Anyone who has ever tried to decrease their dietary intake of sugar, especially diabetics, knows first hand the nightmare of reading all those labels with their long list of ingredients that most of us have never heard of and definitely cannot pronounce.
Packaging of food products can be so misleading and difficult to understand. Some foods claim to be “sugar-free” while some boast “no sugar added”. Most of these foods contain a wide range of “sugar alcohols”, which is in itself a confusing term. It seems that sugar alcohols are neither “sugar” nor “alcohol”. Part of their chemical structure resembles sugar and part of it resembles alcohol, resulting in the name “sugar alcohol”.
Types of Sugar Alcohols
Erythritol – According to Wikipedia, this sugar alcohol occurs naturally in fruit and fermented foods. It is produced from combining glucose by fermentation with a yeast. Erythritol is absorbed into the blood stream via the small intestine and then excreted unchanged in the urine. Since it never reaches the large intestine, this sugar alcohol does not cause the bloating, gas and diarrhea that are often associated with other sugar alcohols.
Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate – This product is used to add texture and increase viscosity of other food products, such as syrups, jams and jellies. HSH is a sugar alcohol made by combining other sugar alcohols. HSH is made from starches (wheat, corn, potato) and then by using hydrolysis, dextrin is created. Hydrogenation then coverts the dextrins into sugar alcohols. HSH is usually blended with other sweeteners and sugar alcohols.
Isomalt – This sugar alcohol is made from sucrose (sugar) and looks much like table sugar. It is a mixture of gluco-mannitol and gluco-sorbitol. Isomalt is only partially digested in the intestines and behaves much like fiber in the digestive tract. Isomalt has a low glycemic impact and does not promote tooth decay. Isomalt has been shown to have a probiotic effect, promoting good bacteria in the intestines.
Lactitol – This low calorie sugar alcohol is made from milk sugar (lactose). Lactitol is partially absorbed as glucose by the body and the remaining amount is fermented in the large intestine. The fermentation process in the large intestine can cause gas, bloating and diarrhea.
Maltitol – This sugar alcohol has 90% of the sweetness of sugar with a lower glycemic impact than sugar but a higher glycemic impact than fructose. It also has fewer calories than sugar and does not promote tooth decay. Maltitol is slowly absorbed in the intestines and can cause the usual GI distress of gas, bloating and diarrhea. Since Maltitol is much like sugar, many food manufacturers use it, which can cause many people to ingest high levels of this sugar alcohol, resulting in increased GI distress.
Mannitol – This product has about 50% of the sweetness of sugar and has a low-caloric content. Mannitol is absorbed slowly in the intestines which gives it a lower glycemic impact. Mannitol does not absorb moisture and is often used to dust chewing gum to prevent it from sticking to the wrapper. It also does not promote tooth decay.
Sorbitol – An artificial sweetener used in many food products such as ice cream, diet drinks, chewing gum, mints and also in some cough syrups. Because sorbitol absorbs moisture, it is sometimes used as a laxative in either oral or suppository form. Sorbitol is also sometimes used in cosmetics as a humectant. Our own cells also produce sorbitol naturally. However, too much dietary sorbitol can increase retinopathy and neuropathy, which is important for diabetics to know. Sorbitol can also aggravate irritable bowel syndrome.
Xylitol – This sugar substitute is found in the fiber of many fruits and vegetables, such as berries, oats and mushrooms. Xylitol is described as a tooth friendly non-fermentable sugar alcohol. Xylitol is absorbed slowly which gives it a lower glycemic impact. Xylitol is also being studied for its ability to strengthen bones and could be of benefit to those with osteoporosis.
Sources:
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/whattoeat/a/sugaralcohols.htm
http://www.polyol.org/fap/fap_isomalt.html
http://www.food-info.net/uk/e/e966.htm
http://www.shapefit.com/sugar-substitutes-maltitol.html
http://www.polyol.org/fap/fap_mannitol.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sorbitol
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xylitol
