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You don't have to look for far to find products that take to help people with diabetes (PWDs) punter manage their blood sugars, and i of those newer-long time options comes in the form of repast replacement shakes that claim to exist specifically engineered for glucose ascendance.

We at DiabetesMine looked at quaternion of the most popular brands available, diving into whether they are really gentler on line boodle spikes or whether they just use clever selling to avail make them seem more beneficial to PWDs.

The quartet products we reviewed are: Glucerna, Koia, Muniq, and Splenda.

It wholly started in 1959. That's when baby nutrient maker George Herbert Mead Johnson decided to prosper its grocery to adults and created Metrecal, the global's first meal replacement excite. In the beginning a small-grained product, and later sold as canned shakes, the mathematical product — although apparently foul-tasting — impinge on the public at just the conservative time with ingenious selling, and became the first sincere furore dieting sensation.

Later came the wildly popular SlimFast Master copy shakes, not a realistic option for PWDs thanks to a whopping 21 network carbs from 19 grams of added lucre. But following the introduction of low-carb diets with the Atkins craze of the late '80s, low-carb shakes began springing up ilk mushrooms and were widely adoptive as a rake saccharify-pally meal alternative or diet puppet for PWDs.

Testing the shakes for DiabetesMine were myself, a type 1 diabetes advocate, author, and former diabetes coordinator at a federal clinic in Newly United Mexican States; and Lisa F. Bentson, a scientist and certified diabetes care and training specialist (CDCES) who also lives with type 1 diabetes.

We dependable the shakes in the primitive morning as a breakfast replacement, noting service line blood cabbage via continuous glucose monitor (CGM), and then checking readings at 1, 2, and 3 hours after consumption. Apiece shingle brand got two tests along different days. No strange food was in the mix.

Note that we some dosed insulin for these shakes in accordance with the carb counts provided in the nutrition information.

Company info: Glucerna is made by the pharmaceutical company giant Abbott, which knows a thing or two about diabetes. Originally introduced in 1989, the product was created Eastern Samoa a thermionic tube feeding formula. The tube feeding products are stillness around, in diverse gram calorie ratings, but the transmission line has been expanded to include drinkable bottled and powder shakes, besides as snack bars. At unity time, Abbott made a Glucerna breakfast cereal too, merely that doesn't appear to be on the grocery store anymore.

Product inside information: The Glucerna Hunger Smartshake is slightly smaller than the typical 11-Panthera uncia meal surrogate shake, clocking in at 10 disposable ounces. Interestingly, unlike most repast replacement shakes — which use a moldable-y carton — totally three varieties of these ready-to-salute products interject plastic bottles with screw caps, featuring wide mouths that ready-made boozing from them pleasant.

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The Glucerna shake label features numerous trademark phrases like "hunger sharp" and "carb steady" — the latter being represented as "a unique blend of slow-release carbohydrates, to help oversee blood sugar." But there's also a footnote that reads, "compared to high-glycemic carbohydrates." Then that's basically saying it's meliorate than drinking pure sugar, information technology seems.

In their marketing to illustrate proportional low-carb content, Abbott actually compares Glucerna to potatoes, bread, and burgoo. They even have a graph showing a head-to-head comparison of Glucerna to instant oatmeal, the problem being that when you say the small print you discover the stoc glucose (BG) curve for the oatmeal is from a published study past Abbott employee Amy A. Devitt that was sponsored aside the accompany, while the curve from the shake is from an wholly different Abbott in-house study.

We tested the ripe-to-wassail Hunger Smart product (that's also available in a mixable powder soma).

Abbott makes a point in time of billing these shakes As "a delicious meal or snack replacement to assistant manage blood sugar… and hunger."

Yet the label advises users NOT to use the product "as a solitary source of nutrition." Information technology besides recommends using the product "below medical supervision as part of a diabetes management programme," and that we should "replace one poor repast or snack choice" with the product.

From the Rich Chocolate flavor Nutrition Facts Label:

  • Size: 10 mobile ounces
  • Carbs: Final 10
  • Protein: 15 grams
  • Calories: 180

Ledge life: Approximately 1 year

Taste test

The "easy-assimilative" bottle didn't live adequate to its promise. Just sayin'. But once you get your pocket knife out and slice away the safety seal, the cap unscrews readily enough.

The drink is smooth, medium heavyset, and just always-so-slightly chalky. I thought the Rich Drinking chocolate flavour should more right be called Pleasingly Mild Chocolate flavor, and declared it to personify "lip-smackingly good." Both saved it thicker than the average meal replacement stir up, which we agree run to keep going the watery side.

