Both dietary fiber and sugar alcohols are thought to have little or no impact on blood sugar, which is why those numbers aren’t included in a net carb count.
Fiber
Dietary fiber is a type of carbohydrate that the human body does not digest. It’s considered extremely healthy, and is mainly found in fruit, grains, legumes, and vegetables, especially when they are minimally processed. In theory, it has no impact on blood sugar.
“While fiber may not impact blood sugar directly, the idea for including fiber in meals is to allow for a more blunted response versus a straight spike or rise in blood sugar,” says Kimberlain. “In general, the more fiber a meal contains, the better.”
Sometimes food packaging lists the amount of each of these different fibers, but sometimes it does not. Both types of fiber are believed to help lower blood sugar levels in the long-term, but you may find that your body tolerates one type of fiber better than the other.
Sugar Alcohols
Foods that are labeled “sugar-free,” including hard candies, cookies, chewing gum, and soft drinks may contain sugar alcohols.
- Sorbitol
- Xylitol
- Lactitol
- Mannitol
- Erythritol
- Maltitol
“This creates a minimal impact on blood glucose,” says Lori Zanini, RD, CDCES, a certified diabetes care and education specialist based in Los Angeles, and author of Eat What You Love Diabetes Cookbook. “When calculating net carbs, individuals can subtract half or all of the amount of sugar alcohols from the total carbohydrates.”