Insulin spike from artificial sweetners
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kenjhammond65
Posts: 8 Member
I work 3rd shift and have been reliant on caffeine for a long time. I cant stand coffee so I drink zero calorie energy drinks. I've read what I can find online but there doesn't seem to be irrefutable proof that insulin spikes when consuming the fake sweetness. Anybody have an opinion?
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Replies
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Are diabetics able to drink them without an adjustment to their medication?
While there is some week evidence that some sweeteners may affect some people under certain conditions, maybe, all I know is that in the past 3 years I've lost a lot of weight, reversed any indication of pre-diabetes and seen no hint of insulin regulation concerns in my recent A1C tests.
During this time I've increased my consumption of sucralose beyond substantially. From seldom having any to having a considerable quantity on a daily basis (yoplait 0% yogurt).
I've also increased my consumption of xylitol and acesulfame potassium from almost never to multiple times a day (refrigerated jello puddings).
And considerably decreased but not eliminated my intake of sugar (hey, I still average over 150g sugar a day)
So your millage may vary, but controlling my weight and increasing my activity level certainly seems to have had a substantially larger effect than my exact selection of carbs, sugars, and substitutes... at least for me.9 -
Do have a medical problem where you need to be concerned with 'Insulin spikes'?3
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You won't find irrefutable proof, because there isn't any.9
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Alatariel75 wrote: »You won't find irrefutable proof, because there isn't any.
There's plenty of proof that it doesn't, though.10 -
I don't have any medical issues but insulin resistance is a concern. The more sensitive I am the better, for a variety of reasons. I'm restricting carbs to prevent spikes so I don't want to hinder those efforts with the artificial sweeteners.0
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I'm thinking it maybe true for some people, but not the majority.
I've tested it out on myself to see if I could decrease high blood sugar and it did absolutely nothings to my blood glucose reading.2 -
The ADA recommends artificial sweetners for diabetics, including diet soda, because it doesn't cause spikes
http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/what-can-i-eat/making-healthy-food-choices/what-can-i-drink.html7 -
I tend to disagree on this one too. Artificial sweeteners make your body "think" that sugar is going to arrive, so it'll prepare insulin to deal with that sugar. Because no sugar comes, your blood sugar gets low (the insulin takes away some blood sugar), making your liver respond by releasing sugar into your blood, hence the spike.
If you use a lot of them and regularily, your body might learn that a sweet taste doesn't mean sugar will come, and you might get a sugar high the next time you do use regular sugar, too.1 -
I tend to disagree on this one too. Artificial sweeteners make your body "think" that sugar is going to arrive, so it'll prepare insulin to deal with that sugar. Because no sugar comes, your blood sugar gets low (the insulin takes away some blood sugar), making your liver respond by releasing sugar into your blood, hence the spike.
If you use a lot of them and regularily, your body might learn that a sweet taste doesn't mean sugar will come, and you might get a sugar high the next time you do use regular sugar, too.
Insulin production is not regulated by flavor.15 -
stevencloser wrote: »
Insulin production is not regulated by flavor.
Some other hormones are affected by sensory inputs. I wouldn't be surprised if insulin is.
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I tend to disagree on this one too. Artificial sweeteners make your body "think" that sugar is going to arrive, so it'll prepare insulin to deal with that sugar. Because no sugar comes, your blood sugar gets low (the insulin takes away some blood sugar), making your liver respond by releasing sugar into your blood, hence the spike.
If you use a lot of them and regularily, your body might learn that a sweet taste doesn't mean sugar will come, and you might get a sugar high the next time you do use regular sugar, too.
This is the theory but I haven't seen any proof of it.
I remember reading about this in the Carbohydrate Addict's Diet, and it's semi-popular in low-carb circles, but it sounds more like magic than science...sorry.