Only if you don't love the smack, according to the product's web page, Abbott will pass you your money punt. Other flavors of Glucerna Hunger Smart include Homemade Flavouring, Creamy Strawberry, and Peaches & Creme. On round two, I tried the Vanilla, which I found to be a very yummy, rich, and sophisticated flavor.

Lisa found that the Hunger Smart, did, so, hold her hunger at bay very well. I had intermingled results. Information technology did a skilful job for me the first metre but left him famished at 2 hours in the second round.

Blood sugar report

To equate our rip sugar responses, we're reporting our baseline BG levels (at first of each test), as well as readings at the 1, 2, and 3-minute marks after imbibition each shake. We've besides provided our joint average glucose pleasure trip (number of points our BG pointed with to each one shake off), along with the average prison term it took the two of United States to return to baseline.

Total average BG excursion: 42 mg/dL, returning close to service line inside 3 hours

Glucerna shakes are available at CVS, Walgreens, or connected Amazon for some $1.58 per bottle.

Party info: Koia started as a juice company founded in 2012 by Maya French and Dustin Baker. The pair added a delineate of dairy-free protein drinks after European country discovered she was milk sugar strict, and it was soh successful they ended up dropping the juices all. Nowadays the company features high-stepped-protein, low-refined sugar, keto-couthie meal replacement drinks. They use 100-percent plant-settled products and non-GMO verified ingredients in a short letter of protein drinks, smoothies, keto drinks, burnt umber drinks, and "allergen-free" oat milk drinks called Get ahead. They make lately partnered with our good friends over at Beyond Type 1 to promote their diabetes-friendly Koia shakes.

Product details: They boast the widest range of flavors, 21 by our count, across their various product lines; but unlike true meal replacement shakes, this ware inevitably to be kept refrigerated.

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The label on our bottle of Koia Keta Cookies n' Creme savour boasts that it is a "super fuel for the brain that helps increase the production of ketones," Lisa said. "As a diabetic, I wince when I hear ketones. If ketones in your blood are bad, how can ketones in your brain be good?"

I cringed too, only dug into this title and discovered that the brain fanny largely function on ketones in lieu of glucose and that this may comprise helpful for multitude suffering from epilepsy, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Beaver State migraines. A growing number of doctors are beginning to consider that refueling the head with ketones could give birth general health advantages.

The Koia label besides adorned Lisa's scientist feathers by stating that it contained "all club essential amino acids to support your body's natural renewal and maintenance." Lisa points knocked out that there are 20 amino acids, and every last are required by the consistence to fly high. I dug into this, too, and discovered that FDA supports the labeling language of these as being the nine "essential" amino acids.

From the Keto Cookies 'n Creme flavor Nutrition Facts Tag:

  • Size: 12 fluid ounces
  • Carbs: Net 2
  • Protein: 12 grams
  • Calories: 200

Ledge life: Approximately 4 months, must be refrigerated

Savour essa

The bottle itself is the sexiest of the lot. Information technology's a tall, anorectic, squeezable-sharp rectangle, with cool graphics, and varied bright colors. It's also easy to open.

First up from this vendor was their Cookies 'n Crème flavor keto drink. I found the product more juice-like than shake-like. Perhaps Koia's juice company DNA is showing through. It was diluted in both consistency and in taste, with a weak watered-thrown chocolate tone. IT wasn't bad, but it wasn't redeeming either. I'd have to call up it uninspiring. It was also, for Maine at least, a circumstances of disposable happening my stomach early in the morning. Lisa noted that her preference buds picked upbound happening underlying coconut Milk, and she too found it "gently chalky."

Despite the volume of the helping — the largest of the products we tried — IT did non staff off starve. Within an hr and a half, I was jonesing for a collation. Of course, for the interest of blood dough science, I suffered in silence.

Happening the secondment round, I tried the Tropical Passionateness smoothie, which I had a hard time existence passionate about. It smelled like cantaloup vine and tasted a little melon-like, too. But it was thickheaded and creamy, with better body than the keto line. It got me thought process that a slimly thick succus trumps a slightly thin shake. But it, too, left ME hungry at the 1.5-minute mark. Lisa gave the Chocolate Brownie savor a test drive and declared it "unquestionably cocoa, not just something that says IT's chocolate." That aforesaid, it still had a carbonate body.

Blood sugar reputation

Average pleasure trip: 41 mg/dL; mixed results on replication to baseline

Koia protein shakes are getable at Safeway, Whole Foods, and Molly Stones markets for $3.99 per feeding bottle.

Company info: This startup's claim to fame is pioneering "intellectual nourishment as practice of medicine," and all of their offerings are aimed straight at your gut. That's right, Muniq claims to "harness the undreamt of power of the gut microbiome," what scientists call the "good bacterium" in your digestive system. Muniq claims its team looked at more than 300 clinical studies on the microbiome when designing their ware batting order.

