Diabetes InfoHealth

Is Swerve Sweetener Safe for Diabetics?

Healthy Living With Type 1 Diabetes Is Swerve Sweetener Safe for Diabetics?So here we are with another artificial sweetener hitting the market, swerve sweetener! Let me first start out by saying the words “all natural” just flat out scare me and here’s why. Unfortunately, in most cases, its a marketing ploy and most companies just throw in the term “all natural” because there is no laws, or regulations that prevent them from doing so. I mean lets face it, certain street drugs that are manufactured in basements around the world can be considered “all natural”. Would you go around adding them to your favorite baked goods or coffee, probably not. So what about Swerve the “all natural” sweetener? How does it stack up against all the other safe “artificial sweeteners” on the market, lets take a look!

What is Swerve?

Perhaps you’ve seen it while strolling down the baking aisle at your local health food store, Swerve, the “all-natural sweetener” with no synthetic chemicals, no aspartame, and no genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), but is Swerve really a healthy sweetening alternative for diabetics and health-conscious individuals trying to cut refined sugars from their diet?

Unfortunately, the answer to this question is not necessarily a simple yes or no. While preferable to artificial sweeteners like Equal, Sweet’N Low, and Splenda, Swerve sweetener is still a highly-refined sweetening agent made primarily from erythritol a type of sugar alcohol naturally found in plants.

Swerve Sweetener and Erythritol:

Erythritol is made by fermenting glucose with Moniliella pollinis (a natural microorganism found in honeycomb) which breaks down the glucose and yields erythritol. Erythritol also naturally occurs in many fruits and vegetables like melons, grapes, asparagus as well as fermented foods. It is classified by the FDA as a zero calorie, 4-carbon sugar alcohol that does not affect blood glucose.

In addition to erythritol, Swerve sweetener contains oligofructose, resistant maltodextrin and silicon dioxide. Erythritol is absorbed into the bloodstream before it enters the large intestine and doesn’t cause the laxative and bloating effects that other sugar alcohols can. Oligofructose is a type of carbohydrate known as a fructan that is usually extracted from Jerusalem artichokes. Resistant maltodextrin is a low viscosity, water-soluble, indigestible carbohydrate produced by treating corn starch with acid, enzymes and heat.

Swerve Sweetener Side Effects:Healthy Living With Type 1 Diabetes swerve1

All of the ingredients used in Swerve are on the list of foods the U.S. Food and Drug Administration considers to be “GRAS”, or Generally Recognized as Safe. Although erythritol is the least likely of all the sugar alcohols to cause gastrointestinal upset, large quantities may still produce symptoms such as gas, bloating and diarrhea in sensitive people. There have also been a few isolated reports of mild allergic reactions to erythritol that include itching as well as hives.

If this article on Swerve Sweetener was helpful, please leave a comment below or hit the share button to share with your family and friends 😀

Thanks for Reading!

Chris

Chris - The Organic Diabetic

As a type 1 diabetic, I made the switch to an organic lifestyle several years ago after being diagnosed with Diabetes in 2006. Living with diabetes is hard enough, why make it more difficult by consuming products with chemicals, toxins and other harmful, unhealthy ingredients. To me, the choice was easy and just made sense. We hope you enjoy our blog! Feel free to look around and check out all of our products by clicking through the tabs above! Thanks for stopping by and also please be sure to check us out on Facebook and Twitter by liking our pages below! You never know what freebies we will be giving away!! Don't forget to check out the website as well at www.theorganicdiabetic.org

2 thoughts on “Is Swerve Sweetener Safe for Diabetics?

  • Patricia R Zorn

    I am looking for a diabetic sweetner for making cheesecakes and diabetic nut crust. I didn,t know that swerve came in grandular as well as powdered forms. please reply to receipes that can be helpful

    Reply
  • Patricia R Zorn

    I am looking for a diabetic sweetner for making cheesecakes and diabetic nut crust. I didn,t know that swerve came in grandular as well as powdered forms. please reply to receipes that can be helpful

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Patricia R ZornCancel reply