Posts Tagged ‘sugar alcohol’

Sugar Alcohols in Your Diet

Monday, November 5th, 2012

Glycitol, polyhydric alcohol, polyol and polyalcohol are the other names for sugar alcohols. These are a hydrogenated kind of sugar, with their reduced carbonyl group making them closer chemically to alcohols rather than sugar. Sugar alcohols replace sugar in many households. Sugar alcohols are combined with high intensity simulated sweeteners to improve the taste. The most popular brand utilized is xylitol. Diverse brands of sweeteners resemble sugars. Many consumers of these brands are people that diet.

Sugar alcohols can be obtained from disaccharides and monosaccharides. There does exist a difference between these two. Sugar alcohols that are formed from disaccharides like maltitol and lactitol are not completely hydrogenated. In this group, the component is not hydrogenated completely. Ethylene glycol and methanol are sugary in taste but are toxic. The sugar alcohols with compound structures chemically aren’t poisonous.

As a group, sugar alcohols are not as sugary as sucrose, and they have a lesser amount of food energy than sucrose. Their taste is like sugar, and they can be utilized to mask the unpleasant aftertastes of some high intensity sweeteners. Sugar alcohols are not metabolized by oral bacteria, and so they don’t add to tooth decay. They do not brown or caramelize when heated. In the mouth, there is a cooling feeling given off by these sugar alcohols. This happens when the crystalline stages of compound sugar alcohols are used.

Many consumers are diabetic. For years, these simulated sweeteners are marketed for individuals that can no longer consume table sugar. Steadily, blood sugar of diabetic sufferers may lower with continued use of sugar alcohol alternatives. Patients of diabetes that are always checking their sugar levels can enjoy the taste of sugar without the penalty.

Many individuals are concerned about the safety of taking sugar alcohols. There are always uncomfortable side effects linked with unnatural substances taken in by the human body. When consumed too much, bloating and diarrhea may happen. Constantly passing gas is also one of the main uncomfortable side effects of sugar alcohol consumption. The reason for this is that they’re not absorbed in the small intestine. Some individuals experience these effects immediately after using their primary packet of sugar alcohols. There are individuals that develop tolerance and no longer show these signs and symptoms. There is one exception, which is erythritol. This sugar alcohol is incorporated in the small intestines and is excreted. Gastric bypass sufferers must always take care about consuming too much sugar alcohols because of the uncomfortable side effects.