Diet sodas contain artificial sweeteners, which are considered safe alternatives to sugar for diabetics. While some studies suggest that diet soda may disrupt the metabolic system, others have found that it does not lead to increased insulin resistance. Some sweeteners in diet sodas can cause insulin spikes in the blood, worsening insulin sensitivity over time and potentially raising blood sugar levels. However, similar to eating sugar, drinking diet soda can lead to insulin resistance, which can lead to weight gain, prediabetes, and potentially the development of type 2 diabetes.
A 2012 study showed that while diet soda doesn’t directly impact blood sugar or A1C levels, people who are overweight and have a lot of blood may experience higher serum insulin levels after diet soda. The artificial sweeteners used in diet sodas may still promote health risks, such as affecting the balance of healthy bacteria in the intestines, which may indirectly affect insulin sensitivity and appetite hormones.
Diet soda is popular for people with diabetes, but frequent dehydration and spikes in blood sugar can raise A1C levels. The bulk of current research indicates that unlike sugar, ingesting artificial sweeteners does not cause insulin level spikes. While lower in calories, the artificial sweeteners used in these products can raise blood glucose and blood insulin levels. Ingestion of regular sugar-sweetened soda leads to elevated insulin for up to 90 minutes post-ingestion.
📹 Diet sodas are NOT good for you and it makes you insulin spike
Do diet drinks cause insulin spike?
A recent study found that diet and regular soft drinks can increase salivary insulin levels, suggesting potential health risks. However, the long-term effects of excessive consumption of diet and regular soft drinks remain unclear. People often reduce their intake of sugary beverages for health reasons, and some opt for diet versions with artificial sweeteners and fewer calories. Further research is needed to understand the effects of diet soft drinks on health.
Is diet Rite good for diabetics?
Diet soda is a popular choice for people with diabetes, but it doesn’t directly affect blood sugar or A1C levels. However, those who are overweight and have high blood sugar levels may have a sugar response to artificial sweeteners, leading to a rise in blood sugar. Understanding the relationship between these factors is complex and may change drink choices for those concerned about their blood sugar levels.
What sugar substitute doesn t spike insulin?
Diabetes patients should be cautious about sweeteners, as many can raise blood sugar levels and cause insulin spikes. Natural sweeteners like stevia, monk fruit, and erythritol are less likely to raise glucose levels and contain fewer calories. Monk fruit extract may help prevent some diabetes complications in animals, but more research is needed to confirm its effects in humans. People following low-carb or carb elimination diets may need to reduce or stop sugar intake.
What is the least harmful artificial sweetener?
The FDA has determined that several artificial sweeteners, including aspartame, acetyl-CoA, sucrose, neotame, and acesulfame potassium (Ace-K), are safe for the general public. Saccharin, synthesized in 1879, is the first artificial sweetener. Sugar substitutes like erythritol and aspartame are used in everyday household goods like chewing gum, canned food, diet sodas, jellies, and dairy products. However, aspartame has been linked to liver cancer and other health problems when consumed in large amounts.
Which artificial sweeteners raise insulin levels?
The effects of sucralose and saccharin on insulin levels in humans remain inconclusive, with findings from various studies yielding contradictory results. Acesulfame-K has been demonstrated to elevate insulin levels in rats; however, no human studies have been conducted to date. Reducing one’s intake of sugar can have beneficial effects on health and may assist in weight loss. However, some researchers have proposed that artificial sweeteners may not be as “metabolically inert” as previously assumed.
What foods cause your insulin to spike?
Sugary drinks, processed foods, white rice, bread, pasta, breakfast cereals with added sugar, and yogurts with added sugar can spike blood sugar and insulin levels. A balanced diet, including non-starchy vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats, can help stabilize insulin and blood sugar levels. A person living with diabetes can eat a balanced diet without giving up favorite foods, but moderation and careful food choices are key to maintaining healthy blood sugar levels. Insulin, the hormone that helps the body use and store carbohydrates, is released when carbohydrates are consumed, causing blood sugar levels to remain high.
