Sugar Alcohols
June 26, 2008
The term might be misleading as “sugar alcohol” is neither sugar nor alcohol. Instead it is a type of sweetener used in foods labeled as ‘sugar-free’. They have half to one-third fewer calories than sugar and are thus useful for health purposes. In a health-oriented world, their use is becoming popular and their use is basically found in foods intended for diabetic people. While keeping the taste intact, they help in adding fewer calories than sugar as the former are incompletely absorbed and metabolized by the body which in turn leads to fewer calories being added to one’s body.
Sugar alcohol can be found naturally in plants like berries and some of the common names of them include sorbitol, mannitol, isomalt, maltitol and lactitol.
Sugar Alcohols and Health
The primary use of sugar alcohols is made in the foods of diabetic people as it prevents sudden increase in blood sugar due to its slow metabolic rate of converting into glucose.
Since they are slowly and incompletely absorbed from the small intestine into the blood, sugar alcohols can produce abdominal gas and discomfort in some individuals. Moreover, people with diabetes should also be careful in the amount of sugar alcohol intake in their diet as the latter contains carbohydrate in it.
Sugar alcohols are also used in chewing gums, toothpaste and mouth wash. This is because they are not acted upon by bacteria in the mouth and therefore they do not cause tooth decay. It has been officially certified by the Food and Drug Administration that sugar alcohols do not promote tooth decay.
Appropriately used, sugar alcohols can have a role in the process of health management in terms of diabetic control and weight management. However, excessive intake can also have laxative effect as it can lead to diarrhea, bloating and weight gain.
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