Various Types of Sugar Alcohols Call for Attention

Candies & Baked Goods Contain Sugar Alcohols

​Neither sugars nor alcohols, sugar alcohols are not only found naturally in fruits and vegetables but can also be manufactured. Though not calorie-free, only a small part of these sugar substitutes is absorbed by the body and don’t cause erroneous spikes in blood sugar levels. Most processed foods containing the label ‘sugar free’ or ‘no added sugar’ surely contain sugar alcohol as one of their ingredients. Any health-conscious person or those wanting to restrict calorie intake surely looks at the nutrition label at the grocery store while picking any product. Hence, it is even better when we understand the most popular and commonly used sugar alcohols in our favorite foods. This way, it becomes easier for us to choose a healthy product that contains the right quantities of various nutrients in moderate amounts.
 
Most Popular Sugar Alcohols
 
There are eight sugar alcohols that have been currently approved as safe to use in edible foods and these include:
 

• Mannitol
• Isomalt
• Xylitol
• Erythritol
• Hydrogenated starch hydrolysates
• Lactitol
• Maltitol
• Sorbitol

 
Let’s look into them in detail below.
 
Mannitol: Is pineapple your favorite fruit? If so, you have been consuming a little of sugar alcohols even without your knowledge. Mannitol naturally occurs in fruits and veggies such as pineapples, carrots, sweet potatoes, olives, and asparagus. Besides being available naturally, sugar alcohols are also artificially manufactured, and one of the common ingredients used in this is seaweed. Unlike artificial sweeteners that leave you with an intense sweetness, mannitol has only 50-70% of sweetness compared to sugar. Hence, one must use increased quantities of this sweetener to bring the required sweetness levels. Mannitol has a glycemic index of 2 and a relative sweetness score of 0.5 in comparison to sugar. Belonging to the FODMAP group, consuming mannitol in excess could result in diarrhoea and bloating.
 
Sorbitol: Available in fruits such as apples, peaches, plums, berries, and pears, sorbitol is almost 50% sweet as sugar having a glycemic index of 4 and a relative sweetness score of 0.58. The sweetener is used more commonly in making candies, jelly spreads, and packaged foods. Manufactured commercially from corn syrup, sorbitol is a common occurrence in many sugar-free beverages and foods. As this sweetener has little effect on your blood sugar levels, it results in minimal digestive symptoms when consumed.
 
Maltitol: This tastes similar to sugar and is almost 75% as sweet as sugar with a relative sweetness score of 0.87 and glycemic index of 35. As this sweetener adds a creamy nature to foods, it is added to baked foods, ice creams, chewing gums, chocolate-flavored desserts, and sugar-free hard candies.  The main advantage here is that maltitol tastes similar to sugar but only has 50% of calories and is poorly absorbed in the bloodstream thereby posing no threat to rapid rise in blood sugar levels.
 
Xylitol: Once again, this is one of the most-commonly used sugar alcohols as it tastes very similar to sugar. Called as ‘wood sugar,’ xylitol is present in fruits, cereals, vegetables, mushrooms, and certain cereals. Commercially made from corncobs, it is found in chewing gums, toothpaste, mints, and oral care products. It has a relative sweetness score of 0.97 and a glycemic index of 12.
 
Erythritol: One of the sugar alcohols having excellent taste, erythritol is almost 70% as sweet as sugar and contains only as low as 5% of the calories. While it naturally occurs in products such as watermelon, soy sauce, and pear, commercially this sweetener is made by fermenting corn. Erythritol has a relative sweetness score of 0.63 and a glycemic index of 1.
 
Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysates (HSH): These are produced by the partial hydrolysis of corn and are 40-90% as sweet as sugar. Commercially, HSH is prepared from mixing different sugar alcohols and is used widely in making confectionary, baked goods, and mouthwashes as it does not crystallize easily.
 
Isomalt: Having a sweet taste equivalent to 45-65% as that of sugar, isomalt has the unique tendency to protect its sweetness without breaking down during heating. We can find its use more commonly in hard candies, cough drops, toffee, and lollipops. Having a relative sweetness score of 0.54 and a glycemic index of 2, isomalt is extracted from beet sugar.
 
Lactitol: Have you every read the nutrition label of any sugar-free ice creams that you purchased recently? If so, you would have definitely read the name lactitol as this is an integral ingredient not only in sugar-free ice creams but also in baked goods, sugar-reduced preserves, chewing gums, chocolates, and candies. Having a relative sweetness score of 0.35 and a glycemic index of 3, lactitol is the least sweet of all sugar alcohols and is made from milk, as the name implies.
 
Conclusion
 
Though sugar alcohols do have a certain role in affecting blood sugar levels, if you compare their GI values, all of them have definitely lower values than normal sugar. Hence, replacing normal sugar with sugar alcohols definitely provides advantages for controlling blood sugar levels and helps in better diabetes management. There are some sugar alcohols such as erythritol and xylitol that have been scientifically proved to bestow better dental health. Sugar alcohols might be considered safe and even beneficial sometimes, but it is always better to cut back on sugar consumption and switch over to naturally sweet foods such as fruits and grains.
 
But if you are cautious about consuming sugar alcohols in limited quantities, they might help in reducing carbs intake. Get in touch with a dietitian/nutritionist if you are looking for a diabetes- or weight loss diet plan where such sugar substitutes might play a strong role in building a diet plan. Nevertheless, a diet plan rich in fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, dairy, proteins, and nuts remains the best on any given day.