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http://www.mendosa.com/netcarbs.htm
All about "net" carbs. It's rather long, and, at times, complex, but I'll include a few itneresting excepts. The one thing that I wished the author had gone into is the fact that the lower the glycemic index of the sugar alcohols, the more gastric distress they cause. The reason is simple: the less of them that we can metabolize, the more is left over for the bacteria in the lower intestinal tract. With some, like lactitol and erythritol, those guys think you've given them a feast. They multiply by the billions, and eat, eat, eat. Their waste products -- water and gas -- is what keeps sending you on those repeated trips to the bathroom.
So, you can either have those, like maltitol, which have less of a gastric distress, and count the carbs, or you can have erythritol and get in lots of reading time on the "throne." Personally, I'll just avoid all of them!
The excerpts:
When we talk about available carbohydrate, people have generally meant all carbohydrate except fiber, because we can’t digest it. Available carbohydrate is the carbohydrate that can be digested. Some people refer to it as "glycemic" or "usable" "net" carbohydrate, or "nutritive" carbohydrate. All of these terms refer to the same thing.
Many countries, including the U.S. and Canada, determine the amount of carbohydrate in foods indirectly, that is "by difference." They measure the amount of protein, fat, water, and ash per 100 grams and subtract the sum of these from 100. In contrast, countries in Europe and Oceania analyze carbohydrate directly, so their carbohydrate figures do not contain unavailable carbohydrate (e.g. fiber), while values for the U.S. and Canada do.
As a result of this international difference, nutrition labels on packages imported to the U.S. from Europe and Oceania can be misinterpreted. For example, Bran-A-Crisp Fiber Bread, from Norway, is sold in the U.S. with a nutrition label that says it has 6 grams of total carbohydrates and 6 grams of fiber. It would be a mistake to conclude that this product contains no available carbohydrate. By comparison, either wheat or rye bread from Atkins Bakery made in America says on its nutrition label that it has 7 grams of total carbohydrate per serving and 4 grams of dietary fiber. Since it follows U.S. practice, the fiber is included in the carbohydrate, so this bread has 3 grams of available carbohydrate per serving.
....................................
Several manufacturers of low-carb products, including Atkins Nutritionals, Keto, and Biochem, say that carb counters should count only what they call net carbs or net impact carbs. Their definition of these terms is total carbohydrates less fiber, glycerin(e), the sugar alcohols, and polydextrose. They say that glycerin(e), the sugar alcohols, and polydextrose have "a negligible effect on blood glucose" or "a minimal impact on blood sugar."
This is a fairly new development. The 1999 edition of Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution, says that "Sweeteners such as sorbitol, mannitol and other hexitols (sugar alcohols) are not allowed…."
Then in 2002 Dr. Atkins published the revised and current edition of his bestseller, which for many is the bible of low-carb dieting. The book now says that you don’t count "non-blood sugar impacting carbs," including polydextrose, glycerine, and sugar alcohol, as well as fiber, "when doing Atkins." The Atkins Nutritionals website says, "We do use fiber and other carbohydrates, such as sugar alcohols, that have a minimal impact on blood sugar and thus fit the Atkins definition of a ‘non-digestible’ or net carb."
What gives? The cynics say that it’s just business as usual. By 2002 Atkins Nutritionals had a growing product line with many products that included sugar alcohols among their ingredients.
To those who are less cynical it sounds like the Atkins people are now beginning to embrace the concept of the glycemic index. Indeed, the current edition of Dr. Atkins’ book called the glycemic index "A Beautiful Tool."
This, however, is rather strange. After all, the glycemic index includes several others foods that have only a minimal impact on blood glucose. Nopal (prickly pear cactus) has a glycemic index of 7 (where glucose = 100). The mean of two studies of chana dal is 8. The mean of three studies of peanuts is 14. Yet no carb-counting diet that I am aware of excludes the carbs in these fine foods.
....................................
Sugar Alcohols — technically called polyols — are carbohydrates that we do not completely absorb. Of the eight sugar alcohols tested for their glycemic index, the most common ones are sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol, and maltitol.
If the sugar alcohols had no impact on our blood glucose, they would have a glycemic index of zero.