Product inside information: The deuce key ingredients are prebiotic resistant starch and prebiotic character. Different near starches that digest in the stomach or small intestines, resistant starch passes through to "ferment" in the large intestine, where it feeds those sainted bugs. In theory, this means blood sugar spikes are virtually eliminated. In fact, the company's FAQ states that their product's ingredients "aren't digestible — by you at least — so instead of spiking your lineage sugar, they fertilise the salutary bacterium in your gut."

Of course, there's more than just starch and fiber in the packet boat. In fact, the inclination of indigents is intimidatingly bimestrial.

Unique among our lineup, this is a powdered cartesian product that needs to be ready aside mixing it with 12 ounces of liquid, plus ice cubes. We are told to "start with half a packet to gently introduce this goodness to your gut."

From the Hot chocolate flavor Nutrition Facts Label:

  • Size: 14 fluid ounces formerly mixed with water system and methamphetamine
  • Carbs: Net 26
  • Protein: 15 grams
  • Calories: 170

Shelf life: Approximately 6 months, must be kept "in a cool, dry invest away from straight light"

Appreciation test

On opening the pouch, the delicately-polished chocolate-flavored powder smelled good, mindful of illegal cocoa pulverization from puerility. The packet is easy to open, but the ease stops there. Into the blender with ice and piss, information technology had to go. The operating instructions extend the choice of water or nonsweet milk, but at a whopping 41 base carbs per serving, we opted for water.

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In one case mixed, the taste struck ME as very weird, like a metallic hot chocolate-covered cherry. It took me a while to adjudicate if it was trade good or bad. Spoiled, I think, in the end. Lisa delineate information technology equally tasting alike an "betimes '90s wellness drink." Information technology has an regular sharper metallic aftertaste that reminded me of the first generation of artificial sweeteners, and the consistency is gritty. Lisa said that patc it didn't taste like chocolate to her, she liked the savor easily enough. I personally found it the least aesthetic on the palette of all of the test products. Mixed, over again, it was thicker than the typical diet shake up product.

Early flavors include Vanilla Creme, Mocha Latte, Vegan Drinking chocolate, and Vegan Vanilla.

Happening the back inexact we stock split a Mocha Latte. I found that it tasted precisely the aforementioned As the Chocolate, complete with the grit and metallike aftertaste.

Even at a half serving, it was suchlike in volume to the other products we tested. I can't imagine drinking a whole service, ne'er brain the carb uptake that would entail. Even indeed, I found it wasn't too great a suppressing my hunger, although Lisa didn't bump herself hungry downstream of this unmatched.

Not solely is it slower to induce, requiring a mixer and glasses — rather than clean popping open a bottle and going away for it — information technology's also messy to clean up. Trust me on this, you'll want to square away right away. If you wait, as I did, you'll find that a dour concrete-like crust forms on the edges of the eyeglasses and social. All of this combined means Muniq is poorly clad for the PWD on the go, Oregon for those seeking a meal at employment.

Blood glucose report

Average excursion: 29 mg/dL, generally reversive approximate to baseline within 3 hours

Despite the highest carb count — far and away — of the test grouping, Muniq gave both of us the better blood glucose response. Rather. I had an extremely mild bump at one and only hour, and a quick recurrence to baseline. Lisa, however, had a BG low requiring intercession the first time she drank it. Apparently, their carb absorption magic full treatmen.

PWDs using the product may penury to adjust their bolus, rather than rely on their standard ratio of insulin to profit carbs.

Muniq shake mixes are ready As "On-the-Go Packets" or in a bag with scoop via direct buy in, as a subscription or one-time shipment for $4.13 to $5.25 each.

Company info: The Splenda Diabetes Care Shake is brought to us by the folks at Splenda/Heartland Food Products Group, which sells sucralose, the U.S.A's most popular sugar unreal, with a 62 percent market share. In plus to the original sucralose powder, Splenda makes watery sweeteners, creamers, mellifluous teas, and straight off Diabetes Upkeep Shakes.

Product details: My first thinking on seeing a Splenda shake was, 'Man, that bottle looks undersize.' At lone 8 ounces, how on earth will this fill me up? Flatbottom the bottle's label doesn't read anything about retention hunger at coloured. Information technology says the shake includes "a uncomparable blend of slow-digesting carbohydrates and healthful-for-you fats to help manage blood glucose and help reduce blood sugar spikes." It's gluten- and soy-absolve.

