 No mystery about the white cubed stuff. It’s the dozens of other mysteries in this article that need to be unraveled. Photo of sugar cubes courtesy of MorgueFile.com. Other photos courtesy of Stock.Xchng.
June 2005 |
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Product Reviews / Diet Nibbles / Diet CandyDemystifying Sugar SubstitutesPage 4: Nutritive Sweeteners, Continued ~ Sugar Alcohol
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Sugar alcohols occur naturally in fruits and vegetables. They have calories, though significantly fewer calories than regular sugars because they are not completely absorbed by the body. This allows products that use sugar alcohols for sweeteners to be labeled “sugar-free” or “reduced-calorie.” (Sugar-free does not mean calorie-free.) As a group, the sugar alcohols are not as sweet as sucrose (table sugar), but also they are less caloric than sucrose. They do not brown when heated (caramelize).
Because the body absorbs sugar alcohols slowly and incompletely, they produce a lower 
blood glucose response and are appropriate for diabetics. In addition, because bacteria in the mouth cannot metabolize sugar alcohols as rapidly as sugar, sugar alcohols do not contribute to tooth decay. However, ingesting large amounts can cause gas, abdominal discomfort and/or diarrhea due to fermentation by intestinal bacteria (similar to lactose intolerance). For this reason, food products containing sugar alcohols are labeled, “Excess consumption may have a laxative effect.” The FDA classifies sugar alcohols as "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS), and they are approved as food additives.
The group of sugar alcohols includes the following, along with their associated calories/gram (sugar has 4 calories/gram):
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As with the other nutritive sweeteners like table sugar, brown sugar, honey, and syrups, different sugar alcohols work better in different applications. Expense of production also impacts a manufacturer’s decision to use one over another.
Continue To Page 5: Artificial (Non-Nutritive) Sweeteners
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