Only two of the sugar alcohols have a GI of zero, according to Livesey’s research. These are mannitol and erythritol. Several others have a very low GI, but two maltitol syrups have a GI greater than 50. This is a higher GI value than that of spaghetti, orange juice, or carrots.
.......................................
Not all the low-carb gurus are on the sugar alcohol bandwagon. Dr. Richard K. Bernstein, a noted endocrinologist who wrote Dr. Bernstein’s Diabetes Solution (Boston, Little, Brown, revised edition 2003) says on page 139 that, "some, such as sorbitol…, will raise blood sugar more slowly than glucose but still too much and too rapidly to prevent a postprandial blood sugar rise in people with diabetes."
Confirmation of Dr. Bernstein’s position comes from a correspondent, Mary Lu Connolly. She wrote me in January that she has type 1 diabetes and has tried to reduce her carb intake by purchasing the low-carb foods now available. "What I have found is that these foods (especially breakfast bars) cause major rises in my blood sugars hours after eating. Can you explain what is happening?"
At the time she wrote I couldn’t explain it. Now, it’s clear that the culprit is probably maltitol or maltitol syrup. For example, Atkins Nutritionals Peanut Butter Cups have 11 grams of maltitol per serving. The "Net Akins Count" is 2 grams. Atkins Praline Sauce Duet has more maltitol syrup than anything else — 19 grams per serving. The net carbs count is 2. Or you could buy the Atkins Endulge Caramel Nut Chew Box, advertised as having 2 grams net carbs per serving. Yet a serving has 15 grams of maltitol.
Each of these examples come from the Atkins.com. None of them indicate that the glycemic index of one of their primary ingredients — maltitol — is higher than that of pearled barley or kidney beans.
..............................
Conclusion?
Dr. Atkins and the vendors of low-carb products are correct that not only fiber but also glycerin and polydextrose have little or no effect on blood glucose. The story with sugar alcohols, however, is different. One of the most commonly used sugar alcohols, maltitol and its syrups, does have a considerable effect on blood glucose. Two sugar alcohols, erythritol and mannitol, have no effect, and four others have some effect.
All about "net" carbs. It's rather long, and, at times, complex, but I'll include a few itneresting excepts. The one thing that I wished the author had gone into is the fact that the lower the glycemic index of the sugar alcohols, the more gastric distress they cause. The reason is simple: the less of them that we can metabolize, the more is left over for the bacteria in the lower intestinal tract. With some, like lactitol and erythritol, those guys think you've given them a feast. They multiply by the billions, and eat, eat, eat. Their waste products -- water and gas -- is what keeps sending you on those repeated trips to the bathroom.
So, you can either have those, like maltitol, which have less of a gastric distress, and count the carbs, or you can have erythritol and get in lots of reading time on the "throne." Personally, I'll just avoid all of them!
The excerpts:
When we talk about available carbohydrate, people have generally meant all carbohydrate except fiber, because we can’t digest it. Available carbohydrate is the carbohydrate that can be digested. Some people refer to it as "glycemic" or "usable" "net" carbohydrate, or "nutritive" carbohydrate. All of these terms refer to the same thing.
Many countries, including the U.S. and Canada, determine the amount of carbohydrate in foods indirectly, that is "by difference." They measure the amount of protein, fat, water, and ash per 100 grams and subtract the sum of these from 100. In contrast, countries in Europe and Oceania analyze carbohydrate directly, so their carbohydrate figures do not contain unavailable carbohydrate (e.g. fiber), while values for the U.S. and Canada do.
As a result of this international difference, nutrition labels on packages imported to the U.S. from Europe and Oceania can be misinterpreted. For example, Bran-A-Crisp Fiber Bread, from Norway, is sold in the U.S. with a nutrition label that says it has 6 grams of total carbohydrates and 6 grams of fiber. It would be a mistake to conclude that this product contains no available carbohydrate. By comparison, either wheat or rye bread from Atkins Bakery made in America says on its nutrition label that it has 7 grams of total carbohydrate per serving and 4 grams of dietary fiber. Since it follows U.S. practice, the fiber is included in the carbohydrate, so this bread has 3 grams of available carbohydrate per serving.
