high blood sugar levels - ZSWEET

[lughaidh]

I am just back from my holidays in the States where I came accross
'zsweet' it is a sugar substitute that does not raise blood sugar levels.
It tastes lovely and is natural - has anyone else used it?

[madgeOwens]

No, but splenda will do the same.

[WaveRider]

What makes Zsweet sweet is the ingredient Erythritol. This is what I know about Erythritol. Erythritol is a natural sweetener, found in fruit such as grapes, melons, and pears. It is a sugar alcohol like sorbitol (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sorbitol) and some other sugar substitutes, but the molecule is smaller. The big attraction of erythritol is that it is excreted in urine, rather than being used for energy, so it contributes only 5% of the calories that the same amount of table sugar would supply. Question: Does your urine smell unusual?

You should be aware that substitute sweeteners increase the appetite in some people. It is not clear which hormones are involved, but apparently trying to "fool" the brain with artificial sweeteners tends to increase carbohydrate cravings.

Splenda (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sucralose) is a sweetener I use. It costs on an average of $6.50 US dollars per 32 oz (907 grams) where Zsweet costs $19.95 US dollars  per 1.5 lbs (680 grams).  I haven't tried Zsweet so I can't comment on its sweetness as compared to table sugar or against Splenda. Due to the high cost of Zsweet, someone needs to provide me a sample. Months back I followed the advice of another poster and purchased Stevia. What a waste of money. Stevia is plain and simple artificial and nasty tasting.

If you do try Splenda please post back and tells us your thoughts of Splenda vs Zsweet.