Ananda Mahony
NaomiSugar Alchols - are they really as good as they sound? (LINK)
March 27th 2008 06:54
Sugar Alcohols
“Sugar-free, low sugar, zero sugar”. These are marketing claims seen on many packaged foods such as yoghurt, lollies, chewing gum, biscuits and diet foods promoted as “health” foods due to their low sugar content. The question is how can these foods have a sweet taste and yet contain little or no sugar and no artificial sweeteners? In a market that is more health savvy, sugar alcohols such as xylitol, sorbitol and mannitol are commonly being used in foods to replace sugar and artificial sweeteners.
Sugar alcohols tend to have a similar taste providing a similar sweetness to sugar while avoiding the bitter aftertaste and potential health risks that are associated with artificial sweeteners. They also tend to have less impact than sugar on blood glucose levels. Sound wonderful? This article takes a critical look at sugar alcohols to see if they are actually as good as they are made out to be or if they are just another “green-wash” in a market flooded with pseudo-health foods.
Also known as polyols, sugar alcohols are a type of carbohydrate formed from an alcohol portion and a sugar portion. Despite the name sugar alcohols don’t contain ethanol and so you won’t become intoxicated from consumption. Sugar alcohols tend to be less sweet and also contain between ½ to 1/3 less calories than sugar (2 or 3 calories compared to 4 with sugar). Apart from their sweet taste, sugar alcohols also help to bulk out foods, provide texture and “mouth feel” to products such as chewing gum. While they occur naturally in fruits and vegetables, most sugar alcohols used in food production are commercially produced from glucose, sucrose or starch.
It is important to remember however, that sugar alcohols don’t necessarily act like sugar in the body. Sugar alcohol absorption from the small intestine into the blood stream is incomplete resulting in a reduced rise in blood glucose when compared to sugar. For this reason they are popular in foods products targeted to the diet, low carb and diabetes market. <br><br> Next blog I look at the "no sugar" and "low sugar" claims on foods containing sugar alcohol. Are the claims true?
“Sugar-free, low sugar, zero sugar”. These are marketing claims seen on many packaged foods such as yoghurt, lollies, chewing gum, biscuits and diet foods promoted as “health” foods due to their low sugar content. The question is how can these foods have a sweet taste and yet contain little or no sugar and no artificial sweeteners? In a market that is more health savvy, sugar alcohols such as xylitol, sorbitol and mannitol are commonly being used in foods to replace sugar and artificial sweeteners.
Sugar alcohols tend to have a similar taste providing a similar sweetness to sugar while avoiding the bitter aftertaste and potential health risks that are associated with artificial sweeteners. They also tend to have less impact than sugar on blood glucose levels. Sound wonderful? This article takes a critical look at sugar alcohols to see if they are actually as good as they are made out to be or if they are just another “green-wash” in a market flooded with pseudo-health foods.
Also known as polyols, sugar alcohols are a type of carbohydrate formed from an alcohol portion and a sugar portion. Despite the name sugar alcohols don’t contain ethanol and so you won’t become intoxicated from consumption. Sugar alcohols tend to be less sweet and also contain between ½ to 1/3 less calories than sugar (2 or 3 calories compared to 4 with sugar). Apart from their sweet taste, sugar alcohols also help to bulk out foods, provide texture and “mouth feel” to products such as chewing gum. While they occur naturally in fruits and vegetables, most sugar alcohols used in food production are commercially produced from glucose, sucrose or starch.
It is important to remember however, that sugar alcohols don’t necessarily act like sugar in the body. Sugar alcohol absorption from the small intestine into the blood stream is incomplete resulting in a reduced rise in blood glucose when compared to sugar. For this reason they are popular in foods products targeted to the diet, low carb and diabetes market. <br><br> Next blog I look at the "no sugar" and "low sugar" claims on foods containing sugar alcohol. Are the claims true?
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