Low Carb Directory

Low Carb Products with No Sugar Alcohols

Low Carbohydrate Cook Books
 
Glycemic index of some sugar alcohols

Study showed that sucralose has no effect on glucose homeostasis in individuals with type 2 diabetes


No Calorie Sweetener, Granular Carton



Jarrow Formulas Xyli Pure Xylitol -- 16 oz - Powder



Fran Gare's Miracle Sweet
MIRACLE SWEET™, Xylitol, is an all-natural sugar substitute derived from non-genetically engineered corn cobs. Xylitol does not require insulin to be metabolized. It is teaspoon for teaspoon as sweet as sugar, and has the added quality of binding to saliva leaving a sweet taste lingering in the mouth.

Calories: 9.6g
Total Carbohydrates: 1g
Sugars: 0G

Stevita Stevia Supreme Packets - contains erythritol - a sugar alcohol

SweetLeaf Stevia Plus Fiber

Slim Sweet: Nature's New Miracle Sweetener (SlimSweet) By Martha Christy

Slim Sweet Natural Sweetener - 2.8 oz.

Stevia Powder, Green - 1/2 lb.



Xlear XyloSweet -- 100 packets


Xlear XyloSweet« -- 1 lb


Xlear XyloSweet« -- 3 lb

Glycemic Index of Sugars. Agave Nectar is low Glycemic


 

June 5, 2005

Low Carb Lifestyle

Sugar Alcohols

Sugar alcohols may stall weight loss for some of us and can cause considerable gastro-intestinal discomfort as well.

This article discusses the basics of sugar alcohols and speculates about why they might stall weight loss and/or cause gastro-intestinal discomfort.

Sugar alcohols occur naturally in fruits and vegetables such as berries, pineapple, carrots, asparagus etc.  The sugar alcohols that are added to low carb products are not naturally occurring sugar alcohols but are processed and refined in a variety of ways. 

The method of creating a sugar alcohol for use in sugar free products depends on the particular sugar alcohol.  Some are obtained from fermented glucose or through hydrogenation or are made by the partial hydrolysis of corn, wheat and potato starch. 

Common Names for Sugar Alcohols
Some names of sugar alcohols that you might find on a label are malitol, sorbital, isomalt, mannitol, xylitol, lactitol,  erythritol,  hydrogenated starch hydrolysates,  HSH (commonly labeled as Lycasin™) and  hydrogenated glucose syrups.

Some Facts About Sugar Alcohols
Sugar alcohols are polyols.  Polyols are carbohydrates but they are not sugar or alcohol.   They are chemically considered polyhydric alcohols or sugar alcohols because part of their structure resembles sugar and part is similar to alcohols.  They have fewer calories than sugar and because they are digested slowly with a portion not being digested at all, they are purported to cause less of a  rise in blood sugar then refined sugars. 

According to the  FDA sugar alcohols do not promote tooth decay or cause a sudden rise in blood glucose levels or insulin. 

Safety
The World Health Organziation considers them to be safe for human consumption.  The FDA classifies some GRAS (generally recognized as safe) and others as food additives.

Why do sugar alcohols cause gastrointestinal distress?

Sugar alcohols are not completely digested.  They remain in the colon for a long time which allows bacteria to feed on them and this is what causes gas.  They also pull water into the large intestine, which can cause diarrhea. 

Since sugar alcohols feed bacteria in the intestine, it seems possible that the gastrointestinal upset that some of us experience could be due to an imbalance in our intestinal bacteria.  An already existing bacterial imbalance could be made worse by eating sugar alcohols.

Based on their experience, some people feel that sugar alcohols  promote or worsen systemic yeast infections in the same fashion that sugar does. 

Some people feel that they  experience less  discomfort if they supplement with a good acidophilus product in order to balance their intestinal bacteria. It may take several days, weeks or months to balance your intestinal bacteria depending on the state of your intestinal bacteria and if you eat sugar alcohols you should continue to take supplements in order to stay balanced.  

Supplementation with acidophilus is unlikely to remove all discomfort for everyone but it can make a big difference for some people.

Why might some people stop losing weight when eating sugar alcohols?
There could be more than one reason why sugar alcohols stall weight loss but at this point, no one has a definitive answer.  Part of the confusion stems from the fact that not everyone seems to have stalled weight loss with sugar alcohols. 

There is controversy around whether all sugar alcohol carbohydrates should be deducted from the carbohydrate count of low carbohydrate products. The FDA say's that sugar alcohols have a minimal impact on insulin and blood sugar which is how manufacturers justify subtracting the sugar alcohol carbohydrates from the total carbohydrate count.  The problem with this is that sugar alcohols are still carbohydrates and while some have a very low glycemic index, others, such as maltitol are on the higher end of what is acceptable and may very well cause difficulty for some people, especially those who have blood sugar problems such as hypoglycemia or diabetes. 

The glycemic index is a ranking of carbohydrate containing foods based on their effect on the blood sugar levels of a healthy individual (one who processes sugars normally).  The more the effect on the blood sugar, the higher the ranking. 

The glycemic index of a particular food will vary from person to person based on the speed of their digestion.  Those who digest foods faster than the healthy model used to create the glycemic index will see more impact on their blood sugars in general. Part of the reason that sugar alcohols don't affect blood sugar as much as table sugar is due to the fact that they are digested slowly.   Sugar alcohols would have more impact on the blood sugar and insulin levels of those who digest food and or sugar alcohols faster than the average person. 

If, as some people suspect, sugar alcohols cause candida to develop or get worse, this could explain a lack of weight loss because candida often causes weight gain.

It pays to be cautious in our use of sugar alcohols.  There are few studies if any on many of the sugar alcohols so we don't know what the long term affects of their use might be.   While they may be fine for some, others who experience difficulties  should use them with caution if at all. 

The information presented here is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. We do not accept any responsibility for the use or misuse of any of the information contained herein.