OP, if you want to actually know, I mean know-know, on a personal level, why not prove it yourself by picking up a cheap glucose monitor starter kit? I think they can be had at Walmart for like $20. Test yourself and prove it to yourself rather than listening to what sounds like it might make sense if it were true. The lack of supporting studies of the theory should be proof enough but I get it, in LC circles this is just shouted from the rooftops, and pretty frequently. Don't just believe in what someone else says, do your own test.1 -
Insulin get's a bad rap, it's just a hormone that regulates blood sugar, and unless you have a medical condition e.g. diabetes, you shouldn't be worrying about it, you should worry about whatever diet works the best for you in regards to satiety and sustainability.5
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If it is, there should be some science to show it. It's not like insulin is some mysterious, unstudied hormone.Cherimoose wrote: »stevencloser wrote: »
Insulin production is not regulated by flavor.
Some other hormones are affected by sensory inputs. I wouldn't be surprised if insulin is.
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I tend to disagree on this one too. Artificial sweeteners make your body "think" that sugar is going to arrive, so it'll prepare insulin to deal with that sugar. Because no sugar comes, your blood sugar gets low (the insulin takes away some blood sugar), making your liver respond by releasing sugar into your blood, hence the spike.
If you use a lot of them and regularily, your body might learn that a sweet taste doesn't mean sugar will come, and you might get a sugar high the next time you do use regular sugar, too.
That's....just...not how it works...
My dad was a type II and drank diet sodas regularly...they're fine.
There are plenty of studies on this...8 -
kenjhammond65 wrote: »I work 3rd shift and have been reliant on caffeine for a long time. I cant stand coffee so I drink zero calorie energy drinks. I've read what I can find online but there doesn't seem to be irrefutable proof that insulin spikes when consuming the fake sweetness. Anybody have an opinion?
No opinion just the facts as presented to me by the specialized doctor that works with me to manage my diabetes. Artificial sweeteners DO NOT spike insulin. This has also been confirmed anecdotally by me and my blood glucose meter.9 -
kenjhammond65 wrote: »I don't have any medical issues but insulin resistance is a concern. The more sensitive I am the better, for a variety of reasons. I'm restricting carbs to prevent spikes so I don't want to hinder those efforts with the artificial sweeteners.
Are you restricting protein for the same reason?7 -
kenjhammond65 wrote: »I don't have any medical issues but insulin resistance is a concern. The more sensitive I am the better, for a variety of reasons. I'm restricting carbs to prevent spikes so I don't want to hinder those efforts with the artificial sweeteners.
Are you restricting protein for the same reason?
Good point. Protein is equally as insulogenic as carbs are.3 -
kenjhammond65 wrote: »I don't have any medical issues but insulin resistance is a concern. The more sensitive I am the better, for a variety of reasons. I'm restricting carbs to prevent spikes so I don't want to hinder those efforts with the artificial sweeteners.
Are you restricting protein for the same reason?
This, if you really wanted to keep it low, you'd have to restrict protein and carbs and eat higher fat.
Edit: Have you had blood work done? Do you KNOW that you're insulin resistant?2 -
I think you'll need to try for yourself. I found that removing artificial sweeteners from my diet helped with curbing my cravings for something sweet. So, while I can't say if using them was causing insulin spikes, I would drink bottles of flavored water a lot faster than just plain water or unsweetened ice tea. Something about the sweetened powder made me reach for that drink a lot more often than not.
Have you tried flavoring your water in other ways, like putting cucumber or a few pieces of fruit? Making cold-brew iced tea (black or herbal) works too.0 -
kenjhammond65 wrote: »I work 3rd shift and have been reliant on caffeine for a long time. I cant stand coffee so I drink zero calorie energy drinks. I've read what I can find online but there doesn't seem to be irrefutable proof that insulin spikes when consuming the fake sweetness. Anybody have an opinion?
No opinion just the facts as presented to me by the specialized doctor that works with me to manage my diabetes. Artificial sweeteners DO NOT spike insulin. This has also been confirmed anecdotally by me and my blood glucose meter.
My personal experience and my meter also confirmed this.1
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