Does drinking water reduce insulin spike?
A study comprising nearly 4, 000 individuals revealed a correlation between elevated hydration levels and reduced fasting blood sugar and insulin levels. The cohort exhibiting the lowest levels of hydration demonstrated a heightened propensity for the development of diabetes. Another study revealed that individuals who consumed less than half a liter of water per day exhibited a higher prevalence of hyperglycemia compared to those who consumed between half and one liter.
What foods keep insulin down?
Insulin sensitivity can be improved by consuming non-starchy vegetables, citrus fruits, and high fiber foods. However, a high intake of sugary drinks and processed foods can worsen insulin resistance. Insulin is a hormone that helps the body absorb glucose and maintain blood sugar levels. Insulin resistance occurs when cells cannot effectively use insulin, leading to health problems such as organ damage, muscle and limb damage, and eye damage. Therefore, a balanced diet and avoiding sugary drinks and processed foods can help maintain insulin sensitivity and reduce the risk of diabetes.
Does aspartame spike blood sugar?
Sugar substitutes are classified as “free foods” due to their low calorie and carbohydrate content, which is typically less than 20 calories and 5 grams, respectively. Additionally, their consumption does not affect blood sugar levels and is not included in the calculation of calories or carbohydrates on a diabetes exchange.
What are the three worst drinks for blood sugar?
Diabetes is a condition that requires careful management of food and drinks, including avoiding the consumption of sugary drinks like soda, energy drinks, and fruit juices. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends zero-calorie or low-calorie drinks to prevent blood sugar spikes. Fresh lemon or lime juice can add flavor to drinks. Low-sugar options like vegetable juices should be consumed in moderation, and low-fat milk is a nutritious option but contains sugar and lactose.
Dairy options are not considered low-sugar beverages. The most diabetes-friendly beverage options depend on the location and setting. For example, regular soda is the top worst drink to avoid, while energy drinks can be high in caffeine and carbohydrates.
What raises insulin the most?
Consuming foods high in added sugars can overload the body’s insulin production and should be limited. These include sweetened beverages, saturated fats, sugary sweets, white bread, rice, pasta, packaged foods, canned fruits, fried foods, and alcohol. To create a balanced, insulin-resistant diet, it is essential to avoid these foods and focus on a balanced diet that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products. By following these tips, individuals can improve their insulin production and overall health.
📹 Artificial Sweeteners and Insulin (Do Artificial Sweeteners Raise Insulin Levels?)
Let’s break down artificial sweeteners and insulin – do artificial sweeteners raise insulin levels? Rather than rely on scientific …
This should be re-tested with just sticking to one artificial sweetener at a time. You’ve mixed aspartame and sucralose here. So we don’t really know if it was one or both of them. You should probably also stick to one type of drink while doing it, because we also don’t know if it was the Pepsi or the coffee giving you a response.
I’m confused. Your BS went up from 84 to 92 and that is significant? I’ve seen black coffee alone make blood sugar go up more than that. Also, your blood sugar fluctuates for many reasons – an 8 point swing is pretty much nothing imo. To really get to the bottom of this try a morning with diet sodas and a morning with water only and compare the difference. I’m willing to bet there is a small BS response for diet soda but probably insignificant big picture.
My glucose level went from 118s to 170s after drinking multiple cups of coffee with Splenda during the day. I was getting so frustrated because my glucose level was not coming down and I did not know why. To my understanding Splenda had zero carbs. I saw another article that stated that Splenda does have dextrose and maltodextrin. When I read the ingredients on the Splenda, box dextrose and maltodextrin were the first 2 ingredients followed by sucralose. I tossed the entire box in the garbage and my glucose level came back down.