....................................
Several manufacturers of low-carb products, including Atkins Nutritionals, Keto, and Biochem, say that carb counters should count only what they call net carbs or net impact carbs. Their definition of these terms is total carbohydrates less fiber, glycerin(e), the sugar alcohols, and polydextrose. They say that glycerin(e), the sugar alcohols, and polydextrose have "a negligible effect on blood glucose" or "a minimal impact on blood sugar."
This is a fairly new development. The 1999 edition of Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution, says that "Sweeteners such as sorbitol, mannitol and other hexitols (sugar alcohols) are not allowed…."
Then in 2002 Dr. Atkins published the revised and current edition of his bestseller, which for many is the bible of low-carb dieting. The book now says that you don’t count "non-blood sugar impacting carbs," including polydextrose, glycerine, and sugar alcohol, as well as fiber, "when doing Atkins." The Atkins Nutritionals website says, "We do use fiber and other carbohydrates, such as sugar alcohols, that have a minimal impact on blood sugar and thus fit the Atkins definition of a ‘non-digestible’ or net carb."
What gives? The cynics say that it’s just business as usual. By 2002 Atkins Nutritionals had a growing product line with many products that included sugar alcohols among their ingredients.
To those who are less cynical it sounds like the Atkins people are now beginning to embrace the concept of the glycemic index. Indeed, the current edition of Dr. Atkins’ book called the glycemic index "A Beautiful Tool."
This, however, is rather strange. After all, the glycemic index includes several others foods that have only a minimal impact on blood glucose. Nopal (prickly pear cactus) has a glycemic index of 7 (where glucose = 100). The mean of two studies of chana dal is 8. The mean of three studies of peanuts is 14. Yet no carb-counting diet that I am aware of excludes the carbs in these fine foods.
....................................
Sugar Alcohols — technically called polyols — are carbohydrates that we do not completely absorb. Of the eight sugar alcohols tested for their glycemic index, the most common ones are sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol, and maltitol.
If the sugar alcohols had no impact on our blood glucose, they would have a glycemic index of zero.
Only two of the sugar alcohols have a GI of zero, according to Livesey’s research. These are mannitol and erythritol. Several others have a very low GI, but two maltitol syrups have a GI greater than 50. This is a higher GI value than that of spaghetti, orange juice, or carrots.
.......................................
Not all the low-carb gurus are on the sugar alcohol bandwagon. Dr. Richard K. Bernstein, a noted endocrinologist who wrote Dr. Bernstein’s Diabetes Solution (Boston, Little, Brown, revised edition 2003) says on page 139 that, "some, such as sorbitol…, will raise blood sugar more slowly than glucose but still too much and too rapidly to prevent a postprandial blood sugar rise in people with diabetes."
Confirmation of Dr. Bernstein’s position comes from a correspondent, Mary Lu Connolly. She wrote me in January that she has type 1 diabetes and has tried to reduce her carb intake by purchasing the low-carb foods now available. "What I have found is that these foods (especially breakfast bars) cause major rises in my blood sugars hours after eating. Can you explain what is happening?"
At the time she wrote I couldn’t explain it. Now, it’s clear that the culprit is probably maltitol or maltitol syrup. For example, Atkins Nutritionals Peanut Butter Cups have 11 grams of maltitol per serving. The "Net Akins Count" is 2 grams. Atkins Praline Sauce Duet has more maltitol syrup than anything else — 19 grams per serving. The net carbs count is 2. Or you could buy the Atkins Endulge Caramel Nut Chew Box, advertised as having 2 grams net carbs per serving. Yet a serving has 15 grams of maltitol.
Each of these examples come from the Atkins.com. None of them indicate that the glycemic index of one of their primary ingredients — maltitol — is higher than that of pearled barley or kidney beans.
..............................
Conclusion?
Dr. Atkins and the vendors of low-carb products are correct that not only fiber but also glycerin and polydextrose have little or no effect on blood glucose. The story with sugar alcohols, however, is different. One of the most commonly used sugar alcohols, maltitol and its syrups, does have a considerable effect on blood glucose. Two sugar alcohols, erythritol and mannitol, have no effect, and four others have some effect.
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