Glucerna® Availability Update
Recent shortages across the nutritional supplement drink category have caused stress and inconvenience for many Canadians. We apologize for the impact this has had. Product supply is being restocked and Glucerna® should now be available more consistently. To support Canadians who rely on these products for their nutritional needs, we encourage you to consider others in a similar situation and avoid stockpiling. We appreciate your patience and loyalty.
Glucerna® is ready-to-use nutrition specifically designed for people with diabetes.
Glucerna® is offered as a nutritional drink and as a bar.
Sign up to the new and improved Glucerna® Club and save up to $100†. As a member, you will receive discount offers and nutritional information. Membership benefits are sent periodically by email and postal mail.
There are 2 ways to sign up and save:
‡ Compared to a standard nutritional drink.
§ Diabetes-specific meal replacement category.
Glucerna® Vanilla drink ingredients include:
Water, corn maltodextrin fibre, milk protein concentrate, glycerine, sodium and calcium caseinates, high oleic safflower oil, fructose, corn maltodextrin, soy protein, canola oil, soy oil, fructooligosaccharides (FOS), natural and artificial flavours, soy lecithin, carrageenan, acesulfame-potassium, colour, sucralose, MINERALS (potassium citrate, magnesium phosphate, calcium phosphate, salt [sodium chloride], sodium citrate, potassium phosphate, potassium chloride, zinc sulphate, ferrous sulphate, manganese sulphate, cupric sulphate, sodium molybdate, potassium iodide, chromium chloride, sodium selenate), VITAMINS (choline chloride, ascorbic acid, niacinamide, dl-α-tocopheryl acetate, calcium pantothenate, vitamin A palmitate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine chloride hydrochloride, riboflavin, folic acid, biotin, vitamin D3, cyanocobalamin).
Contains: Milk, soy.
Glucerna® nutritional drinks contain 225 Calories per 237-ml bottle.
Glucerna® bars contain 160 Calories per bar.
People without diabetes can safely consume Glucerna® products. Glucerna® nutritional drinks and bars are specifically designed for people with diabetes or people trying to manage their blood sugar.
Diabetes Canada recommends a high-fibre diet, while limiting saturated fats, for people with prediabetes. Glucerna® is high in fibre, and low in saturated fats, and can be used by people with prediabetes.
Glucerna® products are appropriate for people with type 1 diabetes. It is important to monitor blood glucose regularly to see how Glucerna® products affect insulin needs. Glucerna® nutritional drinks contain slowly digested carbohydrates that have a low glycemic index, to help reduced blood sugar response.
For people with or without diabetes, Glucerna® products should not be used to treat hypoglycemia, insulin shock, or insulin reaction because the carbohydrates from Glucerna® do not elicit a large blood glucose response and would not help restore blood sugar. Talk to a health care professional about appropriate treatment options for low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).
Glucerna® products should be incorporated into a person’s diabetes meal plan and overall management plan. Studies support the use of Glucerna® in conjunction with a diabetes management plan.
Use Glucerna® nutritional drinks anytime to replace or complement a meal, or as a snack. Use Glucerna® bars as a snack. Here are some common occasions when Glucerna®can help you:
- Instead of skipping breakfast
- To replace choices from vending machines, food courts, and drive-throughs
- While driving
- As part of a weight management plan
- Before or after exercise
- During sick days, when eating is difficult
- When your appetite is low
Glucerna® products can be used daily. Individual needs depend on many factors, such as age, gender, level of activity, and health status. Consult a health care professional to discuss the amount of Glucerna® that is right for you.
Glucerna® has a low GI of 23.
“The GI is a scale out of 100 that ranks a carbohydrate-containing food or drink by how much it raises your blood sugar after it is eaten or drank.
Foods with a high GI increase blood sugar higher and faster than foods with a low GI. There are three GI categories:
To help manage blood sugar, Diabetes Canada recommends replacing higher GI foods and drinks with lower GI foods and drinks most often. Learn more here.
Our Glucerna® nutritional drinks are gluten-free and are therefore suitable for a gluten-free diet. However, Glucerna® bars are not gluten-free.
All of our Glucerna® products contain less than 500 mg of lactose per serving. Compared to a glass of milk, which has 10,000 to 12,000 mg of lactose per serving, the amount of lactose in Glucerna® is very low. Therefore, Glucerna® is suitable for most people with lactose intolerance.
Glucerna® nutritional drinks and Glucerna® bars are kosher.
Glucerna® Vanilla, Chocolate, and Strawberry nutritional drinks are halal. Mixed Berry nutritional drink is not halal. Glucerna® bars are not halal.
As indicated on the product label, Glucerna® nutritional drinks contain sucralose and acesulfame-potassium. The same ingredients, as well as polyols, can be found in Glucerna® bars. These ingredients are safe to consume.
Glucerna® nutritional drinks do not contain any peanuts or nut derivatives.
Glucerna® bars do contain peanuts and/or nut derivatives.
The decision to use Glucerna® products for anyone with a chronic kidney disease (CKD) ultimately rests with the nephrologist/health care professional who will assess the patient’s needs on an individual basis. Abbott Nutrition offers other options for people with CKD, such as Nepro® and Suplena®, to integrate into their management plans.
When starting Glucerna® products, the dose or timing of insulin or oral medications may need to be adjusted, and this adjustment must be individualized, under the supervision of a health care professional. People with diabetes should carefully monitor their blood glucose before, and two hours after consuming Glucerna® to determine how their blood glucose is affected. Once they determine this effect, the dose and timing of injections can be adjusted as necessary. Consult a health care professional for guidance.
Yes, studies have been completed with Glucerna® products in a population of pregnant women with diabetes or with gestational diabetes. Nursing and pregnant women with diabetes should be aware of the vitamin and mineral content listed on the labels and discuss Glucerna® usage with a health care professional when combined with other supplements (maternal vitamins and minerals) and daily food intake.
Nutrient levels in Glucerna® have been designed based on nutritional recommendations for adults. Consult a health care professional to help develop a plan incorporating Glucerna® products.
All of our Glucerna products are available in most pharmacies, grocery stores and major retail stores across Canada. For questions related to product availability, please see the pharmacist or store manager. You can use the "Where to Buy" section on our website to help you locate all of our online shops and in-store retailers, here:
https://glucerna.ca/en/where-to-buy?ps-sku=055325036555.
You can also check online the availability of Glucerna® products (sold by AbbottLaboratories) at www.amazon.ca.
If Glucerna® is consumed directly from the bottle or with a straw, use or refrigerate within 1 hour. If refrigerated, use the product within 24 hours. If opened and not consumed directly from the bottle or with a straw, cover, refrigerate, and use within
48 hours.
† Diabetes-specific oral nutritional supplement category.
‡ Compared to a standard nutritional drink.
§ Offers may vary.
Please note that the information provided on this website is intended for Canadian residents and is not meant to replace any advice from your health care professional.
Consult your health care professional if you have questions or concerns about the management of your diabetes.
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