Body Armor Lyte Drink BEWARE has Erythritol!

DesertSwimmer
on 5/1/19 10:37 am - Kingman, AZ
RNY on 09/11/06 with

Good morning!

Yesterday I made a choice during a "perfect storm" part of my day. I didn't have much time to do errands and grocery shop so ran out to the car remembering my reusable bags and forgetting my water. After the errands were done when I got to the grocery store I realized how thirsty I was. It was cooler but still in low 80's here. I was already feeling off, so I made the decision to buy a readymade drink.

I choose a new one that I read the label on, but again I was in a hurry. :( The Body Armor Lyte is only 3g sugar, 10% coconu****er, low sodium and higher potassium, 10g carbs. No corn syrup. Looked all good and 28oz to count towards my fluids.

How I missed that it has erythritol I do not know! Dang it. Within about an hour and a half, I was in a huge Reactive Hypoglycemic attack. Could not for the life of me figure out what triggered me. Breakfast and Lunch both nothing that triggers me and both portion control and all vitamins on board. I was almost a panic mode. I lurked on here and found suggestions for a higher protein snack to help. The peanut butter and cheese helped but I was still falling fast. So groggy and tired I couldn't stay awake. I ended up sleeping for 2 hours. Still felt off when I woke up.

Didn't figure it out until today. Have had that happen before from erythritol that was in stevia. This drink also had stevia in it. Guess if I am looking for ready to drink I'm back to the Isopure orange.

I'm putting extra bottles of water into my reusable shopping bags with a packet of peanut butter crackers.

I'm learning even at 13 years out, you've got to be diligent and plan for any kind of day. Thank you for all your posts about RH.



Just when the catapiller thought the world was over . . . It became a Butterfly!

The Choices We Make Dictate The Life We Lead 
Sparklekitty, Science-Loving Derby Hag
on 5/1/19 12:55 pm
RNY on 08/05/19

I'm really sorry to hear that you had a bad reaction! Do you know that it was RH? I was under the impression that erythritol does not affect your insulin or blood sugar levels (science-y source here), but reactive hypoglycemia is caused by too much insulin (source).

Can somebody who knows more about blood sugar and whatnot chime in? I'm curious :)

Sparklekitty / Julie / Nerdy Little Secret (#42)
Roller derby - cycling - triathlon
VSG 2013, RNY conversion 2019 due to GERD. Trendweight here!

H.A.L.A B.
on 5/1/19 4:04 pm

Unfortunately some people may. Erythritol is supposed to be the mildest, the least possible causing problems, sugar or any other.

I can't tolerate that due to IBS. And my sensitive gut.

Some people can react to anything that taste sweet. As the industry is finding that out.

Hala. RNY 5/14/2008; Happy At Goal =HAG

"I can eat or do anything I want to - as long as I am willing to deal with the consequences"

"Failure is not falling down, It is not getting up once you fell... So pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again...."

theslyone
on 11/18/22 6:48 am

In response to

""Body Armor Lyte Drink BEWARE has Erythritol! - ObesityHelp

DesertSwimmer on 5/1/19 10:37 am - Kingman, AZ RNY on 09/11/06 with John Yadegar"" I notice this article is over 3 years old, but I came across it while looking for a low/no sugar electrolyte drin****ep straddling the pre-diabetic line so I look for "no sugar" / "zero added sugar" sports drinks myself. I am aware of "sugar alcohols" used as sweeteners instead of real sugar. More recent information (WebMD article, appended below) highlights the general, safe, use of "sugar alcohols" (even for diabetics) along with updated warnings of gastronomic issues certain individuals might encounter. My concern is the original post is very vague about the user's overall health, what other issues might have contributed to the adverse reaction, if the condition re-emerged on another occasion, or if a second trial was ever attempted. Without further information we may be needlessly scaring away a large population of folks who could benefit from such a product, while assuring sufficient warnings are noted. Below is the WebMD post: Erythritol Though it sounds new, erythritol (ear-RITH-ri-tall) has been around as long as grapes, peaches, pears, watermelon, and mushrooms. It's a type of carbohydrate called a sugar alcohol that people use as a sugar substitute.

"Erythritol" is found naturally in some foods. It's also made when things like wine, beer, and cheese ferment.

Besides its natural form, erythritol has also been a man-made sweetener since 1990. You can find it with other sugar substitutes in stores and online.

It's also sold in bulk to companies that use it to sweeten or thicken products like reduced-calorie and sugar-free foods and drinks. You'll often find it mixed with popular sugar substitutes like aspartame, stevia, and Truvia to make them sweeter.

"Calories." Sugar has 4 calories per gram, but erythritol has zero. That's because your small intestine absorbs it quickly and gets it out of your body through urine within 24 hours. This means erythritol doesn't have a chance to "metabolize" -- turn into energy in your body.

"Safety."
* Though erythritol is one of the newer sugar alcohols on the market -- xylitol and mannitol have been around longer -- researchers have done a number of studies of it in animals and humans. The World Health Organization (WHO) approved erythritol in 1999, and the FDA did the same in 2001.*
* It's also OK for people with diabetes.*
* Erythritol has no effect on glucose or insulin levels.*

This makes it a safe sugar substitute if you have diabetes. Foods that contain erythritol may still contain carbohydrates, calories, and fat, so it's important to check the label.

"Taste."
Erythritol tastes sweet. It's similar to table sugar.

"Appearance."
It's in the form of white crystal granules or powder.

"How much can I eat?"
There aren't official guidelines on using erythritol, but most people can handle 1 gram for every kilogram of body weight daily. So if you weigh 150 pounds, you can tolerate 68 grams of erythritol a day, or more than 13 teaspoons.

"How it's used."
You can use erythritol the same way as sugar. It's fine to stir it into your coffee or tea, sprinkle it on grapefruit, or bake with it. Remember that it's a sugar substitute and not real sugar, so foods that you bake may have a different taste or consistency than you're used to.

"Related"
"Side effects."
Eating lots of sugar alcohols can lead to bloating and an upset stomach. Some sugar alcohols can cause gas and cramping or work like a laxative when they reach your colon. But erythritol is generally mostly absorbed before it gets to your colon and is excreted unchanged in your urine.
Excess gas and a laxative effect are possible, but people generally handle it better than other sugar alcohols, and it doesn't come with any warnings.

"OK for your teeth."
In most cases, bacteria in your mouth break down regular sugars and starches and turn them into acid. This can wear down your enamel and cause cavities. But the FDA says erythritol is good for oral health because it slows the growth of one type of bacteria and decreases the acid that bacteria make.

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