So what's the deal with Sugar Alcohols. Do they count as net carbs?

[EricJ123]

I hear some people say count them towards your carbs some say they don't. What is the professional muscle consensus?!?

 

[Pumped1]

i will be honesty , no f-ing idea. i would love to know now

 

[BarbaraBush]

sugar in alcohol drinks are definitely carbs, alcohol itself is definitely not a carb and processed definitely. generally eating anything else along with alcohol turns whatever food you ate directly into fat as the alcohol gets metabolic priority because its a poison and needs to be burned off immediately

 

[SugarFree]

sugar alcohols may not be included in the foods nutrional carb count but can still wind up stalling your weight loss progress.

 

[poohead]

sugar in alcohol drinks are definitely carbs, alcohol itself is definitely not a carb and processed definitely. generally eating anything else along with alcohol turns whatever food you ate directly into fat as the alcohol gets metabolic priority because its a poison and needs to be burned off immediately

That's not exactly true. Alcohol is processed as an acetate, which is then converted into fat. The caloric energy in alcohol cannot be processed by the body for energy without this conversion first. It's true that ethanol is a poisonous substance, but it doesn't get "top priority to be burned off". That said, if you were to consume protein (let's say a chicken breast) with a Jack and Coke, the chicken isn't going to be processed by your body as fat because it's protein. None of this really matters though, because the OP was on sugar alcohols, which are much different than ethanol.

Sugar alcohol - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Standard carbs (like sugar) are good for 4 calories per gram, but many sugar alcohols fall below this. I guess it all depends on which sugar alcohol you're getting as to what the caloric level would be.

 

[TODouble2]

isn't this the type of carb thats in LBAs??? i've been wondering if i should count these as well.

 

[garcia]

And...here we go.

 

[Macdaddy]

I can tell you that if you take Xylitol in any substantial amount, it won't stay in you long enough to count for anything. It may actually drag other stuff out with it.

Other sugar alcohols like sorbitol or maltitol do count for some calories but don't effect the bodies insulin response anywhere near what real sugars do.

So I guess the answer is they "kinda" count towards carbs, but not much.

 

[EricJ123]

haha this seems to be a gray area in nutrition. So for every gram of sugar alcohol do you only count half of it as a net carb?

 

[hemipower]

haha this seems to be a gray area in nutrition. So for every gram of sugar alcohol do you only count half of it as a net carb?

Yes. It does not affect your blood sugar levels as an actual sugar would but counts when speaking of calories, so therefore I would count it as a carb.

The average value is 2.4 kcal per g of sugar alcohol. Hope that sheds some light on the grayness...

Normally a carb has 4 kcal/g. With that in mind if I were keeping a diet log and counting all my macros, I would round down and call 10g sugar alcohols 5g carbs, for example. Personally when dieting hard I try to avoid sweetners and sugar alcohols. And of course cut sugar and alcohol themselves out entirely. :naughty:

 

[SugarFree]

haha this seems to be a gray area in nutrition. So for every gram of sugar alcohol do you only count half of it as a net carb?

No! It's definitely not a digestable fiberous carb, it may not be counted as a carb at all but still effect your weight loss. The ingredients may list sugar alchohols and may not even be added to the carb count in the first place.

The sneaky bastards found a way to shove it in there but not count it, even though it can stall your weight loss progress (even while being in ketosis)

Best advice I can give is to stay strict for awhile and away from things with it in there and then gradually add it into your menu to see how it effects you and your weight loss.

Just to give an example, those advantage bars sold by atkins - I could have one and be fine with my ongoing weight loss but if I had the same thing two days in a row, it would cause a small stall in my progress for the week.

 

[SecondAct]

No! It's definitely not a digestable fiberous carb, it may not be counted as a carb at all but still effect your weight loss. The ingredients may list sugar alchohols and may not even be added to the carb count in the first place.

The sneaky bastards found a way to shove it in there but not count it, even though it can stall your weight loss progress (even while being in ketosis)

Best advice I can give is to stay strict for awhile and away from things with it in there and then gradually add it into your menu to see how it effects you and your weight loss.

Just to give an example, those advantage bars sold by atkins - I could have one and be fine with my ongoing weight loss but if I had the same thing two days in a row, it would cause a small stall in my progress for the week.

As someone alluded to earlier, at times they are the best thing if you're having constipation issues while no carbing. They are decent in a pinch, if you're out and about and will make an otherwise worse decision; but, if I was to eat them frequently, my stomach would be a nightmare.

 

[BIG EVIL42]

to the ORIGINAL QUESTION:
My opinion as a physiologist:
sugar alcohols are not a carbohydrate. Of course they count in total calories but when you are breaking down your macronutrient ratio's, I count them as their own entity, just as alcohol is.

 

[littlebill]

They do not count as "carbs"- if so a diabetic would not be able to tolerate and they net zero effect on blood sugar. Do they count as calories? That is the grey area. I read a while back the FDA was going to make manufacturers count them as "calories" but not sugars. Can they constipate, bloat, or have a laxitive effect-YES. But again zero effect on blood glucose and that is a fact so therefore would not be counted as a carbohydrate as OP asked.

 

[plang]

They are worthless calories. Your body can't use them. That's why I generally go for vpx's zero impact bar if I go that route.

 

[Aikman56]

"If man makes it, don't eat it."

-Jack LaLane



If you're eating to grow, eat real food.

If you're dieting, eat real food.

If you're too "busy" and must rely on such garbage, then the above two goals can't be that important.

Why are "sugar alcohols" even a discussion? Who wants to eat those kind of crap products, anyway? I mean, other than regular people...which I thought the members of the board were endeavoring to be as little like as possible.

If you want to eat shit, eat a cheat meal. Otherwise, eat FOOD.

Sorry, I'm just a little pissy this morning... between people buying that "blood starving set" bullshit, Lebron getting EVERY call (even before they happen!) and now this bullshit of justifying eating shit, I'm just going full-bore ass-hat today!

 

[nitomax]

Alcahol 7 cals per gram, sugar 4 cals per gram,

 

[nosnmiveins]

What about "sugar free" candy? Yeah it says sugar free but its full of sugar alcohol....

 

[Aikman56]

Alcahol 7 cals per gram, sugar 4 cals per gram,

You are incorrect, sir.

Sugar alcohols are not alcohol in the "alcoholic beverage" sense. In fact, many contain @ 1.5-3 calories per gram.

 

[mxd]

As said if dieting eat real food.