Sugar Alcohols

Sugar alcohols, also known as polyols, are ingredients used as sweeteners and bulking agents. They occur naturally in fruits and vegetables like pineapples, olives, asparagus, sweet potatoes and carrots and seaweeds , called mannitol . Some are manufactured from corn syrup, called sorbitol. Xylitol, called “wood sugar” occurs naturally in straw, corncobs, fruit, vegetables, cereals, mushrooms and some cereals. Hydrogenated starch hydrolysates ( HSH) are produced by the partial hydrolysis of corn. Other sugar alcohols like lactitol and mannitol are found in sugar-free ice cream, baked goods, and candies. Isomalt is usually contained in toffee, cough drops and lollipops.

As a sugar substitute, they provide fewer calories, 1.5 - 3 calories per gram than sugar , 4 calories per gram. This is because they are converted to glucose more slowly, require little or no insulin to be metabolized and don't cause sudden increases in blood sugar. The American Diabetes Association claims that sugar alcohols are acceptable in moderate amounts but should not be eaten in excess.

According to Yale-New Haven Nutrition Advisor, sugar alcohols and artificial sweeteners, such as saccharin (Sweet & Low®) and aspartame (Equal® or Nutrasweet®), are not one and the same. One difference between the two types of sugar substitutes is that the artificial sweeteners contain zero calories whereas sugar alcohols contain about 2.6 calories per gram. Another issue is diabetes management. Artificial sweeteners do not contain carbohydrates so they do not cause blood sugar to elevate, whereas, sugar alcohols have some effect on blood sugar. Overall, both can be useful in diabetes management when used properly.

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