I've been looking into these a little bit. Mainly because there are so many sugar alcohols and different products use different ones. I try to choose Protein bars with the least amount of Sugar,--but that means the most amount of Sugar Alcohols. So, here is some info I put together to help.
What Are Sugar Alcohols?
A sugar alcohol, also known as a polyol, is an interesting type of carbohydrate. Its structure is kind of a hybrid between a sugar molecule and an alcohol molecule (hence the name “sugar alcohol”) and, for the most part, our bodies do a poor job of digesting and breaking down sugar alcohol in the small bowel. It’s also sweet to the tongue and resistant to fermentation by oral bacteria, meaning sugar-free gum manufacturers employ it judiciously to sweeten their products without causing cavities. Our colonic bacteria, however, can and do ferment the stuff. For that reason, it’s a kind of prebiotic that, as Kurt Harris points out, can stimulate diarrhea and exacerbate existing irritable bowel syndrome-related symptoms. Common side effects of sugar alcohol consumption (or over-consumption) include bloating, gas, and abdominal pain. Sugar alcohols are not quite non-caloric, but all contribute fewer calories than sucrose, and their effects on insulin and blood sugar (if any) are pretty minimal.
Sugar alcohols pop up in nature, in fruits like apples and pears, but any commercial product that contains them must list the specific alcohols in the ingredients. If they aren’t counted toward the official carb count, they must be listed separately in the nutritional information.
O.K., that tells you a little about them, now...what are the different types?
Xylitol
Sorbitol
Erythitol
Maltitol
(There are more, but these are the most used.)
From what I've been able to gather, The idea is that Sugar Alcohols are used because they sweeten a product without added calories. They also count somewhat like Fiber, in that, they come off of the total Carb count. But, this couldn't be further from the truth. Everything I've found suggests Sugar Alcohols are worth about half the calories as regular sugar. (depending on the type of sugar alcohol used).
Erythitol seems to have the least caloric effect with a Glycemic index of 0 and only .2 calories per gram.
Maltitol is the worst with a Glycemic Index of 36. It is, however, the closet to sugar in Taste and feel.
Sorbitol, which is used a lot, has an Index of 9 and 2.6 calories per gram. Sugar has 4 calories per gram.
Xylitol has an Index of 13, has half the calories as Sucrose and is 1.6x sweeter than sucrose. It has little effect on blood glucose and none on insulin.
I may update this with more info later, I just don't feel like typing and researching anymore.
What Are Sugar Alcohols?
A sugar alcohol, also known as a polyol, is an interesting type of carbohydrate. Its structure is kind of a hybrid between a sugar molecule and an alcohol molecule (hence the name “sugar alcohol”) and, for the most part, our bodies do a poor job of digesting and breaking down sugar alcohol in the small bowel. It’s also sweet to the tongue and resistant to fermentation by oral bacteria, meaning sugar-free gum manufacturers employ it judiciously to sweeten their products without causing cavities. Our colonic bacteria, however, can and do ferment the stuff. For that reason, it’s a kind of prebiotic that, as Kurt Harris points out, can stimulate diarrhea and exacerbate existing irritable bowel syndrome-related symptoms. Common side effects of sugar alcohol consumption (or over-consumption) include bloating, gas, and abdominal pain. Sugar alcohols are not quite non-caloric, but all contribute fewer calories than sucrose, and their effects on insulin and blood sugar (if any) are pretty minimal.
Sugar alcohols pop up in nature, in fruits like apples and pears, but any commercial product that contains them must list the specific alcohols in the ingredients. If they aren’t counted toward the official carb count, they must be listed separately in the nutritional information.
O.K., that tells you a little about them, now...what are the different types?
Xylitol
Sorbitol
Erythitol
Maltitol
(There are more, but these are the most used.)
From what I've been able to gather, The idea is that Sugar Alcohols are used because they sweeten a product without added calories. They also count somewhat like Fiber, in that, they come off of the total Carb count. But, this couldn't be further from the truth. Everything I've found suggests Sugar Alcohols are worth about half the calories as regular sugar. (depending on the type of sugar alcohol used).
Erythitol seems to have the least caloric effect with a Glycemic index of 0 and only .2 calories per gram.
Maltitol is the worst with a Glycemic Index of 36. It is, however, the closet to sugar in Taste and feel.
Sorbitol, which is used a lot, has an Index of 9 and 2.6 calories per gram. Sugar has 4 calories per gram.
Xylitol has an Index of 13, has half the calories as Sucrose and is 1.6x sweeter than sucrose. It has little effect on blood glucose and none on insulin.
I may update this with more info later, I just don't feel like typing and researching anymore.
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