Are sugar substitutes considered carbohydrates? Do they raise blood sugar?
Non-nutritive sweeteners or sugar substitutes are not considered carbohydrates because they do not enter your blood as sugar and do not raise your blood sugar. Examples of non-nutritive sweeteners are aspartame, asulfameK, sucralose, stevia, and saccharine. Sugar alcohols are often contained in “sugar-free” products, and are considered carbohydrate because a portion of what is in the product does enter your blood as sugar. Examples of sugar alcohols are Xylitol, Sorbitol, and Mannitol. Which is better for me, a cookie with sugar or a cookie with artificial sweetener? The important thing for you to consider when choosing a cookie is the amount of usable sugar it contains. The amount of usable sugar in the food you eat has the most impact on your blood sugar. The usable sugar is determined by looking at the food label. The “Total Carbohydrate” on the food lable refers to the grams of usable sugar + the grams of sugar that do not go into your blood (fiber and sugar alcohols). Sugar free c
