Diabetic 'treats' not so sweet
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Chocolate is the perfect gift for Christmas but for 2.5 million diabetics in the UK, it's not that simple. They have to carefully manage how much sweet food they eat, not just at Christmas but all year round. That's why two high street stores, Thorntons and Boots offer a range of chocolate labelled specially for diabetics.
The diabetic ranges offered by these shops may seem ideal but many diabetics steer well clear of them.
The diabetic ranges offered by these shops may seem ideal but many diabetics steer well clear of them.
Lucy and her five-year-old son Miles are one example. Miles was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes three years ago. If he has too many chocolates or sweets his blood glucose levels go very high and he has to have extra insulin. Christmas time means that mum Lucy needs to be especially careful because there is chocolate everywhere.
So what about special diabetic chocolate - surely that's ok? Lucy explained that she doesn't give her son diabetic chocolate because, as she discovered, it can have a laxative effect. If it is known to have a laxative effect on an adult, a child like Miles only needs a small amount of diabetic chocolate before its laxative properties take effect.
Ian Day was diagnosed with diabetes back in 2000 and last Christmas his friend gave him Thorntons diabetic chocolates as a gift. Ian only had three pieces but that was all he needed to spoil the rest of his day. He too suffered from the laxative effects of diabetic chocolate.
When Ian checked the Thorntons box he saw that it said "excessive consumption may produce a laxative effect." But can three pieces of chocolate really be "excessive"?
Most of the people Julia spoke to on the streets of central London had different of responses to how much chocolate they would eat - but what they all agreed on was that three chocolates are not excessive.
Azmina Govindji, spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association explained that the cause of the laxative effect was largely due to an ingredient in diabetic chocolate called polyols. Polyols are a nutritive sweetener, or a sugar replacement, and they are used commonly in sweets and chocolates that are created for diabetics. When Azmina saw that Thorntons line of diabetic chocolates contained 6.2 grams of polyols each she was shocked. Considering that you shouldn't have more than 20 grams of polyols per day that means you can eat no more than three chocolates.
Both the Food Standards Agency and Diabetes UK agree that diabetic chocolate has no benefit to people with diabetes. The major supermarkets have followed their advice and do not stock diabetic chocolate. Where it is sold, diabetic chocolate is also more expensive than standard chocolate.
When Watchdog contacted Boots they told us that:
"Boots takes the opinion of customers very seriously. In 2002, on the advice of Diabetes UK we removed our Diabetic Food Range. However, we received significant, sustained customer complaints about the lack of a specifically labelled Diabetic Food range at Boots and we always listen to their feedback carefully.
Our customers told us that they liked the peace of mind of being able to buy 'treat' foods clearly labelled as suitable for those living with diabetes. In light of this customer reaction we took the decision to reinstate the Diabetic Food Range in 2005.
"The range is designed to offer occasional 'treat' food that those with diabetes often miss, such as no added sugar chocolate. These occasional foods are not designed to be a main part of a balanced diet. Boots recommend that people with diabetes follow a healthy, balanced diet with a wide variety of foods and we offer advice and information in store and online and our pharmacists are available to help and offer lifestyle advice.
"We listen to our customers and care about their opinion - we are aware of the issues surrounding this type of range and regular reviews take place; for example, we will be adding the traffic light nutritional guidance system to the packs next year."
"Customers with any questions about diabetes can call the Boots customer care helpline now on a special freephone number 0800 9 156 597 alternatively our pharmacists are available in store or via our live pharmacist service on the Boots website. http://www.boots.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/BootsMicrosites?storeId=10052&page=LivePharmacist/index.jsp
Thorntons told us:
"We are aware of the recent FSA and Diabetes UK guidance and are supportive of their position.
Next summer we will rename the range and make the first step to removing the word 'diabetic' from our packaging. Currently, our diabetic chocolate assortment have approximately 20 per cent less calories, fat and saturated fat per 100g than our best selling chocolate assortments and, due to the low glycaemic properties of polyols, will have less impact on blood glucose levels.
"Our chocolatiers are working on a new range with better flavours and a more exciting assortment for anyone interested in chocolates reduced in sugars and with lower calorific content. These will be available in 2010.
We are very sorry your correspondents have been disappointed by a Thorntons product and continue to look at ways to improve our products and the clarity of our labelling for all of our customers".
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Congratulations on exposing the "diabetic" chocolate scam. As a diabetic, can I ask people to give me good quality dark chocolates (eg Green & Black) which I'll eat very happily within the levels of carbohydrate I apply to my daily diet.
Terry Gault
(co-founder of diabetes-insight.org.uk - a user run self-help forum for UK diabetics.)
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I've been a diabetic for many years and know only too well about the laxative effect of thortons diabetic toffee.
I was told by the diabetic nurse to eat normal chocolates and factor the carbohydrate value into my calculations for my insulin dose.
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I recently appeared on the Tonigt show on itv where i was asked to replace my chocolate intake with substitute chocolate. I had to stop eating the chocolate and sugar substitutes after 3 days after a major laxative effect. I would advise anyone not to replace chocolate with sugar substitutes.
