Could I use Splenda to make....

[ZipperJJ]

@Hello Again

Some sugar alcohols have an impact on blood sugar, but it is generally much less than that of sugar (it varies by specific type of sugar alcohol just how much less impact on blood sugar there is).

Here 's a chart that shows the glycemic index of various sugar alcohols:
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/whattoeat/a/sugaralcohols.htm

Some types have almost no effect on blood sugar, others have about 1/2 the effect sugar has.

Right on. So, Equipose…even though the label on those candies said “20g carbs” they really would not effect your blood sugar as if you’d eaten 20g of “real” sugar.

HOWEVER…adam yax note that different sugar alcohols and sugar substitutes will effect people’s blood sugar differently so no matter what you end up using, do encourage dad to test his levels after eating the candy so he knows how they effect HIM.

[Ike_Witt]

@Equipoise

Another general FYI, sugar alcohols, especially malitol, can give many people a miserable case of the runs. The quantity varies by person, so adam yax, if you do use a sugar alcohol, warn your dad not to eat too much, or to make sure he only eats it when there’s a bathroom and shower handy.

I was wondering how bad can the runs be? But have a shower handy? :eek:

@ZipperJJ

HOWEVER…adam yax note that different sugar alcohols and sugar substitutes will effect people’s blood sugar differently so no matter what you end up using, do encourage dad to test his levels after eating the candy so he knows how they effect HIM.

Sound advice. I’ll talk to him about it when I see him in a couple of days. He may already know the answer. It is kind of weird but since he was diagnosed with diabetes, he has developed a sweet tooth. He does eat sugar free candies and puts sugar free caramel (Smuckers) on ice cream. He never ate candy before. I don’t get it. I would also like to point out that at 73 dad is in excellent health. He plays golf everyday and tennis once or twice a week. He stretches everyday and is the most flexible person I know. He is in better shape than I am.

ETA:
Dad is controlling his diabetes through his diet and use of glucophage (sp?). He doesn’t have to use insulin. He is also very good about monitoring his blood sugar regularly.

[Equipoise]

@adam yax

I was wondering how bad can the runs be? But have a shower handy? :eek:

It can be quite bad. And runny. And smelly. I’ve luckily never had an embarassing accident but still, no amount of toilet paper made me feel clean after a bout. And it doesn’t just happen once and that’s it. With me, at least, it affected me for several hours. I learned by, uh, sore experience, that I could not eat more than 2 hard candies or 2 sugar-free Dove chocolates. As has been said, sugar alcohols affect different people different ways so Y(dad’s)MMV.

@ZipperJJ

So, Equipose…even though the label on those candies said “20g carbs” they really would not effect your blood sugar as if you’d eaten 20g of “real” sugar.

That’s what they say, but my blood glucose test strips told me a different story. I spent three weeks testing everything that I put in my mouth and they, along with practically everything else with carbs in it, raised my numbers. That’s why I checked the label in the first place. My numbers only normalized when I switched to a low low carbohydrate diet. I just have a super-sensitive system I guess.

It’s a shame too, for both the carb count and the malitol, because I really liked the sugar-free Dove chocolate and the sugar-free lemon drops.

[ouryL]

Isn’t caramel just melted browned sugar? :smack: