I find this in the nutrition facts on "sugar free" gum. Does it have anything to do with artificial sweeteners?
2007-01-12 14:52:14 · 7 answers · asked by Holy Macaroni! 6 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
a sugar alcohol is in general a sugar molecule with an additional OH group. Typically they are sweeter and have a mouth cooling quality. You will see them a sub for regular cane sure . Less material can be used in place of traditional suger and you can reduce the caloric quantity in said product. Typical ones are sorbitol and xylitol. Look at some of the current candy product with little or no calories (gums and stuff)
2007-01-12 14:59:03 · answer #1 · answered by Titanium_Diboride 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
An alcohol is a very generic organic chemistry term for a hydrocarbon (Carbon backbone with hydrogen atoms attached) that has one or more hydroxyl groups (-OH). A sugar is also a fairly general term for a hydrocarbon that has hydroxyl groups and an aldehyde or keto group (=O). Natural sugars can either be found as a closed ring or a chain, with varying numbers of carbons (typically 4 to 7). Artificial sweeteners are made as synthetic compounds very similar to these natural sugars, but with some different substitutions (usually Cl, I believe) which don't allow the compunds to be used as energy (and thus have no caloric value). I imagine that the sugar alcohol you are refering to is a sweetener of this variety.
2007-01-12 15:03:34 · answer #2 · answered by JB 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
An OH group on a carbon atom is called an alcohol group. All sugars have these groups, so the name is a bit redundant.
Common sugars, like glucose, can exist as a chain, but are almost always found in rings. These rings are the digestible forms of sugars.
"sugar alcohols" are carbohydrates like xylitol and sorbitol. These cannot form rings, and so are mostly non-digestible. They don't hurt you though, so they can be used as sweetener, although I don't like their taste nearly as much as that of real sugar.
2007-01-12 19:36:23 · answer #3 · answered by Biznachos 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
All alcohols come from sugars. no remember if it is from a today source like sugar from sugar cane became into alcohols; or starches from mashed grain broken down into sugars that are then became into alcohol. base line is, the micro organism consume the sugar and in turn launch alcohol as a byproduct. so which you will think of of alcohol as micro organism sweat:) in keeping with threat while you're seing that on a label it is touching on sugar cane that's the top product utilized in many rums?
2016-10-07 02:05:56 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sugar alcohol, or sugar free?
Sugar is commonly Glucose (C6H1206) it is a six membered ring hemiacetal with OH groups of each carbon atom.
Fructose (corn sugar (also C6H1206) is a five member ring hemiacetal wit OH groups of each carbon atom.
They taste different.
Sugar substitutes are manmade substitues that can be 10 to 50 times sweeter than sugar (although it is said that they have a certain after taste) . They are based on animo acids as are quite compatible and non-toxic with human systems.
Saccharin was the 1st synthetic sugar free substitue. It was shown to cause tuors in laboratory rats - hence is deemed unsafe for human consumption, yet it still pervades or market place - doesn't it?
The make alcohol from sugar require a new question can't get into that here....except to say that it only can be produced in good yield from Fructose - not Glucose.
2007-01-12 15:11:40 · answer #5 · answered by Dr Dave P 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Alcohol is made by the break down of sugars into alcohol. Sugar Alcohol woudl be an alcohol where all of the sugars have not been broken down into sugars and some have been preserved in the alcohol mixture.
2007-01-12 14:57:09 · answer #6 · answered by daddyspanksalot 5 · 0⤊ 3⤋
"Sugar alcohol" is sorbitol. It is indeed non-metabolizable and non-fattening. It is made from hydrogenization of glucose.
2007-01-12 15:41:51 · answer #7 · answered by steve_geo1 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