Sugar alcohol new

SUGAR ALCOHOL

sugar alcohols are a type of carbohydrate that sweetens foods, but with half the calories of sugar.

What Are Sugar Alcohols?

ErythritolHydrogenated starch hydro lysatesIsomaltLactitolMaltitolMannitolSorbitolXylitol

Types of Sugar Alcohol

Sugar alcohols are hard for the body to digest; the effect on blood sugar levels is less than standard sugar. When counting carbohydrates for products made with sugar alcohols, subtract half of the grams of sugar alcohol listed on the food label from the total grams of carbohydrate. eating too many sugar alcohols may cause digestive complaints like gas, cramping and diarrhea.

You Need To Know..

The sample food label shown here..

Locate the total carbohydrate in one serving. You will see that the total carbohydrate is 29 grams.

The amount of sugar alcohol is 18 grams per serving.

Calculate half the grams of sugar alcohol (18 grams of sugar alcohol divided by 2 equals 9 grams).

Subtract only half of the grams of sugar alcohol from the total carbohydrate Count this product as 20 grams of carbohydrate (29 grams total carbohydrate minus 9 grams sugar alcohol equals 20 grams of carbohydrate).

Food label chart detail..

You may wonder why manufacturers would put sugar alcohols in foods and other products, or why people might seek them out. Here are a few reasons why consumers choose these products:

Why Use Sugar Alcohols?

Fewer calories. Sugar alcohols contain fewer calories (0.2 to 3 calories per gram) than sugar (4 calories per gram), making them a diet-friendly choice for people who want to limit their caloric intake, but still enjoy sweet foods.

Safe for diabetics. Sugar alcohols are absorbed more slowly (and incompletely) by the body. Unlike regular sugar, they require little or no insulin for metabolism. *People with diabetes should consult their physician, dietitian or other health professional about incorporating sugar alcohols into their daily meal plans.

Better dental health. Sugar alcohols do not promote tooth decay since they are not metabolized by the bacteria that produce dental cavities.

Fewer drug interactions. Sugar alcohols do not react with the pharmacologic ingredients in medicines as much as sugar sometimes can.

Individual tastes. The different types of sugar alcohols vary in sweetness, from being about half as sweet to equally sweet as sugar.

Sugar alcohols do not lose their sweetness when heated, although many artificial sweeteners do.

Sugar alcohols do not absorb water like sugar does. Therefore the surface of foods made with sugar alcohols won't become sticky as quickly as products made with sugar.

Molds and bacteria do not grow and multiply on sugar alcohols as well as they do on sugar.

They can use a combination of sugar alcohols, sugar and/or artificial sweeteners to give the most pleasant taste, appearance, and texture to a food product.

In addition to consumer desires..  

Scientists have concluded that they are safe for human consumption.

For some people, consuming certain sugar alcohols in excessive amounts may cause gastrointestinal upsets such as gas, bloating and diarrhea.

Problems will depend on your individual sensitivity level and the other foods you consume at the same time avoid them if they cause discomfort.

Are Sugar Alcohols Safe? 

locate the sugar listing on the soda's nutrition label—40 grams. Four grams of sugar equals one teaspoon. Do the math. That innocent can of pop contains 10 teaspoons of sugar and 160 empty calories.

Even if you don’t drink regular soda, that is equivalent of about 31 teaspoons (124 grams) of added sugar every day. That sugar alone adds up almost 500 extra calories—about 25% of the average person's caloric intake.

Food Serving Size Added Sugar

Angel food cake 4 oz piece 7 tsp

Banana Cake 4 oz piece 2 tsp

Brownie, no icing 1 oz piece 4 tspCheesecake 4 oz piece 2 tsp

Chocolate cake, iced

4 oz piece 10 tsp

Chocolate chip cookie

1 cookie 2 tsp

Coffee cake 4 oz piece 5 tsp

Cupcake, iced 4 oz piece 6 tsp

Hidden Sugars in Foods

Food Serving Size Added Sugar

Fig Newton’s 2 cookies 2 tsp

Gingersnaps 1 cookie 3 tspGlazed doughnut 1 doughnut 4 tsp

Oatmeal cookie 1 cookie 2 tsp

CandiesChocolate candy bar 1 bar 4.5 tsp

Chocolate mint 1 piece 2 tsp

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Daily Calorie Intake

Grams Of Sugars

Teaspoon

1,200 21 5

1,500 26 6

1,800 31 7

2,100 36 9

2,400 42 10

2,700 47 12

Maximum Sugar Intake..

Forms Of Sugar Alcohol

Mannitol: occurs naturally in pineapples, olives, asparagus, sweet potatoes and carrots. Mannitol has 50-70 percent of the relative sweetness of sugar, which means more must be used to equal the sweetness of sugar. Mannitol lingers in the intestines for a long time and therefore often causes bloating and diarrhea.

Sorbitol: is found naturally in fruits and vegetables. It is manufactured from corn syrup. Sorbitol has only 50 percent of the relative sweetness of sugar which means twice as much must be used to deliver a similar amount of sweetness to a product. It has less of a tendency to cause diarrhea compared to mannitol. It is often an ingredient in sugar-free gums and candies.

Xylitol: is also called "wood sugar" and occurs naturally in straw, corncobs, fruit, vegetables, cereals, mushrooms and some cereals. Xylitol has the same relative sweetness as sugar. It is found in chewing gums.

Isomalt: is 45 - 65 percent as sweet as sugar and does not tend to lose its sweetness or break down during the heating process. Isomalt absorbs little water, so it is often used in hard candies, toffee, cough drops and lollipops.

Maltitol: is 75 percent as sweet as sugar. It is used in sugar-free hard candies, chewing gum, chocolate-flavored desserts, baked goods and ice cream because it gives a creamy texture to foods.

Hydrogenated starch hydro lysates (HSH): are produced by the partial hydrolysis of corn. HSH are nutritive sweeteners that provide 40 - 90 percent of the sweetness of sugar. HSH do not crystallize and are used extensively in confections, baked goods and mouthwashes.

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Sugar alcohols are found in sugar-free candies, desserts, and gum. They are a form of a sweetener that is reduced in calories. Sugar alcohols contain approximately half the calories of sugar and other carbohydrates. Sugar alcohols do not contain alcohol. Examples of sugar alcohols include xylitol, sorbitol, mannitol, maltitol, and isomalt.

Effect Of Sugar Alcohol On Health…

Advantages of sugar alcohols include the fact that they are lower in calories than sugar, which can be beneficial for patients trying to control their blood sugar levels. They also do not promote tooth decay. However, there is no guarantee that foods that contain sugar alcohols are themselves low-calorie foods. Some patients may experience a laxative effect or other gastrointestinal side effects from sugar alcohols

Advantages of sugar alcohols

The World Health Organization (WHO) has reviewed sugar alcohols and concluded that they are safe for human consumption. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classifies some of the sugar alcohols as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS). Jennifer Marsico, RPh

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