Is Your Protein Bar Healthy? Part 2
Get-Fit Guy explains a deceiving ingredient that can be found in many protein bars, and how it complicates the effectiveness of protein bars even further.
Ben Greenfield
In response to last week’s newsletter tip about protein bars, Dawn wrote in:
“In your latest newsletter, you mentioned that sugar alcohols are bad and should be avoided. Can you please elaborate? I thought they were better for you since they don’t raise your blood sugar like regular sugar does?”
Dawn is correct. Sugar alcohols such as Maltitol Syrup, Xylitol, Sorbitol, Lactitol, Mannitol, and Erythritol do not significantly raise blood sugar. But as the Nutrition Diva points out in What Are Sugar Alcohols? they can cause stomach upset and diarrhea. This is the reason why many drinks and protein bars marketed as fitness nutrition can have you taking multiple trips to the toilet, or having your workout distracted by uncomfortable bloating and gas.
In small amounts, sugar alcohols are not a problem. But if you have gastrointestinal issues during or after your workouts and can’t figure out why, sugar alcohols can often be the culprit!
If you have questions about whether your protein bar is healthy, then ask away the Get-Fit Guy Facebook page.
Related Content:
Do Muscle Building Supplements Work?
Pros and Cons of Artificial Sweeteners
Protein bar photo from Shutterstock
About the Author
Ben Greenfield received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from University of Idaho in sports science and exercise physiology; personal training and strength and conditioning certifications from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA); a sports nutrition certification from the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN), an advanced bicycle fitting certification from Serotta. He has over 11 years’ experience in coaching professional, collegiate, and recreational athletes from all sports, and as helped hundreds of clients achieve weight loss and fitness success.