As a group, sugar alcohols are not as sweet as sucrose, and they are also less caloric than sucrose. Their flavor is like sucrose, and they can be used to mask the unpleasant aftertastes of some high intensity sweeteners. In addition to their sweetness, some sugar alcohols can produce a noticeable cooling sensation in the mouth when highly concentrated, for instance in sugar-free hard candy ("boiled sweets") or chewing gum. This cooling sensation is due to the dissolving of the sugar alcohol into solution being an endothermic (heat-absorbing) reaction. Sugar alcohols are not metabolized by oral bacteria, and so they do not contribute to tooth decay. They do not brown and caramelize when heated.
Sugar alcohols are usually incompletely absorbed into the blood stream from the small intestines which generally results in a smaller change in blood glucose than "regular" sugar (sucrose). This property makes them popular sweeteners among diabetics and people on low-carbohydrate diets. However, as for many other incompletely digestible substances (such as dietary fiber), overconsumption of sugar alcohols can lead to bloating, diarrhea and flatulence because they are not absorbed in the small intestine. Some individuals experience such symptoms even in a single-serving quantity. With continued use, most people develop a degree of tolerance to sugar alcohols and no longer experience these symptoms. As an exception, erythritol is actually absorbed in the small intestine and excreted unchanged through urine, so it has no side effects at typical levels of consumption.
The table above presents the relative sweetness and measured caloric content of the most widely-used sugar alcohols. Despite the variance in caloric content of sugar alcohols, EU labeling requirements assign a blanket value of 2.4 kcal/g to all sugar alcohols.
People who have undergone gastric bypass surgery, specifically Roux-en-Y (RGB), should be careful not to eat too many sugar alcohols as doing so can lead to "dumping".[citation
2007-10-22 17:17:51
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answer #1
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answered by Anonymous
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2016-09-13 09:53:50
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answer #2
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answered by ? 3
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Sugar alcohols are like others have said, a sweetener used that is not absorbed into the bloodstream completely and therefore causes only a minimal effect on glucose levels.
Almost everything you see marketed to diabetics have sugar alcohols in them. No sugar added ice cream, sugar free chocolate, sugar free syrup; if it says Sugar Free or No Sugar Added, it probably has sugar alcohol, even if it has a Splenda logo on it.
I use alot of these things, and I'll give you my opinion on them. Most of them taste fine. Alot of them I would even go so far to say taste very good. Things like ice cream and syrup and other things that are not baked or overly processed have never given me any trouble whatsoever as far as stomach problems and laxative effects. Candy and cookies, however, do sometimes give me a stomach problems or send me to the bathroom repeatedly. The candy and cookies usually taste pretty good, however. If you buy something with sugar alcohols, try to stick to the recommended serving size, and you should not have any major problems.
2007-10-23 14:28:16
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answer #3
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answered by Jared S 4
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Alcohol sugar is a carbohydrate, it is not good for him. Why not stay away from 'diabetic foods' or 'sugarless' items and find the healthy alternatives in natural foods?
He would be so much better off, and the flavors and textures will be much better, too.
2007-10-22 17:18:36
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answer #4
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answered by nora22000 7
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Alcohol is simply a term that means you have 5 atoms in a pentagon shape as the basis of a molecule. It wont be metabolized the same as a carbohydrate.
But if he is eating candy (not including gum) make sure he doesnt eat these things in excess, because they can cause loose stools.
2007-10-22 17:19:26
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answer #5
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answered by freshbliss 6
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Look on the label of a sugar-free candy, and you're likely to see words like maltitol, xylitol, and sorbitol. These are sugar alcohols. However, they aren't actually sugar or alcohol. So what are these substances and how will they affect your body?
2007-10-22 17:19:58
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answer #6
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answered by JRM 3
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All food and drink are converted in glucose by your body, this is the fuel that nourishes your cells. Alcohol is not good for diabetics, your organs are continually under attack by the ravages of this disease, your liver can do without the extra load of processing alcohol.
2007-10-23 04:50:22
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answer #7
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answered by johnandeileen2000 7
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what's the version between 6 grams sugar and 7 grams of sugar?? Sugar alcohols supply me severe gas! ???? i could plenty relatively manage the greater gram of tangible sugar in a large tasting cookie as to have the gas. sugar is carbs is sugar is carbs no remember what form the sugar is!!! i do no longer count quantity grams of "sugar" ever. Cookies have wheat flour in them and that's "sugar" additionally!! count quantity the grams of carb!!!
2016-10-07 10:43:24
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answer #8
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answered by ? 4
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sugar alcohols make some of us really have bad gastric problems!!
2007-10-23 06:51:44
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answer #9
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answered by Nana Lamb 7
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