I know that alot of people (T-Maggers and otherwise) have gone rounds over the issue of all the glycerine that gets put into “MRP” bars and whether it is, in fact, lying to omit the glycerine from the carb count.
What about Maltitol, and how do it’s effects on the whole glucose/insulin process compare to Glycerine?
I ask because I just bought (and ate… enjoyed it very much) a bar made by Universal called “Doctor’s LowCarb Diet Chocolate Bar”. Now, I realize this isn’t going to be the healthiest thing, but it is PROBABLY better for me than taking that swan dive through the front window of Dunkin Donuts. The Nutrition Facts panel on the bar says ZERO carbs, but in the fine print it states “Maltitol, a low digestible carbohydrate has been omitted from the total carbohydrate content as it can only convert to a negligible amount of glucose in the body. The amount of maltitol accounts for 22% of the caloric value of the bar” …'scuse me? I don’t really know anything about maltitol, but is this at all true? Someone please tell me just how inaccurate this statement is. Thanks!
Also, a side not, the ingredients also list Phaseolus Vulgaris & Gymnema Sylvestre, it combines the two ingredients in brackets and calls them "Carb Block". I never gave any credit to carb blockers before, but what are these two ingredients, does anyone know how they are supposed to work and if they are at all effective?
I’m not sure how malitol really contributes to insulin response or overall energy intake. I can tell you, though, that one time at band camp I ate an entire box of chocolate mints, sweetened with malitol, and ended up producing the most voluminous and liquified bowl of diarrhea you could ever imagine. Later I found out that malitol will have that effect if taken in a large enough quantity. So don’t eat too many bars at once unless you’ve got a nice comfortable shitter in close proximity.
As far as the phaseolus vulgaris is concerned, Cy Wilson mentioned that it was not that effective in humans in his Super Supplement Market article. I cannot find a reference to that study anywhere on the website so I would appreciate if Cy or anyone else who might know would post that for me. Thanks.
Regarding your sidenote - a little poking around on the Internet with Google turned up this.
Phaseolus Vulgaris L. is simply the common dry edible bean. The kidney bean, navy bean, pinto bean, and black bean are all just varieties of this one species. Personally I've always considered these a good source of complex carbs so it's odd to see this listed in something called 'Carb Block'.
Gymnema Sylvestre is a bit more esoteric. This is an herb known in India as ‘Gur Mar’ which translates as ‘sugar killer’. It has the ability help balance blood sugar levels, support the function of insulin-producing cells of the pancreas, and maintain healthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels. It is used in India to help non-insulin dependent diabetics (i.e. Type 2 diabetics) stablize their blood glucose levels. Diabetics are urged not to self-medicate with it though, but to seek the assistance of a nutrition-oriented doctor if they wish to add it to their daily regimen. So it appears Gymnema Sylvestre doesn’t block carbs so much as aid the body in producing a healthy insulin response to ingested carbs. If you’re eating right, exercising regularly, and have a healthy insulin response, I don’t know that G.S. will do that much for you. I have no idea if the bar you ate contained G.S. in ‘therapeutic’ quantities.