“Sugar alcohols may have a slight influence on your blood sugars, but overall, they're safe to include as part of a balanced diet,” says registered dietitian Tegan Bissell, RD. But too much sugar alcohol in your diet can have unpleasant side effects.
Sugar alcohols can be part of a healthy eating plan when you need to manage diabetes. Unlike artificial sweeteners, sugar alcohols are a kind of carb and can raise blood sugar levels, though not as much as sugar. You'll need to count carbs and calories from sugar alcohols in your overall meal plan.
What is it? Sugar alcohol is a type of reduced-calorie sweetener often found in chewing gums, protein bars, puddings, etc. Despite "alcohol" being part of the name, sugar alcohol does not contain any ethanol, which is found in alcoholic beverages.
Common sugar alcohols are mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol, lactitol, isomalt, maltitol and hydrogenated starch hydrolysates (HSH). Sugar alcohols are not commonly used in home food preparation, but are found in many processed foods.
Sugar alcohols are safe to eat and may be a good option for people with diabetes. However, they can cause stomach issues when eaten in large amounts, and some sugar alcohols can raise blood sugar. “Sugar-free” does not mean carbohydrate-free! Read the label to see the carbohydrate content of sugar-free foods.
Most sugar alcohols are considered safe at doses around 10 - 20 g daily but it varies depending on the type. For example, one review found that sorbitol causes diarrhea if ingested in amounts above 20 g. Xylitol, however, has a larger safety dose of up to 70 g per day, with some people tolerating up to 200 g daily.
Sucralose is an artificial sweetener. Splenda is the most popular product made from it. Sucralose is made from sugar but contains no calories and is much sweeter.
Here are 5 natural sweeteners that could be healthier alternatives to refined sugar.
6 best alternatives to sugar
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Precautions. Maltitol is considered a safe alternative to sugar, but there are some precautions you should be aware of. Maltitol is found in many sugar-free products, but people with diabetes should remember that it's a carbohydrate. This means that it still has a glycemic index.
Summary: Alternatives to maltitol include sucrose, artificial sweeteners, stevia, erythritol, honey and maple syrup. If maltitol upsets your stomach, you may want to avoid sorbitol and xylitol as well, since they can have similar effects. The easiest way to avoid maltitol is to choose whole, unprocessed foods.
Maltitol. Like, erythritol, maltitol is also a sugar alcohol. And, it's often added to alternative sweeteners like stevia and monk fruit. But, unfortunately, maltitol has several drawbacks compared to other natural sweeteners.
Maltitol is slowly and incompletely metabolized in the small intestine into equal amounts of glucose and sorbitol. Glucose is readily absorbed in the small intestine and sorbitol continues to the large intestine where it is fermented by microbes in the gut.
Sugar is linked to inflammation, obesity, diabetes and chronic diseases. Sugar Alcohols such as sorbitol, mannitol, glycerol, lactitol, maltitol, and erythritol, have fewer calories than sugar because your body will not completely absorb them.
When the indigestible parts of maltitol make it to your intestines they draw water into the digestive tract by osmosis. All that water gets things, uh, moving. For instance, it gets you moving in the direction of the nearest bathroom.
Side effects may include allergic reactions, weight gain, gas, flatulence, and bloating. Maltodextrin may also cause a rash or skin irritation, asthma, cramping, or difficulty breathing. The primary sources of maltodextrin will be corn, rice, and potato, but manufacturers may sometimes use wheat.
Experts consider maltodextrin a safe product for consumption, but it may carry some risks. If you have diabetes or celiac disease, use healthier alternatives to the product. Avoid eating highly processed foods, and instead choose whole grains and vegetables to boost brain, gut, and heart health.
Unlike maltitol, maltodextrin can affect blood glucose levels -- something most people with type 2 diabetes should keep in mind. However, it may be safe to consume maltodextrin as long as you factor it into your total carbohydrate intake and limit that intake accordingly.
It's essentially a sweetener and a carbohydrate with no nutritional value, and it causes an increase in blood sugar. The levels of sugar in maltodextrin can lead to weight gain.