Gumbo > wrote:
|| 'Low-Carb' Labels Create Confusion for People with Diabetes
||
|| The flood of "low-carbohydrate" foods now appearing on
|| grocery store shelves and in restaurants may at first glance
|| seem like a dream come true for someone with diabetes. Less
|| carbohydrate means less effect on blood glucose, right?
||
|| Most of the new low-carbohydrate foods were created as a
|| marketing ploy to capitalize on the popularity of
|| low-carbohydrate weight-loss diets. Although some of the
|| ingredients may have been altered to reduce carbohydrates,
|| most of these foods are not as low in carbohydrates as the
|| package implies, and the difference in calories is small. So,
|| overindulging in these low-carb foods may not help your
|| waistline.
||
|| Many food manufacturers have caused a lot of confusion for
|| people with diabetes by advising consumers to ignore the
|| "Total Carbohydrate" listed on the food label of
|| low-carbohydrate products and to use the lower amount listed
|| on the package as "net carbs," "effective carbs" or "impact
|| carbs." These terms have been created by manufacturers and
|| have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
|| For example, a popular snack bar contains 22 grams of "Total
|| Carbohydrate" and 220 calories. On the front of the package
|| it lists "Only 2 grams of Net Carbs." This may seem like a
|| great snack to the carbohydrate-conscious dieter and an
|| invitation to overindulge. For the person adjusting insulin
|| based on carbohydrate consumption, it can cause confusion and
|| inappropriate insulin doses.
||
|| Naturally occurring carbohydrates may be replaced by other
|| ingredients that are higher in protein like soy flour, higher
|| in fat like nuts, or higher in fiber. Sugar alcohols like
|| sorbitol or mannitol are often used to replace some of the
|| sugar. Although food manufacturers suggest that sugar
|| alcohols, fiber and other ingredients like glycerine do not
|| affect blood glucose levels and therefore should not be
|| counted, that isn't true.
||
|| Fiber is not completely digested and absorbed like other
|| carbohydrates. While the fiber found in cereals provides
|| virtually no calories, the fiber in fruits and vegetables
|| does provide some. Foods containing fiber will likely have
|| less effect on your blood glucose levels than other types of
|| carbohydrates. So, if you are adjusting your insulin based on
|| carbohydrate counting, you can subtract the grams of dietary
|| fiber from the "Total Carbohydrate." This is necessary only
|| if you are getting 5 or more grams of fiber per serving;
|| otherwise the effect is probably not significant.
||
|| If you're eating less carbs to try to lose weight, remember
|| that just as people trying to eat a low-fat diet years ago
|| found out that they could gain weight by eating too many
|| low-fat or fat-free foods, the same holds true with eating
|| too many low-carb foods. The truth is that calories do count.

Well duh!