The levels of some ingredients like carbohydrates, sodium and saturated fats in nutrition bars may exceed levels of what is stated on the product's label, according to www.ConsumerLab.com.
ConsumerLab.com licenses its flask-shaped "Seal of Approved Quality" to companies whose products pass testing and want to pay for use of the seal on their products.
60% of the Bars We Tested Did Not Meet Their Label
ConsumerLab.com purchased 30 nutrition bars -- marketed as either protein bars, meal replacement bars, diet bars or energy bars -- and analyzed each of the products for levels of calories, fats, carbohydrates, sugars, proteins, cholesterol and sodium.
In their analysis the company tested one sample of each product. Nutrition bars that failed any of the first round of tests were tested a second time before receiving an official fail rating.
Fifteen of the bars had more carbohydrates then stated on the label, with some of the bars having as much as 20 grams more carbohydrate than the label indicated, and several of these products were labeled "low carb."
One explanation for the excess carbohydrates is that some manufacturers exclude the ingredient glycerin from the final carbohydrate tally. Glycerin is a sweetener and moisture additive, and the Food and Drug Administration requires that glycerin be counted as a carbohydrate on labels, he noted.
In addition to the carbohydrate findings, Cooperman says that some of the nutrition bars' sodium and saturated fat levels were as much as 2- to 3-times stated levels on the labels, and many bars contained an average of 8 grams more sugar than stated on product labels.
In general, the amounts of protein, cholesterol and calories where labeled accurately on the nutrition bars that were analyzed.
ConsumerLab.com
There are basically three macronutrient food categories, protein, carbohydrate and fat. However there are other minor nutrients which do not fit clearly into any of the three groups. These include ethyl alcohol, glycerin, and sugar alcohols.
Ethyl alcohol, contained in alcoholic beverages, cannot be used directly by the body as a source of energy. Instead, the alcohol that is consumed goes to the liver, where it is converted into fat and carbohydrates.
Sugar alcohols, like sorbitol, are chemically alcohols, but they are derived from sugar molecules. They are much slower to be absorbed from the intestine than sugars and are metabolized differently. Therefore, they have little or no effect on insulin production.
Glycerin is a by-product of fat metabolism. It can also be ingested as an ingredient in some foods. Glycerin is metabolized much like carbohydrates, except that there is no corresponding increase in either insulin levels or blood glucose.
Technically ConsumerLabs.com is correct in their analysis, the practical reality is the functional carbohydrate level will actually cause insulin levels to rise. Insulin is the major concern that will cause metabolic havoc with the body.
Glycerin does appear to be a safe "atypical carbohydrate" since it does not cause insulin levels to rise.
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