Sweeteners and Sugar Substitutes

[Edward Guzman]

I am a Fast 5 IFer.
Losing weight rather fast: 2lbs a week.

Anyway I am interested in sweeteners. I think I once read Xylitol and Fructose were not all that great because they instigate an insulin response.

I drink lots of lemon water. I like to sweeten it with something.
Wondering if using Stevia (my main sweetner), Xylitol or Fructose will have a negative impact on my fat loss.

Open to thought and opinions.

Ed G

[Darryl Shaw]

Have you considered using honey? The calorie content and effects on your blood sugar/insulin levels of half a spoonful would be negligible and if recent studies are to be believed honey may even improve athletic performance.

http://www.scienceblog.com/community...200005562.html

http://www.pioneerthinking.com/honeyexercise.html

[Jeremy Shepard]

Fructose doesn't stimulate insulin. Too much of it does funky stuff that impairs insulin sensitivity and signaling, though.

Xylitol, maybe a little, but it's good for the teeth.

Honey is glucose and fructose like everything else, so it will produce some insulin.

[Robert Callahan]

I was reading up a bit on Stevia the other day. Supposedly it has no negative effects on insulin and in fact may improve insulin sensitivity, though I don't think that has been conclusively proven. Problem is there was some controversy in the US in the early 90s as to whether or not certain compounds in it are carcinogenic. Apparently there have been foreign studies showing this to be false, but due to politics and potentially a different opinion the US still has it banned as a food additive, but not as a supplement.

Whether that makes it safe to use or not.... I would need to read up more on, but it seems to have the potential to be a pretty healthy sweetener... as long as it doesn't cause cancer

-Robert

[Garrett Smith]

A little stevia or raw honey are both worth you getting down the lemon water, and they both may have their own benefits.

Simply use as little as you need to in order to drink it.

[Allen Yeh]

I can't stand using stevia in coffee...at least not the brand I have right now. It makes me sick to my stomach!

Honey + coffee + heavy cream = awesome