Sugar Alcohols?

beachgal · 04-21-2005, 11:51 AM

Hi, chickies!

I was looking through the SF candy yesterday while at the drug store. Almost everything chocolate has malitol in it, and I just can't have it. Malitol just gives me the shakes and my blood sugar drops faster than with real sugar. Not sure why.

Has anyone had a similar effect?

Does anyone know anything about Isomalt? It confuses me because it doesn't end in -ol like most sugar alcohols. Anyone know what it is?

AdiaFaith · 04-21-2005, 12:54 PM

Laurie,

On the occassion that I do eat SF Candy I reach for Russel Stover's Net Carbs Toffee Squares. A serving is 3 pieces, but one does me just fine. They use Splenda, I know that. I had the jelly beans at Easter.....a little hard, kind of tasted like LAST YEAR's jelly beans, but nonetheless, it hit the spot.

Wegmans carries a ton of Russell Stover Net Carbs stuff. What exactly were you looking for?

beachgal · 04-21-2005, 01:13 PM

Unfortunately, Malitol is usually the number one ingredient in Russell Stover's candy.

And it's the one thing I just can't have. It must not affect you then? When I eat it, my knees get weak, I feel dizzy and faint, it's like my blood sugar just hits the floor. Not a pleasant sensation.

I was just wondering in general if anyone else is affected like that by sugar alcohols...

(I know, Ruth...the F word...

)

Sunnybunny · 04-21-2005, 01:47 PM

Still a little scary...chemicals totally freak my butt out!

How Isomalt is Made

The two-step process begins with sucrose. First, an enzyme rearranges the linkage between glucose and fructose in sucrose. In the second step, two hydrogens are added to an oxygen in the fructose portion of the disaccharide. Approximately half of the fructose portion of the original disaccharide is converted to mannitol and about half of the fructose portion of the original disaccharide is converted to sorbitol. Therefore, isomalt contains two different disaccharide alcohols: gluco-mannitol and gluco-sorbitol.

The molecular changes that occur in these steps make isomalt more stable - chemically and
enzymatically - than sucrose. Isomalt’s stability is the reason for many of its health benefits and the large variety of products which it can improve.

beachgal · 04-21-2005, 03:33 PM

Sunny, don't tell me you wrote that yourself!

We have a smarty-pants in our midst!

Seriously, thanks! It makes much more sense. Where does the "malt" come from, though? Since we are supposed to avoid maltose, the "-malt" in "isomalt" made me nervous, but I haven't had any side effects.

Seems like you can't get any SF candy that's just splenda. They all add other sugar substitutes too. I thought it was funny, however, that Eckerd's carries Brach's butterscotches made with equal and made with splenda. They are even packaged differently!

amyepfaff · 04-21-2005, 08:37 PM

Beachgal, I can't have sugar alcohols either. They make me physically sick -- nausea and diahrea. And mfg are putting them in lots of things.

Oh well, I'm looking forward to phase 2 when I can have a piece of dark chocolate every now and then.

Amy

Sunnybunny · 04-22-2005, 09:02 AM

Don't worry Laurie, I totally copied and pasted that junk! But I do comprehend it, so there ya go!

kellyjoiii · 04-22-2005, 10:25 AM

Amy,
Sugar Alcohols do that to me too. I have found though that I can eat them within reason.....I eat alot of qsmart bars for sweets (the chocolate peanut butter ones curb my hankering for a cookie and such) the cranberry almond...I eat for breakfast or snack. As for SF candy.....I dont eat it often due to it makes me binge(on the sf candy) and it is all I can think about...so I figure better to not eat at all instead of ALL OF IT

AdiaFaith · 04-22-2005, 10:47 AM

They don't bother me, but I can resist to have just one piece. Sorry Laurie! I knew they used splenda, but wasn't sure about the other ingrediants.

beachgal · 04-22-2005, 10:55 AM

Kelly, check the qsmart bars to make sure they don't have any hydrogenated oils, enriched flour, corn, rice, etc. There is a lot of stuff in those bars that isn't SBD friendly. It sounds like you are very concerned about your weight loss, and I'd hate to hear it's stalled because of the bars.

Just in case.

Glad I'm not the only one...the thing is, no other sugar alcohol has affected me, just malitol. Interesting.

Does anyone else have a response similar to a blood sugar drop?

kellyjoiii · 04-22-2005, 12:38 PM

Wow Laurie, thanks! I thought I did a pretty good job of reading labels...but I guess I need a little more practice. I guess they aren't huh!?! I have been eating them alot (More than I should I guess) So, looks like it is back to the drawing board. LOL. looks like more egg wraps in the am. Maybe I will just limit myself to the peanut butter ones (can't do much peanut butter or nuts because they are one of my favorites and I have a hard time stopping them too)----Guess I just have a compulsive personality----
Again, thanks for the insight....we'll see how that helps!!

Bunnababy · 04-22-2005, 01:55 PM

I have to stay away from the sugar alcohols too but not for the same reason. I have IBS and that stuff causes a major flare-up. I figure I have enough problems without eating something that I know causes it.

I guess Ruth's "f" word is right when it comes to sugar alcohols.