Low carbohydrate products entice you to buy. They imply:

  • low in calories!
  • low in carbohydrates!
  • eat as much as you like!
Beware!

There is no legislation for low carb or carb lite. Manufacturers are having a field time telling you what you want to hear.

The words non-impact or net carbs (new phrases coined by food makers) simply imply that the carbohydrates do not raise your blood sugar as quickly as refined carbohydrates. But can you eat as much as you like? Not at all!

Here’s how to read between the lines:

  1. Check the calories. Many low carb products have the same amount of calories - or MORE, because of the added fat. More calories = weight gain.
  2. Check the total carbohydrates. Many are not much lower in carbohydrates, if at all! Many manufacturers justify the low carb claim by subtracting fiber or sugar alcohols from the total. But it does not change the total carbohydrates.
  3. Check if they contain sugar alcohols such as mannitol, xylitol or sorbitol. Sugar alcohols enter the bloodstream more slowly than sugar and are useful for diabetic control, but they have the same calories as regular sugar and can have an unpleasant laxative effect in some people.
Food for thought:

Why are low carb products so popular? It’s a subtle recognition that we simply can’t – and don’t want to – live without carbohydrates!

Why waste your money on expensive low carb products, when the advantage is questionable? Choose healthy high fibre carbohydrates – and just watch your quantities.