Counseling Diabetics in the Use of Substitute Sweeteners

Abstract

For persons with diabetes, diet is prescribed as a cornerstone of ther apy. Unease over just what is safe and prudent to eat is an important con cern, and health professionals who work with persons who have diabetes must strive to keep abreast of current nutritional research. One area of con troversy is the role of sweeteners in the diet. Rather than removing most sweeteners from the diet, a more feasible approach may be intensive patient education so that the person with diabetes can make more knowl edgeable decisions as to which types of sweeteners to include in the diet and how to calculate the food values in relation to insulin supply. Five sub stitute sweeteners (saccharin, fructose, sorbitol, xylitol, and aspartame) are considered from the standpoint of taste, availability and costs, metabolic activity, carcinogenic risks, and cur rent American Diabetes Association recommendations.