Hi all-

Could someone tell me the difference between sugar and sugar alcohol?

Thanks much!

I wondered about this when I first started the program too! Below are some notes I kept from my research. I am not sure where they were from. I scoured the internet. They are not my own original words/thoughts in many cases. BUT, you may still find the points to be of interest.

Sugar alcohols are carbohydrates, but not sugars. They are also know as polyols, and are ingredients used as sweeteners and bulking agents. Part of their chemical structure resembles sugar, and part of it resembles alcohol.

They occur naturally in foods. Some of them are extracted from plants (sorbitol from corn syrup and mannitol from seaweed), but they are mostly manufactured from sugars and starches. Sugar alcohol is used as a sugar substitute, because they provide fewer calories than sugar but, they still have calories. They vary as they contain about a half to one-third less calories than regular sugar.

(Sugar alcohols and artificial sweeteners, such as sucralose (splenda), saccharin (Sweet & Low®), aspartame (Equal® or Nutrasweet®), rebianna (truvia or purevia), and acesulfame K (potassium) are not one and the same. One difference between the types of sugar substitutes is that the artificial sweeteners contain zero calories whereas sugar alcohols contain about 2.6 calories per gram. NOT all artificial sweeteners contain carbohydrates so they do not cause blood sugar to elevate, whereas, sugar alcohols have some effect on blood sugar. Be cautious because some sweeteners such as aspartame, rebianna, and sucralose are made in multiple forms which are blended with sugar alcohols, real sugar, or real brown sugar and they do have carbs when you use quantities larger than 1 tsp.)

Sugar-alcohol is converted to glucose more slowly, requires little or no insulin to be metabolized, and do not cause sudden increases in blood sugar. Most have a glycemic index of 13 or less with only 3 having GI levels of 36 or higher.

Ingredient .............................. GI ....... cal per g
Sucrose(sugar) ........................ 60 ....... 4.0
Maltitol Syrup ........................ 52 ....... 3.0
Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate .. 39 ...... 2.8
Maltitol .................................... 36 ...... 2.7
Xylitol ................................... 13 ....... 2.5
Isomalt .................................. 9 ....... 2.1
Sorbitol .................................. 9 ....... 2.5
Lactitol ................................... 6 ....... 2.0
Mannitol ................................. 0 ....... 1.5
Erythritol .............................. 0 ....... 0.2 some have insulin response


There is often the misconception that all sugar alcohol-containing products are free foods, which is reasonable to doubt. Some of these products may still contain significant amounts of carbohydrates, and we should take care about it.

If a food contains more than 5 grams sugar alcohol, the American Diabetes Association recommends subtracting 1/2 of the sugar alcohol grams from the total carbohydrate in a food. For example, if a food contains 18 grams total carbohydrate and 6 grams sugar alcohols, subtract 3 grams sugar alcohol (1/2 the amount in the food) from 18 grams carbohydrate to equal 15 grams total carbohydrate.


Sugar alcohols are like sugar in some ways, but they are not completely absorbed by the body. Because of this, the blood sugar impact of sugar alcohols is less and they provide fewer calories per gram.

It is important to note that the different types of sugar alcohols will be absorbed differently in the body and each one will in turn have a different effect on blood sugar levels. Also, due to the fact that sugar alcohols are not completely absorbed when they are ingested, they can ferment in the intestines. What that does is cause bloating, gas and diarrhea. Individuals will also have different reactions to different sugar alcohols, so it is important to experiment with caution.

Unfortunately, there are some negatives associated with sugar alcohols. The most common side effect is the possibility of bloating and diarrhea when sugar alcohols are eaten in excessive amounts. There is also some evidence that sugar alcohols, much like fructose (natural fruit sugar) in fruit and fruit juice can cause a "laxative effect." Weight gain has been seen when these products are overeaten. The American Diabetes Association claims that sugar alcohols are acceptable in a moderate amount but should not be eaten in excess. Some people with diabetes, especially Type I diabetics, have found that their blood sugars rise if sugar alcohols are eaten in uncontrolled amounts.

Just had to comment. This is a superb post. It's worthy of Tips for Newbies?

Thank you.

Sure, I can cross post it for future reference. Should I also post it to faq? I don't know where people would look for it first. Would they see it as a tip or a possibly common question?

Welcome back Carla!!

This post is timely. I know you posted something similar some time ago but had trouble finding it...I have now copy and pasted it into a Word document, like I have much of the wisdom and recipes.

Deb

Thanks for the info Carla. I had asked this very question on a different thread. My question now is...What is IPs stand on sugar alcohols - acceptable or not? Should it be looked at as similar to sucralose, acceptable but in small doses?

IP allows for xylitol (the gums permitted are made with it). There is confusion over erythritol as it actually has effected some like sugar. (Several of the gals on this forum early last summer tried products with it and noticed they were pulled from ketosis and had "sugar highs"). Of the others, most are frown upon when I asked.

Any of the sugar alcohol with a GI about 13 should not be used. The foods allowed on the phase 1 protocol are generally (the bulk) a GI of 16 or less.

Remember, sugar alcohols do not fit in the zero cal or zero carb categories of the guideline for what else you can add. That being said, they are really questionable and should be used sparingly.