Patients with Type 2 diabetes often are told to cut down on how much sugar they eat. If you have a sweet tooth, you may think you should cut sugar altogether and switch to artificial sweeteners. What\u2019s important is using artificial sweeteners in moderation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWith Type 2 diabetes, your body does not correctly use insulin created by your pancreas,\u201d said Manikya Kuriti, M.D.<\/a>, an endocrinologist with Wendy Novak Diabetes Institute<\/a>, a part of Norton Healthcare. \u201cInstead of insulin being used by cells to absorb blood sugar to make energy, your cells don\u2019t respond. The body produces more insulin to overcome this issue, but it fails to work properly, and your blood sugar rises \u2014 which can turn into serious health issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis then requires you to manage your blood sugar in other ways, including with diet and exercise or medication. Each patient is different.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you need to reduce your blood sugar, you might think that consuming less \u201csugar\u201d and replacing it with artificial sweeteners is the way to go. But it\u2019s not that simple, according to Dr. Kuriti.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere are studies that report an association between higher intake of artificial sweeteners and mental decline,\u201d Dr. Kuriti said. \u201cThe thought is these sweeteners may change the gut microbiome, which then causes inflammation. They also may change metabolic signals and disrupt how the body responds to insulin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s important to note, though, that current research does not show artificial sweeteners directly cause dementia, so more research with well-designed studies is needed to look at this issue further.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Those at greatest risk for dementia are people with diabetes who are older than 65 and have a history of stroke, high blood pressure, vascular disease and other heart issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have Type 2 diabetes, you need to monitor sugar intake. While artificial sweeteners can be helpful in reducing sugar, watching how much you consume is still important. Rather than relying on artificially sweetened products all day long, try to choose only one artificially sweetened item and fill in with unsweetened or naturally sweet options. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, use fruit to sweeten oatmeal and yogurt. Instead of regular or diet beverages, choose water and unsweetened tea. Both of these choices will positively impact your blood sugar control with added fiber and hydration. As your taste buds adjust, you will find you enjoy less sweet food and drinks over time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe best answer is to start with small changes that can improve your diet, your diabetes and your risks for other diseases,\u201d Dr. Kuriti said. \u201cLong-term use of artificial sweeteners or diet beverages might not be a healthier option, but the goal is to make smarter substitutions to retrain your tastes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDiabetes in most cases is a lifelong condition and requires changes to lifestyle and diet to reduce further risks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are a few artificial sweeteners available, and they affect the body in different ways:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Patients with Type 2 diabetes often are told to cut down on how much sugar they eat. If you have a sweet tooth, you may think you should cut sugar…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":1170298,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[521],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1170297","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diabetes-services"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe role of artificial sweeteners<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
If you have Type 2 diabetes, what should you do about sugar?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Tips to reduce use of sugar and artificial sweeteners:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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