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| Monday, April 13, 2009 |
| What Exactly are Sugar Alcohols? |
If you read food labels, you might have noticed a common ingredient in sugar-free and low carbohydrate food products called sugar alcohols. Sugar alcohols are a type of sugar replacement and are often found in drinks, cookies, snack foods, low carbohydrate protein bars, sugar free candy, etc. Interestingly enough, sugar alcohols are neither sugar nor alcohol. They get their name from their chemical structure which resembles both sugar and alcohol. They’re actually a type of carbohydrate that sweetens food with half the calories of sugar.
There are several different types of sugar alcohols. When you see any of the following ingredients listed in foods, they’re actually sugar alcohols: Xylitol, Sorbitol, Mannitol, Lactitol, Maltitol, Isomalt, Erythritol and Hydrogenated starch hydrolysates. I’m sure some of these look familiar. Sugar alcohols are used in many foods these days and may become even more common in the future.
Sugar alcohols were originally used in foods for people with diabetes because they are not converted to glucose and therefore don’t have the same effect on blood sugar as regular sugar. They are used in many foods now because they’re considered to be “0 carbs” on many diets. They don’t raise blood sugar, so many diets allow foods with sugar alcohols. There are some good reasons to choose sugar alcohols including:
- They have fewer calories than actual sugar.
- They have very little effect on blood sugar.
- They do not promote tooth decay since they are not metabolized by the bacteria that produce cavities.
- They vary in sweetness. Different sugar alcohols can be used to create different levels of sweetness in foods.
Many food manufacturers prefer using sugar alcohols over sugar. They don’t absorb water like sugar therefore foods made with them do not become as sticky as foods made with sugar. Molds and bacteria also don’t grow and multiply on sugar alcohols as well as they do on sugar. Sugar alcohols maintain their sweetness when heated and manufacturers can use a variety of sugar alcohols to create a specific taste and texture for their product.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classifies some sugar alcohols as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) and others are approved as food additives. There are many things on the GRAS list that people have reactions to such as sulfur dioxide. Some people do have a reaction to sugar alcohols. The most common problems associated with taking large amounts of sugar alcohols include gastrointestinal upsets such as gas, bloating and diarrhea. You’ll probably have to find your own tolerance level. Some people have to avoid sugar alcohols altogether to avoid gastrointestinal upset.
Overall, sugar alcohols are considered safe for consumption. You can start looking for them in your foods today. Although they do not raise blood sugar and are recommended on trendy low carbohydrate diets, sugar alcohols do contain calories, so don’t over do it! Remember, the key to healthful eating is moderation.
- Jennifer
Related Articles
Sensei Talks: Sugar, Sugar
Sensei Talks: Limit High Fructose Corn Syrup
Labels: Fact vs. Fiction, FDA, Jennifer
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posted by My Sensei @ Monday, April 13, 2009   |
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