Alternative Sweeteners, Part 1

Alternative Sweeteners, Part 1 -Sugar Alcohols

G. Douglas Andersen, DC, DACBSP, CCN

Sugar alcohols have been used in diabetic foods for many years. With the rising level of obesity, sugar alcohols are now seen more frequently in non-diabetic foods, especially in products marketed for low carb diets. When reading a label, after total carbohydrates, manufacturers are increasingly listing “net carbohydrates” or “impact carbohydrates.” These new categories were introduced following a ruling that forced the food industry to count sugar alcohols as carbohydrates. Suddenly low carb food products had carbohydrates and that was bad for business. To calculate net or impact carbs companies subtract the grams of sugar alcohols and (in many cases) fiber from the total carbohydrate count. This number is essentially the amount of starch(s) sugar(s) in the product. Net or impact carbohydrates are not recognized by any regulatory agency. I believe it is the first time industry has responded to a ruling they opposed by inventing new macronutrient sub-classification.

Definition

Sugar alcohols are actually a group of compounds formerly known as polyhydric alcohols, now called polyols. They are nonsugar carbohydrates that are considered reduced calorie bulk sweeteners because they have a mass similar to sugar. Sugar alcohols are slowly absorbed (therefore, they have a minimal effect on blood glucose and insulin), poorly digested (large amounts have a laxative effect in some people and may cause gas or bloating in others), and do not cause tooth decay (oral bacteria cannot break them down). They resist mold and bacteria better than sugar because they do not absorb as much water as does sugar. Sugar alcohols may be cooked but (unlike sugar) do not brown with heat. Sugar alcohols got their name because one part of the their molecular structure resembles an alcohol molecule and the other part resembles a sugar molecule. They are neither a sugar nor an alcohol. Their misleading name continues to generate confusion.

Sugar Alcohols

NAME	CALORIES PER GRAM	SWEETNESS1 relative to sugar	USA REGULATORY STATUS	SOURCES	COMMENTS
Erythritol	0.02	70%	GRAS 2	Fermentation product of glucose	The sugar alcohol with the lowest amount of both gastrointestinal side effects and calories
Hydrogenated starch hydrolysates	2.4 - 3	40-90%	GRAS	Partial hydrolysis of corn, potato, or wheat starch	Calories and sweetness vary depending on the starch source and the extent of hydrolysis. There are a number of HSH subgroups
Isomalt	2.0	55%	GRAS	Oxygen is added to the fructose portion of a sucrose molecule.	Very stable with high temperature cooking
Lactitol	2.0	40%	GRAS	Reduction of the glucose portion of lactose	Due to low sweetness, often combined with artificial sweeteners
Maltitol	2.1	90%	GRAS	The hydrogenation of maltose	The closest tasting sugar alcohol to sugar
Mannitol	1.6	50%	Food additive 4	The hydrogenation of mannose	Found in algae, mushrooms, and trees, and is an isomer of sorbitol
Sorbitol	2.6	60%	GRAS	The hydrogenation of glucose	Naturally occurs in fruits and vegetables
Tagatose 5	1.5	90%	GRAS	Mirror image reconfiguration of lactose	Not a true sugar alcohol but has all the same traits – reduced calories, not as sweet as sugar, and GI side effects
Xylitol	2.4	90%	Food additive	Extracted from Birch tree pulp	Also known as wood sugar, found in straw, corn cobs, bark, and fruits and vegetables

1 Sucrose (table sugar) = 100
2 GRAS – Generally Regarded As Safe
3 Calories and sweetness vary depending on the subgroup, such as hydrogenated glucose syrup or hydrogenated sorbitol syrup.
4 A food additive approved as a flavoring agent.
5 Not a sugar alcohol

Substituting sugar alcohols for sugars and starches will reduce calories for a given food. The problem I foresee is the same thing that happened in the low fat era- counting fat, but not calories failed. Most on low carbohydrate diets only track those carbs that a given diet says “count”, forgetting about the calories involved. With more low carbohydrate foods available people will be able to eat more calories before they reach their daily carb limit. I know it is not politically correct, but this author still feels that he who eats more calories will gain more weight.

Next month in part two, we will review artificial sweeteners.

Resources

1. www.caloriecontrol.org
2. www.spipolyols.com
3. Ensminger, A.H., Konlande, J.E., Robson, J.R.K. Encyclopedia of Foods and Nutrition. Boca Raton, FL: CRS Press. 1995.

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