What Is Sugar Alcohol? Is It Bad for You?
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Do you ever catch yourself reading food labels and wondering what all those ingredients actually are? If you’re trying to cut out sugars from your diet, you’ll probably see a lot of “-itols” in the ingredients. But what the heck is xylitol? Is it something we should be eating?
In this blog, we will learn what sugar alcohols are, if they are safe to consume, some places we can commonly find them, and if they have anything to do with the alcohol that makes us drunk.
Sugar alcohols, or polyols, are sugar substitutes used to sweeten our food. Some sugar alcohols occur naturally in fruits and vegetables such as apples, pears, blackberries, peaches, prunes, pineapples, olives, asparagus, sweet potatoes, and carrots. Others are produced industrially. Sugar alcohols are a type of carbohydrate, but they do not contain ethanol — the intoxicating ingredient that is in the alcohol we drink. We will touch more on this later.
Sugar alcohols have a distinctive, sweet taste but lack the dense calories that regular sugars contain. The food industry uses sugar alcohols as thickeners, sweeteners, and substitutes for table sugar or sucrose. Our small intestine only partially absorbs sugar alcohols, which means they have a lower impact on our blood sugar levels.
We can spot sugar alcohols in our foods by reading food labels. Let’s review some of the most common sugar alcohols and what foods we can typically find them in:
Other sugar alcohols we might find in our foods, medications, or dental products include hydrogenated starch hydrolysates, mannitol, and maltitol. Note that the list above is not exhaustive. Anyone concerned about sugar alcohols should consult a doctor or dietitian.
Now that we have the basic information on sugar alcohols, let’s get into the nitty-gritty. Keep reading to learn if sugar alcohols are bad for us and what science suggests about them.
For the most part, sugar alcohols are safe to consume. As with any product we eat, the full impact of sugar alcohols varies based on factors of individual tolerance, the quantity we consume, and our overall diets. Sugar alcohols are safe to consume in moderation, but there are some potential reasons they are harmful to us:
Being mindful of the types and amounts of sugar alcohols we consume helps us avoid the negative effects. Consuming sugar alcohols in moderation is key to avoiding problems. Anyone concerned about a reaction to sugar alcohols should consult a healthcare professional such as a registered dietitian.
On the bright side, sugar alcohols have allowed for the creation of low-calorie and sugar-free options for those who need it. There are many positive aspects to sugar alcohols:
There are benefits to sugar alcohols, especially for cutting out traditional sugars, but are they a good option for those with diabetes?
Many sugar-free or low-carb products that use sugar alcohols as sweeteners are designed for people with diabetes. These products allow us to enjoy sweet flavors without the same impact on blood sugar levels, so yes — sugar alcohols are a safe option for those of us with diabetes!
Sugar alcohols are not fully absorbed in the small intestines and have a less significant effect on our blood glucose levels compared to regular sugar. This makes it easier to manage blood sugar levels if we have diabetes. Sugar alcohols do not require insulin to absorb them, unlike glucose, making them a more suitable option for those who needs to regulate insulin levels.
Sugar alcohols have their downsides. If we’re worried about the bad sides of sugar alcohols and want to avoid them, don’t worry. There are plenty of alternatives to sugar alcohol:
Nondiabetics worried about consuming artificial sweeteners or sugar substitutes such as sugar alcohols can always stick with regular sugar.
While sugar alcohols are used to sweeten foods and may have some health benefits, they are unrelated to the consumption of alcoholic beverages and do not result in the same physiological and psychological effects associated with alcohol consumption. It's important to distinguish between these two categories of substances to avoid confusion.
The chemical structure of sugar alcohols is a hybrid between sugars (e.g., glucose or table sugar) and alcohols (e.g., ethanol). The alcohol we consume with the psychoactive effects is ethanol. Sugar alcohols differ from traditional sugars because they contain a functional alcohol group. An alcohol functional group, however, is not the same as the ethanol or the alcohol we drink because they are not the same chemical structures. Therefore, sugar alcohols do not have the same intoxicating properties as ethanol.
Sugar alcohols are low-calorie sweeteners used in place of regular sugars. If we consume too much, they can cause digestive problems, but they are mostly okay for us to consume in moderation. There are benefits to sugar alcohols — better for our dental health, glucose levels, and blood sugar levels. Sugar alcohols do not contain ethanol or the psychoactive properties of the alcohol we typically drink.
1. Can sugar alcohol make you drunk?
No, sugar alcohols do not contain ethanol so they do not intoxicate us.
2. Does sugar alcohol raise blood sugar?
Sugar alcohols can raise our blood sugar levels but to a lesser extent than regular sugars.
3. Is sugar alcohol alcohol?
Sugar alcohol is a hybrid of sugar and alcohol. Sugar alcohols contain a chemical component of alcohol but are not the same as the alcohol (ethanol) we usually consume.
4. Is erythritol safe?
Erythritol is generally believed to be safe in moderation. As a sugar alcohol, it is better for us when trying to control our blood sugar or glucose levels, and it can improve our dental health. Eating too much erythritol can lead to bloating, diarrhea, or stomach pain.
5. Are sugar alcohols safe for diabetics?
Yes, sugar alcohols are usually safe if we are diabetic because they don’t raise our blood glucose levels as much as traditional sugars.
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