There are many sweeteners on the market right now. Stevia, Sweet’n low (saccharine), aspartame, acesulfame K, Splenda (sucrose) are just some of the common sweeteners you may already know of.
In the world of sweets, there are a group of compounds that can also be used to sweeten our food but are allowed to fly under the radar and not count towards the grams of sugar listed on the nutrition facts label. These are known as sugar alcohols.
Common Sugar Alcohols
Sugar alcohols are special compounds that combine sugars and alcohols. These are the chemical alcohols, though not the ethanol alcohol that is found in products like beer and wine.
Once combined they have a caloric value of almost zero, but still carry a sweet taste. Researchers are finding that these are great alternatives to regular sweeteners not only because they have a low calorie count, but also because once in the body some of them do not cause an insulin response!
Some of the common sugar alcohols you may find on an ingredient list are xylitol, sorbitol, maltitol, and erythritol. Below is a list of common sweeteners, their sweetness, glycemic index and their calories per gram of sweetener.
Erythritol – The golden child of sugar alcohols
Of that list there is one that has become increasingly popular in the last few months. As the ketogenic diet has come to the forefront of the dieting world, erythritol has been put into use as a way to still indulge in sweet treats without getting out of ketosis.
Erythritol is a special sugar alcohol because its glycemic index is zero, it does not cause an insulin response like many of the sugar alcohols, and it apparently does not cause any stomach distress like some of the others do.
Erythritol is 70% as sweet as sugar, so if you are craving something sweet, this sugar alcohol can certainly do the trick. Once consumed, most of it is absorbed into the bloodstream and then excreted through your urine. The little that is left will continue through the regular digestive pathway. Some researchers have even found in mice that erythritol can act as an antioxidant!
The not-so-sweet side of erythritol
As always, we want to do our due diligence to provide all the facts so that you can make an informed decision about the products that you choose to consume. So, although erythritol certainly boasts some impressive health benefits, there are a few things that you should be aware of.
Often erythritol is produced from GMO corn starch. GMO products are the less natural version of a crop and can therefore come with less of the nutrient density and health benefits than their natural counterparts. So, if you choose to consume erythritol, make sure it is an organic version. For many of the products where you can find erythritol, it is buried in a list of ingredients and you can almost guarantee that this erythritol came from a GMO source.
Erythritol does not actually get metabolized by the body, so you can be left feeling hungry, despite the fact you have had something to eat. Overeating is another side effect of sugar alcohol consumption and therefore you should continue to practice moderation and ensure that whatever else you are eating is sufficient to make you feel satiated.
Sugar alcohols are definitely a better option than your regular sweeteners like sugar or aspartame. You get that sweet taste without the calories or the insulin spike, but more research should be done if you are thinking of trying out sugar alcohols. Test them out and document how they make you feel. Everybody is different and will therefore react to these compounds in different ways.
