584976 Sun Jan 04 11:22:56 -0800 2009 9 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 4294904 I just had a couple packets of Truvia (which is from Stevia plant, 100% natural sweetner) with my breakfast; free sample came in the mail. How is it that each packet claims to be 0 calories but then has 3 carbs? Sun Jan 04 11:22:56 -0800 2009 91258 forzagto 1 4294978 the carbohydrates come from Erythritol - a sugar alcohol that passes through your system mostly undigested. since the body doesn't break it down, you don't get energy/calories from it. Sun Jan 04 11:48:29 -0800 2009 4294904 103920 goodhealthgourmet 2 4295045 Thanks for the explanation, ghg - I've also wondered about this when I've encountered sugar-free products. I am always confused, when reading sugar-free labels that include sugar alcohols, as to whether I should count the carbs or not when dosing my insulin. I just can't keep it straight in my mind. For instance, I have an Atkins Advantage bar that Santa brought me that has 17g carbs. The carbs break down as 9g dietary fiber, 1g sugar, 0g sugar alcohols. Where are the other 7g carbs coming from? Seems easier just to avoid that crazy stuff and just eat real food. :) Sun Jan 04 12:13:51 -0800 2009 4294978 71241 lynnlato 3 4295976 "Seems easier just to avoid that crazy stuff and just eat real food. :)" ~~~~~~~ oh, Lynn...if only more people felt that way! it would certainly make my work a lot easier ;) i didn't want to get into a whole science lesson with my earlier reply, but there are a number of different sugar alcohols (fyi, they're also called polyols) that manufacturers use in reduced-calorie and low-sugar food products, and each one has a slightly different digestibility, calorie count, & impact on your blood sugar & metabolism. unfortunately, the labeling laws in the US allow companies to label sugar alcohols as calorie-free, even though some are partially digestible and therefore technically contain as many as 3 kilocalories per gram. in the EU they're more stringent about it, assigning them a standard value of 2.4 kcal/gram. in terms of controlling your diabetes, regardless of the proportions, it's always best to focus on a food's TOTAL carb count - including sugar alcohols. however, if you want to get really specific about it, you can count half of the carbs from sugar alcohols in whatever you're eating, to account for the partial digestibility of some of them. for the record, sugar alcohols are also notorious for causing unpleasant gastrointestinal side effects in some people. personally, i think it's evil stuff. as you said...probably easier just to put down that shelf-stable, compressed bar of processed substitutes you can't even pronounce, and just eat some real food - it tastes better anyway! Sun Jan 04 18:12:36 -0800 2009 4295045 103920 goodhealthgourmet 4 4340163 GHG, I knew I could get some good information from you - thank you! I'm surprised that the EU has tighter labeling regs than us. Yep, it's real food for moi. Diabetes mgmt is tough enough w/o tossing chemicals into the mix. :) Mon Jan 19 17:47:44 -0800 2009 4295976 71241 lynnlato 1 4332642 Quick follow up if anyone is interested. Here is what Truvia had to say regarding the question of zero calories but 3 carbs: Thank you for your interest in Truvia. Unlike sugar which provides 4 calories per gram, the body does not use erythritol for energy, so it does not contribute calories. In other words, the caloric value for erythritol is zero calories per gram. Truvia does not increase blood sugar. The body does not metabolize or use Truvia the same way that it uses sugar and other carbohydrates. The body cannot convert Truvia to glucose or blood sugar. Therefore the grams of carbohydrates don’t count. The net carbs in Truvia natural sweetener are zero. Please continue to visit our website for more information. Thank you Truvia Customer Service www.truvia.com Fri Jan 16 12:22:26 -0800 2009 4294904 91258 forzagto 1 4365068 So, opinions about artificial vs. "real" food aside, how does the taste compare to Equal or Splenda? I bought Trader Joe's brand of Stevia several years ago but to me it tasted minty rather than sweet. It was a no go as far as my morning coffee is concerned. But I read somewhere that growers have now overcome the mint problem. I have a 12oz mug of half-decaf, half-reg every morning, with 1/8 tsp sugar and a packet of either Splenda or Equal, and a very little amount of half&half. I'd like to be able to omit the sugar but it covers an alcohol aftertaste that without it I'd detect in S and E. Wed Jan 28 07:29:04 -0800 2009 4294904 159317 greygarious 2 4365709 I think they have improved the taste of Stevia a lot over the past few years in regards to the bitter and minty taste. The thing I like about Truvia versus other brands is it has more of the granual texture of sugar compared to more of a powder of other stevia brands. Wed Jan 28 10:01:32 -0800 2009 4365068 91258 forzagto 3 4365817 Thanks for your input! I'll have to give it a try. Wed Jan 28 10:29:15 -0800 2009 4365709 159317 greygarious 2 4366207 Have you tried Splenda for Baking? It's a blend of regular sugar and Splenda. It may achieve your desired results in your coffee. Wed Jan 28 11:57:16 -0800 2009 4365068 71241 lynnlato