Net Carb reduction by adding spenda

[ereino]

In reading your book, my husband is of the notion, and he didn't read this in your book, that if you sprinkle sugar alcohol over something that it will bring net carbs down even further.  For example, by sprinkling xylitol or splenda over strawberries, then the 1/2 cup of strawberries net carbs will be reduced from 3.5 to a lower count.  Is this assumption true?  I can see the simple logic to his statement but worry about changing the rules or reading too much into it.  Please respond and thanks so much!

[shawn116]

Hi Ereino and welcome to the forum.  You can tell your husband that unfortunately he is mistaken.  Each and every product has their own nutritional content.  You can only subtract from the total carbohydrates when the item itself has fiber and possibly if the product has a sugar alcohol.  When adding another product say like xylitol, yes it has 4g of sugar alcohol per tsp serving but it also has 4g of carbohydrates.  If you subtract the 4g of sugar alcohols from the 4g of carbs it has.....you have no extra sugar alcohol to subtract from what ever you put it on.  If only we could negate the carbs simply by sprinkling some fiber or sweetener....oh man!!     Wouldn't that be great!     

By the way please be careful of using the splenda..... those little yellow packets are 1 carb a piece     

I hope I haven't confused the subject     Again welcome to the family!!

[ereino]

Thanks for the tip - and no, you haven't confused the issue at all.  I had a hard time believing what he was 'logically...lol" explaining.  Thanks for the welcome.  Have a wonderful day!

[umpa]

 TooSweet is correct

[ereino]

It makes a GREAT deal of sense.  I have to wait for a window of opportunity to inform my husband.  He will be greatly disappointed. 

[umpa]

Me thinks you are smiling ereino

[ereino]

I showed my husband the Xylitol nutrition label which shows carbs as 4 and sugar alchohol as 4 which basically, like everyone is saying, wipes itself out.  Is there a sugar alcohol that doesn't wipe itself out?  AND, how come on a nutritional label Doug, in your book, (unless we are reading this incorrectly...) you say to take total carbs minus dietary fiber and minus sugar alcohol which gives you net carbs?  If sugar alcohol wipes itself out, then why use it in the equation?  That is what is confusing hubby!!!!!

[mouseissue]

Hi ereino!

Sugar alcohols are sugar alcohols.
They are also known as polyols.

As far as "canceling out" when calculating net carbs, this makes more sense when you think of a product that has fiber and sugar alcohols, but still has remaining (i.e. net) carbs.

For example...

Total Carbs = 20g
Fiber = 10g
Sugar Alcohols = 4g

20 (total) - 10 (fiber) - 4 (Sugar Alcohols) = 6 Net Carbs

In this example, if the sugar alcohols equaled 10, net carbs would equal 0 (zero).

One caveat is that some sugar alcohols will, with some individuals, be metabolized like net carbs by causing blood sugar spikes.
Malitol is one of the worst offenders in this way.

That's why it's so important to track and record EVERYTHING you eat to see how your body responds.
What might not make a difference to one person, can cause stall outs or gains in another!

Tony

[Doug Varrieur]

Hubby needs to read the book 

[umpa]

Type 1 Diabetics need sugar alcohols listed for insulin use.