Sugar Alcohols

Pynkklady

I see on items that say 'No sugar added', that the sugar grams ARE low, however, there is also sugar alcohols listed, which are more grams than the sugar.

Can someone explain sugar alcohol to me and is it just as bad as added sugar?

Thank you!!

ewhitis

What little I do know about it is that it doesn't make your blood sugar levels spike like regular sugar. Used it a lot when I was low carbing it. Also, if you eat too much of a product with this in it you will spend some extra time in the bathroom as it passes right through your system.:sick:

kathleennf

Wikipedia gives a good explanation:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_alcohol

LATeagno

I hate to post a link to my own blog here, but I run a low-carb blog and recently wrote about sugar alcohols in detail.

Here is the link: http://carbwatchers.blogspot.com/search/label/how to


And here's what it says (if you don't want to view the blog):"




What are sugar alcohols? Some low-carb products, such as shakes, bars, sugar-free candies and specialty snacks have another carb in them called "sugar alcohol." Sugar alcohol can mean one or more of a variety of corn-derived sweeteners such as isomalt, maltitol, sorbitol, erythitol and xylitol. These sweeteners contain fewer carbs than sugar, but sometimes are not net-carb free.

In the low-carb community, it is advised that the counting of sugar alcohols be handled on a case by case basis. Some low-carbers don't count sugar alcohols in their net carb intake (i.e. a low-carb shake product with 10 carbs; 3 grams of fiber and 4 grams of sugar alcohol, 10 - 3 - 4 = 3 net carbs) while others count sugar alcohol the same way they'd count actual sugar. Some count half the amount of the sugar alcohol (i.e. a piece of sugar free candy with 5 carbs, 1 gram of fiber and 2 grams of sugar alcohol would be 5 - 1 -1 =3 net carbs because they only counted half of the sugar alcohol carbs).

Different bodies react differently to sugar alcohol, so there is no way to know how yours will react until you try them. If you're achieving wonderful loss and you add in a few bars of sugar-free chocolate everyday and you stop losing, you should probably gather that you are sensitive to sugar alcohol and its effects on your blood sugar. If you can eat that and continue to lose, by all means, eat a one or two here and there.

A good way to tell if a product has a negative effect on your blood sugar as a low-carb dieter is to test your ketones. (Of course, you could always buy a blood glucose monitor and test your blood, but unless you're diabetic, this is probably a less attractive option.)

LATeagno

Also, if you are not low-carbing, consider what the post says, only apply it toward your total sugar intake. (Net carbs are "counted" carbs on a low-carb diet. Many low-carbers do not include sugar alcohol carbs in their total carb tallies, but some do. It's all about how it affects your body. A safe bet is to count each gram of sugar alcohol as .5 grams of sugar in your final tally.)

Lleldiranne

My SIL is diabetic, and sugar alcohols aren't counted against her carb intake (they don't impact blood sugar and, in fact, most aren't even digested). However, she has found that she has to be careful. Too many of some of the sugar alcohols lead to the runs.

Bottom line: little bit is probably okay, but don't see the carb-"free" as a justification to go overboard!

Pynkklady

Yikes! Good to know, lol. Thank you!

Pynkklady

Thanks for the info!

I'm not on a specific plan (low carb, etc), just on a caloric reduction to lose weight and get back to the good eating habits I had before I became an emotional eater.

I am trying to reduce the amount of added sugar I take in, as that was my 'comfort' food, lots and lots of sweets! I've learned not to deprive myself, which keeps me from binging, so I allow myself a treat when I feel a strong urge. I have found many low sugar treats, but a lot of them had the sugar alcohol, which I didn't know anything about. I typically only allow myself a serving size when I have a treat and I don't do it everyday, so I think I'm going to be okay.

Thanks so much for educating me and for the potential bathroom warning! :blushing:

lpeacock06

I've been wondering the same thing b/c most protein bars i've seen have them......