Can molasses be used by diabetes patient?

Answer 1

Yes and No.

Molasses is essentially a form of sugar. Most diabetics can eat very small amounts of sugar, although it is not a good practice, since the desire for sweets can get reinforced each time you eat very sweet foods. So, ideal would be NO consumption of sugars for diabetics, although this is not always achievable. That is when moderation becomes very important.

"All things in moderation" is a wise maxim. Diabetics should maintain a diet of approximately the same number of calories each day and controlled with each meal and snack to avoid blood glucose spikes or dips too low. The calorie allotment can be increased if exercise is increased, however, the control of and slow, even consumption of calories is very important for those with Diabetes mellitus.

Choosing foods to get the maximum enjoyable and nutritious diet involves balancing the calories and being sensible about choices. When you eat "empty" calories like sugars, you are, in a sense, using up your allotted calories more quickly with each bite and getting no or little nutrition in the process. An occasional sensible splurge is usually acceptable by diabetics' physicians, but ask yours before you use any forms of sugars.

For comparison of molasses to other sweeteners:

Molasses, which is a by-product of the sugar making process from sugar cane or sugar beets (or some fruits like grapes), has little to no nutritional value. Calories are 58 per Tablespoon and there are 14.9g of Carbohydrates, of which 11.1g are sugars. There is a small amount of sodium (salt). And, you get no protein, no fats, and no fiber, all essential nutrients.

Sorghum "molasses" is a different ingredient, and is not really molasses, it is actually a syrup that is made from a sorghum plant. This would be a better choice, since it, at least, has some nutritional value. Calories are also slightly less with 40.7 calories per Tablespoon and 651 per cup. A Tablespoon has approximately 9g of carbohydrates plus the nutrition of some fats, protein and fiber with a small amount of sodium. Some people do not enjoy the extra flavors in sorghum, others choose it for that reason. It is not always easily found on the supermarket shelves, though.

Granulated sugar is totally "empty", with no nutritional value and 48 calories per Tablespoon. The carbohydrate content is all sugar and there is no protein, no fats and no fiber. It is the considered the worst choice by most nutritionists and dietitians.

Artificial sweeteners have no or negligible calories, but again, no nutritional value and some worry about all the chemical processing and fear potential side effects. For others, these are their best choices despite the negatives, and first discussing their use with your physician or nutritionist is always wise.

Stevia is another sweetener made from a plant. It has no calories and no nutritional value, although it is preferred by some people because it is "natural" and plant-based and they enjoy the flavor.

See the link to a site where you can look up calories of different foods and sweetening agents below in the related links section.

Answer 2

Most diabetes patients can use anything they want, as long as they do so in moderation, and that often means very small amounts.