Is Sugar Alcohol Sugar?
- Astrin Damayanti, R.D.
Question
I recently noticed that some energy bars promote zero sugar but upon inspection, the nutritional facts included "sugar alcohols". What is sugar alcohol and does it count as sugar?
Answer
You may notice many 'no sugar added' or 'sugar free' labeled foods contain sugar alcohol. Sugar alcohol is actually neither sugar nor alcohol, it tastes sweets and its chemical structure looks like alcohol.
The followings are some of the common names of sugar alcohol: sorbitol, xylitol, and mannitol and they are frequently used in many processed foods including cookies, candies, chewing gum, and ice cream.
Sugar alcohol comes naturally from plants and its calorie content is about 2 calories versus 4 calories per gram in table sugar. It adds sweetness to foods without the extra calories.
For those with diabetes, sugar alcohols do not affect blood glucose level as much as real sugar. However eating too much of sugar alcohols may cause digestive problems such as gas, diarrhea and cramping for some people.
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