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From: hutch@shark.UUCP (Stephen Hutchison)
Newsgroups: net.med
Subject: Re: Sweet Cheat Sweetener.
Message-ID: <1485@shark.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 29-Jul-85 19:33:52 EDT
Article-I.D.: shark.1485
Posted: Mon Jul 29 19:33:52 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 31-Jul-85 15:41:57 EDT
References: <1799@aecom.UUCP> <2202@sdcrdcf.UUCP>
Reply-To: hutch@shark.UUCP (Stephen Hutchison)
Distribution: na
Organization: Tektronix, Wilsonville OR
Lines: 40
Xref: tektronix net.med:01918 
Summary: 

In article <2202@sdcrdcf.UUCP> glenn@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Glenn C. Scott) writes:
>In article <1799@aecom.UUCP> Craig Werner describes a test of some type
>where laboratory test with rats and sweeteners.
>
>> ... the saccharine was fooling the body. The mouth tasted 'Sweet.' and sent
>> a message to the gut via the brain that food was coming. Insulin poured out,
>> lowering the blood sugar, in anticipation of more to come.  With sugar water,
>> it did.  With sacharrine water, the expected calories never came.  The blood
>> sugar stayed low. The brain, in response, generated a hunger reflex, and the
>> rats ate more. (The rats who drank sugar-water ate less then the ones who
>> drank just water, which is exactly what would be expected.)
>
>> A similar phenemonon was demonstrated in humans, ...
>
>  I have a friend who is diabetic (hypo).  She cannot, as a rule, drink regular
>sodas.  She can drink diet sodas.  The above mentioned laboratory test makes
>me think that both regular and diet sodas would have the same effect.
>
> As I understand it when she drinks a regular soda her body produces more
>insulin that is needed and the result overcompensates for the increase in her
>blood sugar level and causes her blood sugar level to drop below her usual
>(albiet low) blood sugar level.  This causes problems for her.  If a diet soda,
>which tastes sweet, causes insulin to pour into the blood and lowering the
>blood sugar wouldn't the effect be the same as a regular soda ?
>
>
>Glenn
>
>Can someone please enlighten me ?

Your friend will definitely needc to cut out the diet sodas
if she is or ever has been a rat.  On the other hand, most of
the diabetics I have talked to inform me that they don't get
an insulin rise after a diet soda, even when there is caffeine
in the soda.  I recall a possibly hearsay claim that the presence
of caffeine stimulates a rise in insulin.

Maybe that mechanism is also damaged in the diabetic?

Hutch