Kaplod - great info thanks! The brain craving thing - I just remember the one study. Have not heard of it being duplicated yet. My concern is that people still think that artificial sweeteners trigger an insulin response, and there is no data to support that. A big concern for diabetics. Sugar alcohols labeling is ridiculous and people think they are eating sugar-free, but they are not. What would be more useful is the glycemic index of any of this stuff.

Margaret

I agree that glycemic index (or better yet glycemic load) would be more useful, though there'd still bet problems. Glycemic load is better, because it takes into account portion size rather than carb grams, but the problem with both GI and GL (at least as some of the nutrition experts argue) is that most people don't eat individual foods, they eat meals and recipes - and combining foods changes their glycemic load (and the math isn't straightforward or easy to calculate).

Also some foods have different GI/GL's for different people (the infamous sugar alcohols - some people can't digest them at all, and even for those who can, the digestive speed/GI/GL can vary). And if that weren't complicdated enough, the temperature at which the food is served can even affect GI/GL (for example the "resistant starches" that some starches develop at cold temperatures, such as potatoes. A cold boiled potato has fewer absorbable calories and a lower GI/GL than does the same potato served hot.



As a result, any information regarding GI/GL has to be seen as an educated guesstimate. How much help it would be for anyone who isn't a math and nutrition genius, is questionable.