"Net Carbs"

[dme100]

I am seeing some food items that cliam low "net carbs", snack bars, drinks, even Ice Cream.
Many of the "diabetic friendly" and "good for low blood sugar" and such items don't seem to do any better for me than regular items except by possibly taking more of my money.
Anything to this net carb, or is it just another way of getting more $ from diabetics with the hope that our food choices will expand? Most of these Net Carb items seem to be "sweet", like chocalot drinks, candy, snack bars and such.
Opinions, experience anyone?

Thanks David

[princesslinda]

Lots of times, these items will have added fiber, which can slow any potential spikes. You'll want to try them and test and see how you respond. There are some (like the South Beach Bars), that have more carbs and more fiber, that I tolerate well, and some (like the glucerna drinks) that I don't do as well with.

I have EXCELLENT results with the Breyer's Carb Smart ice cream...and I was overjoyed to be able to have the occasional ice cream treat.

[fgummett]

Carbohydrates are chains of sugars (Glucose). Some are very simple chains and start to break down as soon as they hit the saliva in our mouths... others are increasingly longer and more complex, right up to cellulose/fibre which is effectively indigestible to humans -- cows and other ruminants can digest it but they have extra stomachs etc...

So a food item that has a Total of 10g carbs... of which 7g is fibre, can be said to have net "effective" carbs of only 3g.

That is the theory... but as Linda points out it is very much a question of how different foods affect YOU... testing is the key. YMMV.

Having said all that I personally make it a rule to automatically red-flag any "food" that makes a health claim, especially if it tries to advertise itself as "diabetic food".

[pdxdennisj]

Beside the fiber issue are the products that use "sugar alcohols" to sweeten. They can be misleading. Rather that deducting the entire amount from your carb count, only deduct 50% - the average amount that is used by the body as carbs.

[cyberus]

Yeah .. you gotta watch those sugar alcohols, people can react differently to them, and to each one differently also.
First they can have a laxative effect, the degree of which can differ for each type.
Second in some cases you may get a spike from them anyways .. not as big a real sugar but still.
For me, all act as a laxative with Manitol and maltitol being the first and worst on my list, followed closely by sorbitol. Manitol and maltitol also cause a spike for me, usually a bit after the 2 hour mark its like my digestive system doesn't understand that its not supposed to use this stuff.

As to the claims on packages .....

READ THE USDA NUTRITION LABEL

many many many things with claims for "low carb" and "diabetic friendly" use voodoo math with low glycemic index ingredients to plaster a "net impact" number on the front, the USDA nutrition label will have the true carb etc counts that you need to know.

[butterflykisses]

I am seeing some food items that cliam low "net carbs", snack bars, drinks, even Ice Cream.
Many of the "diabetic friendly" and "good for low blood sugar" and such items don't seem to do any better for me than regular items except by possibly taking more of my money.
Anything to this net carb, or is it just another way of getting more $ from diabetics with the hope that our food choices will expand? Most of these Net Carb items seem to be "sweet", like chocalot drinks, candy, snack bars and such.
Opinions, experience anyone?

Thanks David

It's all about marketing. People are diagnosed with diabetes and the first thing they're told is to give up sugar/sweets because of the effect on their blood sugar. It's no coincidence that those diabetic friendly or net carb items are most usually something "sweet". They're playing on the emotions of people who are missing the days of eating junk without concern about BG impact. Most of it is still just junk, but because its made especially for a certain group of people they slap a ridiculously high price on it. This is why I tend to avoid anything marketed to diabetics. I don't usually buy glucose tabs for this reason. They're over priced because they're marketed to a specific group...diabetics.

[Chef Barrae]

I've personally never followed "Net Carbs" but rather the "Total Carbs" in a food product. I have found this the best for me, as I will get the added benefit, if any, from the lower net carb count without overeating it. I believe that it is the food industry that really began this whole "net carb" idea and it really is not much more than a sales pitch to diabetics with little or no real return for them. But, that's just my opinion.