Hi there! Thank you for your question. Yes there are several sugar substitutes on the market. Sugar substitutes can be generally classified to non-nutritive sweeteners (eg. saccharin, acesulfame potassium aspartame), nutritive sweeteners (eg. mannitol, sorbitol, isomalt, maltitol, and xylitol) and natural sweeteners (eg. stevia).

Sugar substitutes are chemical or plant-based substances used to sweeten or enhance the flavor of foods and drinks. They are also sometimes known as “artificial sweeteners” or “non-caloric sweeteners.” These sugar substitutes can be used as a tabletop sweetener (to sweeten your everyday food and drinks) and they can also be used in processed foods and drinks. The way these sugar substitutes work is by being a lot sweeter than sugar.

Only smaller amounts of these sugar substitutes is required to provide the same level of sweetness. This make sugar substitutes to be relatively low in calories or sometimes no calories at all due to the little amount that is consumed. Over years of research there has been no solid evidence that sugar substitutes are harmful to a person if used appropriately.

Though, it is important to note that consumption of large amount of these sugar can cause diarrhea. It is true that most have little to no nutritional value but they can be safely consumed by people with diabetes and satisfy your sweet tooth!

Here are several example of substitutes with their carbohydrate content and glycemic index. Glycemic index is a figure representing the relative ability of a carbohydrate/sugar to increase the level of glucose in the blood. The smaller the number, the less impact the food has on your blood sugar.

Aspartame ( one net carb per packet and a glycemic index of zero), Acesulfame Potassium (one carb unit and a glycemic index of zero), Saccharin (three grams of carbohydrate and has a glycemic index of zero), Sugar Alcohols (Xylitol, Sorbitol-ranging from a glycemic index of 13 to zero), Sucralose (less than a gram of carbohydrate and a glycemic index of zero) and Stevia (three grams of carbs per packet and a glycemic index of zero)

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