“Is stevia okay for juvenile diabletes?”
My son has been diagnosed with juvenile diabetes and he is currently 6 years old. Can I use stevia instead of sugar for him?
5 Answers
Try to substitute sugar with Stevia and control his glucose level in 1 hr and 3hr. Some people react better than with sugar.
Juvenile or type 1 diabetes is the commenest metabolic disorder encountered in children. It is also called Insulin dependent diabetes. Insulin is an absolute requirement not only to control diabetes but also for survival in juvenile (type 1) diabetes. The goal or the treatment plan of diabetes is to maintain near normal or reasonable blood glucose levels at all times. Reasonable blood glucose levels are obtaining blood glucose to near normal at least above 50% of the time (70-140mg/dl). An ideal HA1c of <7.5% with out creating excessive low blood glucose levels.
Proper management of diabetes especially juvenile diabetes in small children is therefore very challenging.
Since Insulin is given by subcutaneous injections or Insulin pump infusion to the subcutaneous tissue (under the skin) irratic blood sugars should be expected. Children may not consistently eat and activity level may vary from time to time. These add more variability to the blood glucose levels. Low blood glucose levels she always be managed with enough carbohydrates intake depending on the level of the blood glucose. Similarly high blood glucose should be managed with sufficient Insulin matching to the degree of the high blood glucose and proper hydration. Hydration is very important in diabetes especially when blood glucose is high. Hydration by itself will lower blood sugars to some extent and it will make Insulin work better. Without properly hydration Insulin will not work. So hydration, hydration, hydration.
Sweetners, though, they may be safe they have very little role in a growing child. Children are growing and they need calories to continue to grown and develope. If blood glucose are high you can treat with Insulin and of course hydration. If the child is sick and the blood glucose is high and could not be lowered with oral hydration and insulin at home, then the child needs intravenous hydration in the emergency room. Sugar drinks can be given for hydration as long as you can chase the calories with Insulin.
Stevia is an FDA approved sweetner in the USA and many other countries. Its Cancer causing risk in children is not entirely known. Though it may be safe, avoid it if you can. Only use as a last resort if you absolutely have to use it.
Talk to your doctor about this. It is very important that you listen to your doctor's advice.
Good luck
Proper management of diabetes especially juvenile diabetes in small children is therefore very challenging.
Since Insulin is given by subcutaneous injections or Insulin pump infusion to the subcutaneous tissue (under the skin) irratic blood sugars should be expected. Children may not consistently eat and activity level may vary from time to time. These add more variability to the blood glucose levels. Low blood glucose levels she always be managed with enough carbohydrates intake depending on the level of the blood glucose. Similarly high blood glucose should be managed with sufficient Insulin matching to the degree of the high blood glucose and proper hydration. Hydration is very important in diabetes especially when blood glucose is high. Hydration by itself will lower blood sugars to some extent and it will make Insulin work better. Without properly hydration Insulin will not work. So hydration, hydration, hydration.
Sweetners, though, they may be safe they have very little role in a growing child. Children are growing and they need calories to continue to grown and develope. If blood glucose are high you can treat with Insulin and of course hydration. If the child is sick and the blood glucose is high and could not be lowered with oral hydration and insulin at home, then the child needs intravenous hydration in the emergency room. Sugar drinks can be given for hydration as long as you can chase the calories with Insulin.
Stevia is an FDA approved sweetner in the USA and many other countries. Its Cancer causing risk in children is not entirely known. Though it may be safe, avoid it if you can. Only use as a last resort if you absolutely have to use it.
Talk to your doctor about this. It is very important that you listen to your doctor's advice.
Good luck
No, it's not.
Stuart Jay Brink
Endocronologist (Pediatric)
No long-term studies with stevia, but it seems well-tolerated and perhaps a bit better then some of the other artificial sweeteners. Biggest problem with all of them is that they may contribute to "carbohydrate craving" that so many people have. Water, plain or bubbly, is probably the best choice, and some of the flavored waters without any artificial sweeteners also are an option. Good to try it out and also to discuss with your diabetes team to get more individualized advice.
Stuart Brink, MD
Stuart Brink, MD
You cannot use it to treat low blood sugars. But if you are using it to reduce carbohydrates in his diet, that would be fine.
