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What Are Sugar Alcohols
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What Are Sugar Alcohols?
Comparisons and Blood Sugar Impact
Look on the label of a sugar-free candy, and you’re likely to see words like maltitol, xylitol, and sorbitol. They aren’t sugars. They aren’t alcohols So what are these substances and how will they affect your body?
What are sugar alcohols?
Sugar alcohols are carbohydrates which are also called “polyols”. Part of their chemical structure resembles sugar, and part of it resembles alcohol, hence the confusing name. Examples of common sugar alcohols are maltitol, sorbitol, isomalt, and xylitol.
Where do sugar alcohols come from?
Sugar alcohols occur naturally in plants. Some of them are extracted from plants (sorbitol from corn syrup and mannitol from seaweed), but mostly they are manufactured from sugars and starches.
Why use sugar alcohols?
Sugar alcohols are like sugar in some ways, yet incompletely absorbed by the body, so the blood sugar impact of sugar alcohols is less than that of sugar, and they provide fewer calories per gram.
However, the different types act very differently in the body (see chart below).
Additionally, sugar alcohols don’t promote tooth decay as sugars do, so are often used to sweeten chewing gum. One, xylitol, actually inhibits bacterial growth in the mouth.
Can sugar alcohols cause problems?
They can’t get you drunk, because they are not alcohol. But because they are incompletely absorbed, they can ferment in the intestines and cause bloating, gas, or diarrhea. Different people can have different reactions to different sugar alcohols. Careful experimentation is advised.
How are sugar alcohols labeled?
The names of the individual sugar alcohols will be in the list of ingredients. They will be included in the amount of carbohydrate on the label, either in the total or on a separate line for sugar alcohols. If the product is labeled “sugar free” or “no added sugar”, the manufacturer must show the sugar alcohol count separately.
How do sugar alcohols compare to other carbohydrates?
Although it’s true that sugar alcohols are incompletely absorbed by the body, and so have fewer calories than sugar, most of them aren’t as sweet as sugar, so more must be used to get the same sweetening effect. Still, there is a range of sweetness, and impact on blood sugar among the sugar alcohols. On the chart, you will see that maltitol syrup has a glycemic index which is nearing that of sugar. Although there are only 3 calories per gram, it is also only 75% as sweet as sugar, so the carb count for the same sweetening power of sugar and maltitol syrup are equivalent. On the other hand, erythritol has very little blood sugar impact.
This chart compares the different polyols. GI=glycemic index. Cal/g=Calories per gram. Bear in mind that the glycemic index is a range, rather than a fixed number, and 10 studies will get you 10 different numbers. Other sources may differ somewhat. The source for this chart is mainly from the Livesey research reported in Nutrition Research Reviews, December 2003.
Comparison of Sugar and Sugar Alcohols
Ingredients.................................Sweetn ess.....GI.....Cal/g
Sucrose(sugar).................................100 % ........60......4
Maltitol Syrup ....................................75% .........52 .....3
Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate .......33% .........39 ....2.8
Maltitol .............................................75% ..........36 ...2.7
Xylitol .............................................100% ..........13 ...2.5
Isomalt .............................................55% ..........9 ....2.1
Sorbitol .............................................60% ..........9 ....2.5
Lactitol ..............................................35% ..........6 .....2
Mannitol .............................................60% .........0 .....1.5
Erythritol ............................................70% .........0 ....0.2
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What Are Sugar Alcohols?
Comparisons and Blood Sugar Impact
Look on the label of a sugar-free candy, and you’re likely to see words like maltitol, xylitol, and sorbitol. They aren’t sugars. They aren’t alcohols So what are these substances and how will they affect your body?
What are sugar alcohols?
Sugar alcohols are carbohydrates which are also called “polyols”. Part of their chemical structure resembles sugar, and part of it resembles alcohol, hence the confusing name. Examples of common sugar alcohols are maltitol, sorbitol, isomalt, and xylitol.
Where do sugar alcohols come from?
Sugar alcohols occur naturally in plants. Some of them are extracted from plants (sorbitol from corn syrup and mannitol from seaweed), but mostly they are manufactured from sugars and starches.
Why use sugar alcohols?
Sugar alcohols are like sugar in some ways, yet incompletely absorbed by the body, so the blood sugar impact of sugar alcohols is less than that of sugar, and they provide fewer calories per gram.
However, the different types act very differently in the body (see chart below).
Additionally, sugar alcohols don’t promote tooth decay as sugars do, so are often used to sweeten chewing gum. One, xylitol, actually inhibits bacterial growth in the mouth.
Can sugar alcohols cause problems?
They can’t get you drunk, because they are not alcohol. But because they are incompletely absorbed, they can ferment in the intestines and cause bloating, gas, or diarrhea. Different people can have different reactions to different sugar alcohols. Careful experimentation is advised.
How are sugar alcohols labeled?
The names of the individual sugar alcohols will be in the list of ingredients. They will be included in the amount of carbohydrate on the label, either in the total or on a separate line for sugar alcohols. If the product is labeled “sugar free” or “no added sugar”, the manufacturer must show the sugar alcohol count separately.
How do sugar alcohols compare to other carbohydrates?
Although it’s true that sugar alcohols are incompletely absorbed by the body, and so have fewer calories than sugar, most of them aren’t as sweet as sugar, so more must be used to get the same sweetening effect. Still, there is a range of sweetness, and impact on blood sugar among the sugar alcohols. On the chart, you will see that maltitol syrup has a glycemic index which is nearing that of sugar. Although there are only 3 calories per gram, it is also only 75% as sweet as sugar, so the carb count for the same sweetening power of sugar and maltitol syrup are equivalent. On the other hand, erythritol has very little blood sugar impact.
This chart compares the different polyols. GI=glycemic index. Cal/g=Calories per gram. Bear in mind that the glycemic index is a range, rather than a fixed number, and 10 studies will get you 10 different numbers. Other sources may differ somewhat. The source for this chart is mainly from the Livesey research reported in Nutrition Research Reviews, December 2003.
Comparison of Sugar and Sugar Alcohols
Ingredients.................................Sweetn ess.....GI.....Cal/g
Sucrose(sugar).................................100 % ........60......4
Maltitol Syrup ....................................75% .........52 .....3
Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate .......33% .........39 ....2.8
Maltitol .............................................75% ..........36 ...2.7
Xylitol .............................................100% ..........13 ...2.5
Isomalt .............................................55% ..........9 ....2.1
Sorbitol .............................................60% ..........9 ....2.5
Lactitol ..............................................35% ..........6 .....2
Mannitol .............................................60% .........0 .....1.5
Erythritol ............................................70% .........0 ....0.2
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