This has about as much validity as snake oil sales. Cortisol levels naturally rise some with awakening and they impact BG – so also as you mentioned BG meter accuracy is more than variable enough to compensate for any differences – and need we mention that a sample size of one is ??? absolutely not translateable to any general conclusion.
According to science research, Coke Zero, Pepsi one, Diet Coke ect, has ALOT more artificial sweet flavor in turn when it hits your tongue it says Large amounts of glucose is on its way, the insulin responds according to the large glucose message but only to find out there is no large glucose presence but now the large amount of insulin is already in the bloodstream and now it will make everything you consume into fat until it is used up. If you don’t have insulin resistance it won’t impact you as bad but if you do it will.
If you constantly drank diet soda, and it raises your insulin, wouldn’t you enter insulin shock? I’ve never seen or heard of a case if that happening, so I’m skeptical diet soda does this. Furthermore, (my biochem is rusty but…) if the body increases insulin, which would then increase the glycogen stores, wouldn’t that cause a suppression of the formation of insulin due to allosteric regulation?
Isn’t this confusing glucose levels with insulin levels? They are different….very very different. You tested your glucose, not your insulin. The question wasn’t whether it would raise your glucose it was whether it would raise insulin. Furthermore, your glucose can change regardless of what you eat via gluconeogenesis so you don’t actually know what raised your glucose…running up the stairs might have done that. You should take this article down.
Anything what is sweet spike INSULIN!!! Sweeteners like pure stevia don’t raise blood sugar but is it spikes INSULIN!! Insulin spikes are a big problem with insulin resistance!! And most people have some levels of insulin resistance mostly caused by the consumption of carbs and fat together therfore the fat will block the glucose to enter in the cells and will stay longer in the bloodstream causing more and more insulin secretion from the pancreas. This process leads to insulin resistance, pre diabetes and diabetes!!! I have severe insulin resistance and my body is so sensitive for anything sweet unfortunately…. And yes even pure stevia is bad in this case because causes hyperinsulinemia therefore more insulin resistance!!!
Here’s my thoughts on this whole thing if we know that the job of insulin is to push sugar into cells to be uses energy and we know that there’s very little sugar in the diet drinks and artificial sweeteners that we consume if an insulin response is prompting it’s really basically going to wipe out the little bit of sugar that is in the cell since we didn’t get any from the drink so if anything it’s going to make you hypoglycemic rather than hyper I think what’s happening here is the insulin response isGreater than the amount of sugar and so the liver has to kick out some sugar to give the insulin something to do, I liking it to calling the police when there is no crime and They get there and they have nothing to do, so they’re just standing around and then a crime is committed somewhere else and they get a call on the radio saying they have to go there that is when liver starts to release some of it’s stored sugar
So BS 84 @ 6:44a – 92 @ 7:52a @1:50 How much Diet Coke had you had, how many cans & ounces? So we don’t know what your blood sugar was after how many cans before the Splenda…? Also we don’t know how long it was between your last swallow of sweetener & the BS test. ? This was confusing. It can fluctuate for 2 hours after the sweetener. So the Splenda coffee raised it 2 pts? Which is basically nothing. So you were wrong, you thought it would be triple digits or 150… but it was nothing…?
You do know that there is Splenda that does not have the dextrose in the maltodextrous other than the powdered stuff and you also know that in that hour you waited to take your blood sugar your blood sugar could have gone up from where you started to 94. Blood sugar can vary up and down all day long by that many points in fact I work in the medical field where I do blood test all the time and you can take two different blood machines and run the same test or run the same sample on the same blood machine twice and you can get that much variation!
This article was a complete waste of time for me, you labled it as being about whether artificial sweetners raise insulin levels and you only did blood suger tests. You made no mention of the relationship of insulin to blood sugar either, seems you failed miserably and this article needs to go in the trash bin.
