Thursday, March 12, 2009

Erythritol: What Is It?

By Scott Davis

If you are tired of the taste of manmade sugar substitutes or of the long-term damage these chemicals might be doing to your body, you now have a new choice. Erythritol is a sugar substitute or sugar alternative, but unlike sucralose and aspartame which are manufactured from chemicals, erythritol is a natural sweetener. It has been used in Japan since the 1980s. The USDA approved erythritol in 1990 and it has passed all subsequent reviews with flying colors.

Erythritol occurs naturally in many different kinds of fruit. Things like pears, grapes, and melons all contain erythritol naturally. Erythritol is also found in foods that have a fermentation process like wines, beers and cheeses. In the course of a normal day pretty much everyone will eat something that contains a small amount of erythritol.

Erythritol is produced by combining a sucrose or dextrose base with water and then fermenting it with a natural culture. This process is very similar to the way yogurt is made. Erythritol is very different from other types of sugar alcohols. Unlike the others, erythritol has zero calories and none of the laxative-type effects that are associated with other sugar alcohols.

Many of the artificial sweeteners for sale today are many times sweeter than regular sugar. With erythritol the opposite is true. Erythritol tends to only be about seventy percent as sweet as regular sugar. If you use erythritol as your sweetener, you will need to add a little bit more than what you are accustomed to using. It should be noted though; some manufacturers add some additional natural sweeteners to their erythritol to compensate for the difference in sweetness. Always check with the manufacturer to see what they recommend.

The biggest difference with erythritol versus other sweeteners (artificial and otherwise) is that erythritol has zero effect on the glycemic index. For diabetics, this means that glucose and insulin levels remain unaffected after using erythritol.

Erythritol has some other benefits as well. It is absorbed into the bloodstream and then secreted in the urine. Studies have shown that ninety-percent of it is excreted from the body in urine within twenty-four hours. Because it moves quickly through the small intestine and not slowly like other sugar alcohols, there is much less chance of erythritol having the same laxative effects many people experience with sugar alcohols, such as isomalt, maltitol or xylitol. It also does not mix with acids in the mouth to cause tooth decay.

It is hard to find erythritol in supermarkets. It isn't something a lot of stores are carrying yet. But it can be ordered from health food stores and is most commonly available on the internet. Erythritol is very popular for baking, especially since artificial sweeteners don't work for baking. The only reason you don't see erythritol being used more is that it is expensive to make, so it stays more of a specialty item.

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