What does Bill Roberts think of this?!

“EAS Atvantage Carb Control Bars”
26g Protein, 2.5g Carbs, 5g Fat. BUT WAIT! 200 Calories?! If you do the math it should be more like 151! But wait the label says “Note Gycerine & Oligofructose are included in the total (hidden!!!) calorie count but are NOT included as carbohydrates.” WHAT IS THE DEAL? I did as much reading up on this Oligofruc as I could, many say it is undigestable like fiber-and or is actually a type of fiber. But if that was the fact wouldn’t EAS not have to list the calories? Question how many carbs are we really looking at per par?! 17-18!! I mean I ate 2 thinking I was getting a low calorie meal with 52g & 5g of carbs! (2 bars at 300 NOT 400 cals!) But I am really getting 400 calories?!-Does this stuff digest?!

I mean If I can just eat tuna and peanut butter, or Advanced Protein it seems silly to get an additional 100 calories from 2 bars and get the same amount of protein and carbs!!! (Or am I getting more carbs? I KNOW Glcerine has calories!!! Please let me know-I am very strict with my diet and I need to chuck these bars because I was going to use them as a P&F meal but if it truly adds 100 calories and or 32g of carbs! (2 bars) I CAN NOT USE THEM! Your help on this matter is appreciated!

That is a great question and nonody seems to have a friggen answer!

This has been addressed several times, at least the glycerine issue. Some have offered “friggin” explanations. Just use the search engine.

actually Steve, The search results in about 5 answers that are vague. And nobody really seems to have an answer about the oligofructose. Are those extra calories digested?! If not why are they on the label ETC. ETC.

Berardi most definately addressed the gylcerine issue in his Appetite for Construction column. Also Fructo-oligosaccharides are fiber, from what I remember. They are definately in a previous issue. It’s in Cy Willson’s The Forbidden Fruit article(I’m going by memory here). He said they were fiber, but were also 0.6 times as sweet as sugar.

Like I said I know about the glcerine. But why is EAS listing them as digestable calories that may effect my daily calorie intake?! THAT IS THE QUESTION and no past forum responce nor the forbidden Fruit article answers that! (He barely mentions oligofruc in that article!)
Is half of it digested non of it? Am I getting 150 kcals, 160,180, or 200?!?!?!
I don’t care if they don’t effect my insulin levels I care if i am eating too many calories which is the main factor in weight gain or weight loss!!!

JW: This seems to be pretty common in the bar industry - almost all of them do it (add up the calories like you did, and it certainly wont match the total). As to if Glycerol digests, that’s a hot topic of discussion all the time, and quite frankly I don’t believe anybody has a solid answer. In my (very humble) opinion, I believe there is a potential to influence your insulin levels (which is all that really matters, rather then digestion), depending on your metabolic state. Severly carb depleted, and it will probably influence it more, and has a potential of being digested in terms of providing energy. Other times, it likely passes through the body sucking up water and converting to something else (sorry, forgot what, my biochem isn’t what it used to be, maybe it’s glycerine?). Competitive guys have been known to take a 50-100 gms of glycerol just before a competition in order to suck out a little more water (although it had the potential of influencing insulin levels, there’s nothing to store at that time anyway, so it’s OK - plus it’s right before the show, so it doesn’t have enough time to effect the physique). Hold this helps.

Thanks Stevo I pretty much know the glycerine stuff but what i can’t reaaly seem to find out about is the oligofructose. It has me more worried because it is listed as the 3rd ingriedant I beleive and those calories may be used for energy (or getting fat!)
I do know this is common with bars but some are good (Desigener adds up MUCH better as do the balance & Ironman bars.)
I just have a feeling this EAS bar is BS because it tastes better than the EAS bars that have carbs. (Not to mention Myoplex texture, color and taste have changed a lot since BP left.) Did you guys know Coke is considering buying them now for God’s sake!
Still said, I want to know how many calories I am consuming & if Oligofructose is a fiber why list it in the cals *UNLESS a prtion of it is digested?!

The glycerin does count, metabolically,
as calories. Glycerin, I’d think, accounts
for the larger share of the “missing”
calories: it seems unlikely there would
be more than 2 or 3 grams of oligofructose,
if that, in the product.

But let me stress, I’m just giving what
hopefully is a reasonably informed guess.
I don’t have the specifics on this particular
product and certainly don’t know for a fact
how much oligofructose is in there.