SUGAR ALCOHOLS (MALTITOL, SORBITOL, ISOMALT , etc..)
If you follow a low carb diet than you have probably tasted sugar alchohols.
A sugar alcohol (also known as a polyol, polyhydric alcohol, or polyalcohol) is a hydrogenated form of carbohydrate, whose carbonyl group has been reduced to a primary or secondary hydroxyl group .
Sugar alcohol is used in place of table sugar (sucrose) or in combination with high intensity artificial sweeteners to counter the low sweetness.
Some common sugar alcohols:
* Glycol (2-carbon)
* Glycerol (3-carbon)
* Erythritol (4-carbon)
* Threitol ( " )
* Arabitol (5-carbon)
* Xylitol ( " )
* Ribitol ( " )
* Mannitol (6-carbon)
* Sorbitol ( " )
* Dulcitol ( " )
* Iditol ( " )
* Isomalt
* Maltitol
* Lactitol
* Polyglycitol
As a group, sugar alcohols are not as sweet as sucrose, and they contain fewer calories than sucrose. Sugar alcohols are not metabolized by oral bacteria, and so they do not contribute to tooth decay. They do not brown or caramelize when heated.
Some sugar alcohols can produce a cooling sensation in the mouth when highly concentrated, for instance in sugar-free hard candy or chewing gum.
Sugar alcohols are usually incompletely absorbed into the blood stream from the small intestines which generally results in a smaller change in blood glucose than "regular" sugar (sucrose). This property makes them popular sweeteners among diabetics and people on low-carbohydrate diets.
However, as for many other incompletely digestible substances (such as dietary fiber), overconsumption of sugar alcohols can lead to bloating, diarrhea and flatulence because they are not absorbed in the small intestine. Erythritol is actually absorbed in the small intestine and excreted unchanged through urine, so it has no side effects at typical levels of consumption.
People who have undergone gastric bypass surgery, specifically Roux-en-Y (RGB), should be careful not to eat too many sugar alcohols as doing so can lead to "dumping"
Sugar alcohols do have carbs, and approx. 1/2 to 3/4 the calories of regular sugar. They are more slowly and incompletely absorbed from the small intestine than sugar, thus producing a much smaller and slower rise in blood sugar ... and consequently insulin.
Sugar alcohols do have carb calories, and the body will use these as fuel, or store as fat, whether or not insulin is involved.
The "laxative effect" happens for two reasons. First, because the sugar alcohols are not completely absorbed, they hold on to a lot of water in the bowel. This causes diarrhea. Another consequence is that when undigested carbs reach the colon, the normal bacteria present there go result in an unpleasant gas, and bloating. Sorbitol and mannitol are the worst offenders in this department, maltitol less so.
A sugar alcohol (also known as a polyol, polyhydric alcohol, or polyalcohol) is a hydrogenated form of carbohydrate, whose carbonyl group has been reduced to a primary or secondary hydroxyl group .
Sugar alcohol is used in place of table sugar (sucrose) or in combination with high intensity artificial sweeteners to counter the low sweetness.
Some common sugar alcohols:
* Glycol (2-carbon)
* Glycerol (3-carbon)
* Erythritol (4-carbon)
* Threitol ( " )
* Arabitol (5-carbon)
* Xylitol ( " )
* Ribitol ( " )
* Mannitol (6-carbon)
* Sorbitol ( " )
* Dulcitol ( " )
* Iditol ( " )
* Isomalt
* Maltitol
* Lactitol
* Polyglycitol
As a group, sugar alcohols are not as sweet as sucrose, and they contain fewer calories than sucrose. Sugar alcohols are not metabolized by oral bacteria, and so they do not contribute to tooth decay. They do not brown or caramelize when heated.
Some sugar alcohols can produce a cooling sensation in the mouth when highly concentrated, for instance in sugar-free hard candy or chewing gum.
Sugar alcohols are usually incompletely absorbed into the blood stream from the small intestines which generally results in a smaller change in blood glucose than "regular" sugar (sucrose). This property makes them popular sweeteners among diabetics and people on low-carbohydrate diets.
However, as for many other incompletely digestible substances (such as dietary fiber), overconsumption of sugar alcohols can lead to bloating, diarrhea and flatulence because they are not absorbed in the small intestine. Erythritol is actually absorbed in the small intestine and excreted unchanged through urine, so it has no side effects at typical levels of consumption.
People who have undergone gastric bypass surgery, specifically Roux-en-Y (RGB), should be careful not to eat too many sugar alcohols as doing so can lead to "dumping"
Sugar alcohols do have carbs, and approx. 1/2 to 3/4 the calories of regular sugar. They are more slowly and incompletely absorbed from the small intestine than sugar, thus producing a much smaller and slower rise in blood sugar ... and consequently insulin.
Sugar alcohols do have carb calories, and the body will use these as fuel, or store as fat, whether or not insulin is involved.
The "laxative effect" happens for two reasons. First, because the sugar alcohols are not completely absorbed, they hold on to a lot of water in the bowel. This causes diarrhea. Another consequence is that when undigested carbs reach the colon, the normal bacteria present there go result in an unpleasant gas, and bloating. Sorbitol and mannitol are the worst offenders in this department, maltitol less so.
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