The test is misguided. Sugar is not glucose just as animals are not human. Glucose is just one type of sugar in the blood. If you want to check for an insulin response, you need to test for insulin. If you’re insensitive to insulin, your cells cannot metabolize the hormone and your insulin levels may be off the chart while your meter shows blood normal levels because blood sugar is not just glucose. Insulin can ONLY metabolize glucose. Insulin cannot metabolize fructose, dextrose, lactose, and alcohol. Those blood sugars continue to appear in the blood, regardless if insulin because they have to be metabolized by the LIVER. Also, we don’t consume our glucose. Glucose is produced by the liver from protein in our food. The sugar in our food is mostly fructose, dextrose, lactose, and alcohol.
I wouldn’t take anything less than a 20 point change as meaning anything. I didn’t see these big changes even from going from a keto type meal to water fasting for six or so hours. I didn’t measure soda intake, but if food won’t spike it would a few diet sodas mater? In my tests I went all the way from 125 to 75 (over seven different tests). I’d certainly do more tests if someone would pay for the strips. IO like the fact that you’re testing yourself and not pulling out the same two tired studies (maybe done on rats) that everyone else is regurgitating.
You need to do this accurately. Get a blood draw at a lab, while fasting. Do both glucose and insulin. Then drink your soda, or whatever you are consuming, and have it checked again in 30 minutes, then every hour for 2 hours. The times should be labeled on the specimens, so you will know when you see the results. Im a phlebotomist, and I’ve had low blood sugar results lately. I’d love to know the correct answer to this question for personal and professional reasons. 🙂 Also, you combined Sucralose and Aspartame. Although they are 2 different kinds of artificial sweeteners, you should stick to one at a time to get a true answer to your original question…Does Aspartame raise insulin levels?
You’re also in shape and a coffee with 3 splendas is pretty much an energy drink without all the added goodies like milk thistle, b’s, and l carnitine. You’d have to drink sugar free energy drinks daily for at least a month to notice the negative effects. What you did is the same thing as having a diabetic eat healthy for one day and say, “Does eating healthy fight diabetes.” Check sugar at the end of the day and it’s still high and say, “I guess not.” Things happen over time, and as a stroke patient, I’m doing a ton of studying. Caffeine raises cortisol, cortisol raises insulin. Too much insulin, without glucose to break down, can cause insulin resistance. Insulin resistance can causes a stroke and/or heart attack. Btw, I love your back wall sign.
If an artificial sweetener raises insulin levels, wouldn’t it also kick you out of ketosis? People in ketosis consume these sweeteners all the time and stay in ketosis, so there appears to be a conflict if these sweeteners raise insulin levels. I would really love to see a long-term study that examines how artificial sweeteners affect insulin levels in a systematic manner. I think excessive insulin is the key driver of weight gain, so knowing something’s effect on insulin levels is really even more important than blood sugar for those who don’t have diabetes.
Thanks for doing this Dr. Jim! Very interesting and thought provoking, and it illustrated what I’ve thought for a while. Namely that drinking, cold diet soda is that best way to start off your day, and that there is an effect on your blood sugar. I do have a couple of suggestions if you’re thinking of expanding this study (which I would love to see): – Check your blood sugar upon waking for a week, and maybe throughout the day for a day or two. When you measured your glucose for the first time, I was wondering if that was a typical reading. What if you’re normally at 94 units but that morning you were just low. (I’d like the equivalent of IVR for your glucose. 🙂 ) – I’d love to see this done in triplicate. The scientist in me would love to see you do the same experiment two more times to see how the results varied. – How would this compare to ingesting the same amount of real sugar?? Are you getting the taste of sugar for only 10-15% of the effect on your body? Or is it 85-100% of the effect? If it’s the former, that wouldn’t be too bad of a trade off, as long a you realize that there is an effect. Please don’t take these suggestions as critiques. I really enjoyed the article and I’m reluctantly going to share it with my wife, who decided I was going to stop drinking diet Coke about two years ago. I’m not sure how that worked, but I used to drink a few cans a day, and now it’s only on special occasions.