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As a little girl some 30+ years ago, we knew that diabetic chocolate was a laxative. It was well publicised by Boots and we'd buy it for friends as a joke and hide the wrapping, pretending it was normal chocolate. Why is it a surprise now. I thought this was common knowledge and I'm not diabetic!!
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I have been an Insulin dependent diabetic since 1962. This issue with "diabetic" chocolates has been a problem since then. I have never been able to eat them due to the unpleasant side affect and have always objected to my family wasting money on them. It isn't a new problem. Plain dark 70o/o choolate is the best treat for me!!
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I have been a type 1 diabetic for over twenty years and have always know about the risks of eating too many Polyols. This is not a new revelation, however, I find the ranges on offer from Thorntons and Boots to be tasty and welcome treats when eaten in moderation. I would be really disappointed if these items were removed from sale and hope this is not the end result of your feature on tonights programme.
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hello all my name is kev and have been diabetic for 33 and a half years. I have known the effects off diabetic so they chocolate for all these years and it is still on the shelves. they must think we are all stupid to think we are an exception to the rule to think we cannot eat anything else but a laxative when trying to control our blood sugars. and the cost is disgusting to say the least. here's asking all of you concerned?
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Im surprised at this story, its a well known fact with a lot of diabetics that the chocolates have a laxative effect. Most diabetics, like my dad are told by the nurse who monitors their diabetes to eat normal chocolate but much less than u normally would. Diabetic chocolate is still chocolate so u obviously cant eat it like any other food!
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I have had Type 1 Diabetes and have eaten Boots and Thortons chocolates.
This do not affect you if as said eaten in small amounts and are better than normal choc as no carbohydrate. But every body is different, and the mother on programme has to learn this. If you have diabetes you should never eat normal choc as this will put your sugar level way to high and unbalance you.
So diabetic choc and other things is ok if not to much eaten. You learn from mistakes. If unsure ask other people with type 1 diabetes for advice. Doctors and nurses and Diabetes UK can only give basic advice as do not have diabetes. I speak from experience.
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what a rubbish investigation! who wants loads of warnings on a box of chocolates that are supposed to be a treat. I think i was about 10 years old when I knew diabetic chocolate had laxative effects, so no excuses for adults. Do pints of beer state how much is an excessive amount? no its down to the individual to work out what is excessive. An excessive amount is dependent on a lot of factors that you couldn't really list on a box of chocolates. Typical watchdog one sided investigation and I can't believe this is what our tv licence fees pay for.
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As seen by the replies already given, it has been known about for many years, I knew about it in 1977 though what has not been mentioned is that this unwanted side-effect is also present in some other diabetic produce and that, like all things in life, over-indulgence is not a good thing, moderation being the key-word.
From a type 2 to all Diabetics, have a hypo/hyper free Christmas.
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I have diabetes T2 and manage well on a normal healthy diet, avoiding unnecessary additives and have never touched so called 'diabetic foods'
I rarely have chocolate, only at Christmas, Easter and birthday as an occasional treat. Then I would much rather have a small piece of real good quality chocolate and enjoy it than a box full of poor quality additive laden stuff and suffer.
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
I found this report to be very one-sided. No mention was made of the fact that the sweeteners which have the laxative effect may also be absorbed from other foods. All diabetic confectionery is marked with the safe limit and people need to take responsibility for their own diets and should take in to account what else they eat. There was also no mention of sucrose intolerant people, who unlike diabetics can not eat normal chocolate at all. The nutritionist interviewed should have been allowed to give a balanced view instead of following the bias of the reporter.
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I have been a Type 1 Diabetic for some 24 years, but prior to this I was aware of the problems with Diabetic Chocolates as my Nan was a Type 2.
Approx 3 years ago I received some Diabetic chocolates from Thorntons as a Xmas present, and found that it tasted quitenice, though not as nice as ordinary chocolate. As with most treats, anything must be taken in moderation.
I generally eat normal chocolate and adjust my insulin levels if required.
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I have been a type 1 diabetic since i was 5 years old, and as you can imagine its not easy telling a child that they can't eat a chocolate bar like all their friends! I think it was very unfair how much they charged for diabetic chocolate such as an easter egg, which any mother would buy for a small child. When i do buy a diabetic chocolate bar i find that you're paying alot more for a smaller piece of chocolate! why can't they make it the same size and charge the same amount as a normal chocolate bar? i feel that its unfair on the 2.5 million diabetics in the UK!
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I should think most diabetics have succumbed to the laxative effect of diabetic sweets and chocolate as I have; they are often received as presents, taste good and the fact that they have been denied in the past leads to over consumption with the inevitable and, in some cases, painful consequences.
There are sweeteners, such as Sucralose, which do not have a laxative effect and are low in carbohydrates.
Sweeteners, such as Maltitol, which do cause a laxative effect are used because they also add bulk where Sucralose has little if any; this means manufacturers, using Sucralose, would have to use some other product as a bulk filler, probably making the sweets and chocolate even more expensive.
Personally, I would prefer to pay more for a safe sweetener and be able to enjoy sweets and chocolates in the knowledge that they will not upset blood sugar levels or cause diarrhoea.
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