ketogenic lifestyle.
  • half_moon
    half_moon Posts: 807 Member
    edited April 2017
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    JessicaMcB wrote: »
    Malitol as I recall is 70-80% of the GI of sugar and most people in my keto groups outside of MFP either do not consume malitol or count half the sugar alcohol carbs in their net count due to the GI. YMMV obviously but there are much better alternatives to Atkins products out there for people practicing a ketogenic lifestyle.

    I see! Great info; thanks so much. I'll cut them out. And have to do some research on alternatives. Sigh!
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
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    JessicaMcB wrote: »
    half_moon wrote: »
    annacole94 wrote: »
    Different sugar alcohols are metabolized differently. Which one(s) are in your bars? Erythritol does get absorbed but is poorly metabolized. Others are not absorbed, as you'll notice if you eat too large of a serving (stomach pain, digestive problems). Fiber really is indigestible, and thus, has few calories and no sugar.

    Do some reading if you want to know how ingredients work.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_alcohol

    Thanks so much! I was hesitant because I'm not sure what's a reliable source, anymore. This sugar alcohols is "Maltitol".

    Malitol as I recall is 70-80% of the GI of sugar and most people in my keto groups outside of MFP either do not consume malitol or count half the sugar alcohol carbs in their net count due to the GI. YMMV obviously but there are much better alternatives to Atkins products out there for people practicing a ketogenic lifestyle.

    Additionally, maltitol is one of the worst culprits for GI upset. It certainly causes me problems.
  • CarlySupertramp
    CarlySupertramp Posts: 15 Member
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    It slows some people down, it stalls some people, not everyone... keep good track and see if your progress slows or stalls when you eat those things.
  • DietPrada
    DietPrada Posts: 1,171 Member
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    In my EXPERIENCE doing Keto, I can't eat these bars. Or Quest. They do stall my weightloss (yes, even if I don't eat any more CALORIES for the day). Some people can eat them and stay in Ketosis, and some people metabolise up to half of the sugar alcohol as sugar. I'd say it's probably better to avoid these if you can, but try them and see how they affect you. You might be okay. I like the ProteinFX low carb bars if I really have to have a "snack treat".

    I would suggest joining this group http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group where you can ask these kinds of questions and get answers from people who know what they're talking about, rather than just "if it fits in your calories you can eat it".
  • shadus
    shadus Posts: 424 Member
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    I've had them on occasion, I subtract fiber and sugar alcohol carbs from total carbs. Works ok for me, I usually stay under 26g/day (net). What i've found is more satisfying though, is jerky... requires a lot of chewing which seems to help. Get one that has 1g/carbs per serving or less and it's pretty awesome how much you can get for 150 cals or so.

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