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Which Are the Alcohol Sugars?

Sugar alcohols, also known as polyols, occur naturally in fruits and berries. These reduced-calorie sweeteners are carbohydrates, but they do not increase blood sugar levels. The body processes polyols slower than cane or corn sugars. Prepackaged snack foods and beverages labeled as sugar-free and no-sugar-added contain sugar alcohols such as malitol, sorbitol, xylitol or HSH, hydrogenated starch hydrolysates. Sugar alcohols, naturally occurring sweeteners, are forms of carbohydrates whereas artificial sweeteners are chemically altered non-food additives.

  1. Sorbitol

    • Commonly labeled "sugar free" snack foods may not contain sugar alcohols.

      Sorbitol is a polyol that gives fruits and vegetables their enticing flavor. Developed from corn syrup, sorbitol holds 50 percent of the sweetness of cane or corn sugar. Sugar alcohols do not increase glucose levels, but consumers who eat more sugar-free foods to experience the same sweetness found in sugar are at risk. This sugar alcohol does not cause diarrhea as often as similar reduced-calorie sweeteners such as mannitol, Yale-New Haven Hospital notes. Sorbitol is an ingredient in sugar-free gums, candies, energy bars and energy drinks.

    Maltitol

    • Diabetic drinks contain sugar alcohols that metabolize glucose slowly.

      Maltitol is a sugar alcohol used in the manufacture of chewing gums, chocolate-flavored cakes and desserts, snack foods and ice cream. This reduced-calorie sweetener is 75 percent as sweet as cane sugar, notes the Polyol Organization. Maltitol is the choice of dessert manufacturers because it adds a creamy consistency to foods. Maltitol does not produce tooth decay and supplies some toothpastes and mouthwashes with a sweet flavor.

    Xylitol

    • Ethanol found in alcoholic beverages is not a sugar alcohol.

      Used as a food additive since the 1960s, xylitol is found in straw, corncobs, fruit, mushrooms, vegetables and cereals. The body produces this polyol during normal glucose metabolism. Distilled from plants such as birch, hardwood trees and plants, xylitol is also known as wood sugar. Xylitol has the same sweetness, texture and thickness of sugar with fewer calories, the International Sweeteners Association reports. Xylitol has no aftertaste that is described in some processed sugar alcohols. Xylitol dissolves quickly and provides a natural cooling sensation in the mouth. This unusual quality makes xylitol a commonly used food additive in breath mints, chewing gums, dental floss, toothpaste and mouthwash.

    Hydrogenated starch hydrolysates-HSH

    • Check diet yogurt labels to determine whether the sweetener is artificial or reduced-calorie.

      Hydrogenated starch hydrolysates, or HSH, are a distilled byproduct of corn, wheat or potato starch. HSH are reduced-calorie sweeteners that make up syrups, known as bulk-sweeteners. Hydrogenated starch hydrolysates are mass-produced, cost-effective food additives found in candies and snack cakes. HSH is also found in dental products and mouthwashes.

    Considerations

    • Successful diets can include sugar alcohol sweeteners as part of a healthy and balanced diet. Reduced-calorie sweeteners are not the same as artificial sweeteners found in some low calorie foods. Non-food additives can increase sugar cravings and weight gain. Check labels on all reduced-calorie foods because fewer calories from sugar may not guarantee a healthy or low-fat product.

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