Sugar Alcohols?????

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mrsbastone
mrsbastone Posts: 83 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I was hoping somebody could clear something up for me. I try to avoid sugar for the most part in my diet. It is also a personal choice to avoid artificial sweeteners as much as possible as well.
So there are some sugar free candies my daughter bought me for my birthday. It contains a Maltitol a sugar alcohol. I googled it and get the general gist of what it is. However, I am not clear on where it stands health wise. Does it have a bad reputation like artificial sweeteners? Any insight on this?

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  • BeeElMarvin
    BeeElMarvin Posts: 2,086 Member
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    Sugar alcohols give me horrible cramps and "digestive" distress.
  • RobynDCrossman
    RobynDCrossman Posts: 252
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    One word: diarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrheaaaaaaa!
  • waffleflavoredtea
    waffleflavoredtea Posts: 235 Member
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    I would limit sugar alcohol consumption. Digestive/bathroom issues don't usually happen unless you exceed a serving size in a day. From my experience a once in a while treat won't hurt you, but don't have them as a daily or even weekly treat if you can help it.
  • vjsmith
    vjsmith Posts: 48 Member
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    Sugar alcohols wreak havoc on your digestive system. The are lab created to look like sugar but the body doesn't recognize them so they are not absorbed. Some will attach to receptors in the stomach and cause other, naturally occurring sugars to not absorb which can lead to some stomach discomfort. The bigger issue is the distress they cause because as they pass through our digestive system, they cause a slight imbalance. That cause water to draw into the colon to create balance and that can cause cramping and diarrhea. This doesn't usually happen if you eat only small quantities so I would just be careful how much of the candy you eat.

    A better sugar alternative is Xylitol. It sounds like a sugar alcohol but it is naturally occurring so the body recognizes it and absorbs it. No inflammation. Stevia is good too but some don't like the taste.

    Hope it helps.
  • delilah47
    delilah47 Posts: 1,658
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    Long ago............. when I was Atkins dieting, I used to eat products that contained sugar alcohols. Although, the plan said the carbs from them didn't count; if I ate a lot, they would sabotage my diet. I know they did because they would bring me out of ketosis (a bodily state achieved by eating very few carbs). I think sugar alcohols have different effects on different people. If you suspect the maltitol is causing you to stall, by all means, quit using whatever product you are getting it from.... just for your own peace of mind.
  • vingogly
    vingogly Posts: 1,785 Member
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    A lot of low sugar/no sugar foods use sugar alcohols ... including gum, low sugar ... if you hit your Magic Limit you'll get cramps and diarrhea as the others have noted. I suspect maltilol is more widely used than other sugar alcohols with lower glycemic indexes because it's cheap. From what I've read, erythritol is less likely to cause digestive upsets ... but it has a "cooling" effect on the palate so it changes the taste of foods it's added to.

    You might also try Stevia (commercial granulated version: Truvia if it's available in your area) ... a few companies make candy sweetened with Stevia (search "stevia candy" on Amazon.com). For me, all these sugar alternatives make food taste a little off ... they don't have the same "mouth feel" as real sugar. And Stevia has a slightly bitter taste to me.

    I personally don't have any concerns about the safety of sugar alcohols or Stevia ... Sucralose also appears to be safe and is one of the artificial sweeteners deemed to be so by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). Plus, Sucralose and Stevia don't give you the runs. :)
  • vingogly
    vingogly Posts: 1,785 Member
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    A better sugar alternative is Xylitol. It sounds like a sugar alcohol but it is naturally occurring so the body recognizes it and absorbs it. No inflammation. Stevia is good too but some don't like the taste.

    Erythritol is also naturally-occurring (in fruits) ... it and xylitol are chemically classified as sugar alcohols. Both are available for purchase on Amazon.
  • BeeElMarvin
    BeeElMarvin Posts: 2,086 Member
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    I would limit sugar alcohol consumption. Digestive/bathroom issues don't usually happen unless you exceed a serving size in a day. From my experience a once in a while treat won't hurt you, but don't have them as a daily or even weekly treat if you can help it.

    I ate one piece of candy and crapped like a goose
  • Crochetluvr
    Crochetluvr Posts: 3,143 Member
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    I have to chuckle. My son got me a box of sugarless candy with Malitol for Mother's Day. He didnt realize the side effects.....he thought I would be able to "pig out" on them. He was so mad when I told him I would have to eat them VERY slowly. Those on top of my Metformin?.....not a good idea. :D
  • vingogly
    vingogly Posts: 1,785 Member
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    I ate one piece of candy and crapped like a goose

    Takes me about three pieces. I guess everything comes with a price. :)

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