Q: Is it true that a person with type 2 diabetes should not eat any product containing ingredients that end with “ose” (like lactose) or “ol” (such as sorbitol)? If a product is labeled sugar-free, is it safe for the patient?- Chicago, Illinois
A: On your first question, the short answer is no. A person with diabetes doesn’t have to shun all “oses” and “ols” or, for that matter, virtually any other food component.
On the second question: Yes, it is safe to eat sugar-free products. But it is safe to eat sugar-containing foods too. The key factors in consuming all such ingredients are moderation, selectivity and balance.
“Oses” are naturally occurring sugars – fructose, for example, is the sugar found in fruits – and “ols” (sugar alcohols) are often derived from oses. For instance, lactitol is made from lactose (the principal sugar in milk).
The reason sugar, sugar-derived compounds and carbohydrates are an issue for people with type 2 diabetes is that the body can have difficulty processing them.
During digestion, a healthy person’s body converts carbohydrates from food into various sugar molecules. These sugars are further converted into mainly glucose, the primary fuel of the body. With the aid of insulin (a hormone produced by the pancreas), the glucose enters cells to provide the body with energy. But in type 2 diabetes, either the pancreas doesn’t make enough insulin or the muscles and other tissue have become resistant to insulin, or both. As a result, sugar accumulates in the bloodstream, causing various adverse events.
A traditional assumption about diabetics’ diets was that the direct consumption of sugar was to be avoided. But since the 1990s, studies have shown that what really matters is overall management of carbohydrates. The modern attitude about a diabetic’s diet is that there is a carbohydrate “budget;” and it should be spent at regular intervals throughout the day.
What about those “ols?” Sugar alcohols are lower in calories than regular sugar and the body absorbs them slowly, resulting in a slower rise in blood sugar. Although this sounds good, foods containing sugar alcohols also contain other ingredients that contribute calories (which also add to blood sugar levels), and sugar alcohols can have a laxative effect. there is no one diabetic diet.
– Jennifer K. Nelson, Clinical Dietetics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.
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