When you eat a carbohydrate-containing food, your body breaks the carbohydrate down into sugar. This can raise your overall blood sugar level until your body is able to use the sugar as energy. If you have diabetes, your body cannot properly process the sugars, which can lead to side effects like nerve and tissue damage. Artificial sweeteners were created because they do not affect your blood sugar and insulin levels as regular sugar can.
Significance
Another name for artificial sweeteners are sugar substitutes. While they are created in laboratories, artificial sweeteners may -- in some part -- come from substances that occur naturally. Examples of artificial sweeteners include aspartame, saccharin, sucralose and acesulfame potassium, according to MayoClinic.com. Although they taste sweet, your body does not use these sweeteners in the same manner as sugar. This is why artificial sweeteners do not raise your insulin levels.
How Insulin Is Affected
Insulin is the substance that acts as the key to "unlock" your cell's door and allow sugars into your cells for energy. When you have diabetes, your body does not produce or make enough insulin -- or the insulin "key" does not effectively unlock your cell. Typically, when you eat a carbohydrate-containing food, your body produces insulin. However, artificial sweeteners are not carbohydrates. Therefore, they do not stimulate insulin production. If you use insulin injections to control your blood sugar, you will not require extra insulin after eating foods that contain artificial sweeteners.
Misconception
One of the reasons why you may link artificial sweeteners with increasing insulin is because artificial sweeteners are not the same as sugar substitutes like sugar alcohols. These alcohols are a modified form of sugar that does not impact insulin production as significantly as sugar yet can raise your blood sugar somewhat. While some products are labeled as "sugar-free," they can contain small amounts of sugar alcohols like sorbitol, maltitol and xylitol that can affect blood sugar levels. To determine the difference, read food labels carefully to look for sugar alcohols. If these are included, the food may increase your insulin levels.
Diabetic Considerations
Just because a food contains artificial sweeteners does not mean it is completely devoid of carbohydrates that can raise your insulin levels. Artificial sweetener can be incorporated into bread products that can affect your blood sugar, even if it is not as significant as it could be if the product contained sugar. Continue to read food labels for the amount of carbohydrates listed to determine how a food might impact your blood sugar.
References
- Mark's Daily Apply; Do Artificial Sweeteners Cause an Insulin Spike?; Mark Sisson
- Indiana Public Media; Can Artificial Sweeteners Raise Blood Sugar?; Molly Plunkett; July 2010
- MayoClinic.com; Artificial Sweeteners: Any Effect on Blood Sugar?; Maria Collazo-Clavell, M.D.; September 2010
- MayoClinic.com; Artificial Sweeteners: Understanding These and Other Sugar Substitutes; October 2010
- "The New York Times"; The Claim - Artificial Sweeteners Can Raise Blood Sugar; Anahad O'Connor; July 2010
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