What Are Sugar Alcohols and Are They Healthy?

What Are Sugar Alcohols and Are They Healthy?

As the name implies, sugar alcohols (or “polyols”) are like hybrids of sugar molecules and alcohol molecules.

Despite the “alcohol” part of the name, they do not contain any ethanol, the compound that gets you drunk, so they are safe for alcoholics or those who abstain from alcohol.

Because they have a similar chemical structure as sugar, they are able to activate the sweet taste receptors on the tongue.

But unlike artificial and low-calorie sweeteners, sugar alcohols do still contain calories; just fewer than regular sugar.

There are many different types commonly used as sweeteners, including xylitol, erythritol, sorbitol and maltitol to name a few.

One of the main benefits of using them is they are generally very low on the glycemic index, which is a measure of how quickly foods raise blood sugar levels.

Most sugar alcohols have a negligible effect on blood sugar levels. In the case of erythritol and mannitol, the glycemic index is zero.

The only exception is maltitol, which has a glycemic index of 36. This is still very low compared to sugar and refined carbohydrates.

So for people with metabolic syndrome, pre-diabetes or diabetes, sugar alcohols (except perhaps maltitol), can be considered as excellent alternatives to sugar.

Another benefit of sugar alcohols is they don’t rot your teeth, unlike excess sugar consumption.

In fact, xylitol, erythritol and sorbitol actually protect against tooth decay. That’s one of the main reasons they are so popular in many chewing gums and toothpastes.

The weight of evidence indicates xylitol is the most beneficial, however, one 3-year study in 485 school children found that erythritol was more protective against dental caries than xylitol and sorbitol.

Now sugar alcohols are sounding pretty wonderful right now, however they can cause digestive problems, especially when consumed in large amounts.

The body can not digest most sugar alcohols, so they travel to the large intestine where they are metabolized by the gut bacteria. This leads to symptoms like gas, bloating and diarrhea.

If you have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or a sensitivity to FODMAPs, then you may want to consider avoiding sugar alcohols completely.

Sorbitol and maltitol appear to be the biggest offenders, while erythritol causes the least symptoms.

One other important thing, while Xylitol is well tolerated by humans, it is highly toxic to dogs.

When dogs eat xylitol, their bodies think that it is sugar and start producing large amounts of insulin.

When insulin goes up, the dog’s cells starts pulling sugar from the bloodstream.

This can lead to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and can be downright fatal.

If you own a dog, keep xylitol out of reach, or out of your house altogether.

If you want to learn more about sugar alcohols you can click the YouTube card or follow the link in the video description.

But in case you’re wondering, erythritol seems to be the best sugar alcohol overall.

It has almost no calories, no effect on blood sugar and causes significantly fewer digestive problems than the others.

It is also good for your teeth, and won’t hurt your dog; plus, it tastes pretty awesome. It’s basically just like sugar without the calories.

Studies mentioned in video:

Study 1: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24852946
Study 2: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22381181