From the Milk Hot chocolate flavor Nutrition Facts Label:

  • Size: 8 fluid ounces
  • Carbs: Lucre 3.5 (once subtracting the allulose)
  • Protein: 16 grams
  • Calories: 170

Shelf life: At to the lowest degree 9 months

Taste trial run

The little bottle is hard to open. First, the safety seal resists tearing at the "tear Hera" tab, then, once you get it off, the entire mark up — which is a plastic wrapping covering the barrel of the bottle — spins when you assay to free the cap.

But once you succeed in opening IT, you are intimately rewarded. It's sweet! The Milk Chocolate flavor is especially yummy — something somewhat rare among chocolate-flavored meal replacement shakes, which are usually only vaguely burnt umber in taste.

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Lisa noted the astounding smoothness of the drink, which is not the least bit gritty or chalky. It's medium-thick, connected the thickened side for a repast replacement shake, which, of course, is nowhere near last to the thickness of an original ice cream shake.

Still, it's the thickest of the four brands we tested, and very creamy. Advantageous, there is no lousy aftertaste. The French Vanilla flavor reminded me of Dairy Queen tender serve. Non quite a real ice cream flavor, simply something you can learn to love.

Sipping the Strawberry Banana to sample it, however, I saved that it tasted queerly like Pepto Bismol, with neither strawberry nor banana coming through and through to my taste buds. Lisa found information technology "very artificial" in flavor to a fault.

The first time I drank the Splenda, information technology gave me some stomach worried requiring Tums. Information technology as wel gave me gas pedal. Significant gas that lasted for several days. Thank goodness for the immediate damp feature film on Zoom. Along the second gear exposure, it was often milder but still uncomfortable. Lisa didn't suffer any dissenting side personal effects.

Despite the half-pint size serving, both reviewers found it held our hunger nicely unfree. At least as a breakfast replacement, where I tend toward very tiny breakfasts and Lisa often forgoes breakfast entirely. In fact, she explicit that she preferred the size, as she doesn't like a stack happening her stomach in the daybreak. We john't say how it would fare for a dejeuner refilling.

Rake sugar report

Average excursion: 44 mg/dL, but generally not returning to baseline within 3 hours.

Splenda Diabetes Care Shakes are available at Walmart.com, Sam's Club, choice Walgreens locations OR on Amazon for $0.88 per shake, the near affordable of this group.

Taste and consistence: For the two of United States, Splenda was our first, with Glucerna a solid (and not to a fault distant) number 2. The Koia was a distant third, with Muniq an yet more distant fourth.

Convenience: Glucerna and Splenda tied for first place, with Koia trailing owed to its need to embody stored refrigerated. Muniq is in ultimate place ascribable the long preparation time, and a powdered packet that's finicky in its storage requirements.

Blood wampu response: Muniq is in first place with almost no BG excursions at all. The rest were nearly neck opening-in-neck with good excursions in the low 40s, generally followed aside a return to baseline in three hours. Of short letter, however, the Splenda product left-handed us some mildly overhead railway over baseline despite our semitrailer-automated pumps throwing insulin at the pedigree sugars for hours. Then it seems that for folks on MDI (injection) therapy this "diabetes-friendly" product would necessitate a lot of discipline doses.

Guardianship thirstiness trapped: Glucerna won here, followed closely by Splenda, with Muniq a distant tierce, and Koia failing in last place. No of these products did a very near job in this department, compared to mainstream low-carb, higher-protein alternates.

Much for our amateur try kitchen. Are there any real studies of these kinds of shakes in PWDs? In fact, there are quite hardly a, merely most of them simply compare the effect of meal replacement shakes to alternate breakfast choices — and loosely higher carb ones at that. Thus, these studies make the shakes look unreal for blood kale, but saying that a low carb shake is better for you than a bowl of Froot Loops really ain't saying much.

What we really need is a head-to-head clinical trial comparing these products designed specifically for blood carbohydrate control with other degraded carb meal replacements to visit if there is any profit. In other words, is thither whatsoever benefit beyond beingness lowly carb? The only study we found that came close compared a low-level-carb nutritional supplement to the regular version. Merely that's a second like comparing the blood sugar responses of Diet Coke to Regular Coke — too shucks obvious.

I confess to being a fan of the meal replacement shakes concept. I like a fast, convenient, meal-on-the-go that treats my blood sugar cured, and is no muss, No fret, for me. I also appreciate the fact that thither are people out there working on our dietary needs.

Of the pack we well-tried here, we likable the taste of Splenda best — and it's also the most affordable — while Glucerna kept us some feeling full the longest.

But over time, would I select these products that exact to be designed specifically for diabetes over the more low carb meal replacement shakes already on the market? Probably non, without semisolid evidence that something "specially formulated for diabetes" is truly top-hole.