Shelia Lewis: Smith County Extension

According to the American Dietetic Association's Knowledge Center review of polyol sweeteners - commonly known as sugar alcohols - the 2004 Calorie Control Council survey found some 84 percent of consumers (or 180 million) use low-calorie, reduced-sugar and sugar-free foods and beverages compared to 78 million in 1986.

Many of these products contain polyols or sugar alcohols, especially sugar-free gum, candy, ice cream, frozen desserts and baked goods. These low calorie carbohydrate-based sweeteners give the taste and texture of sugar with about half the calories. As a food ingredient, they replace sugar, cup for cup, in many sugar-free and low-calorie foods. Polyols vary in sweetness from about half as sweet as sugar to equally as sweet and are added to many sugar-free foods to add both sweetness and texture. Most often, polyols are combined with small amounts of intensely sweet, low-calorie sweeteners (aspartame, acesulfame-K, neotame, saccharin or sucralose).

In which foods do you most often find polyols used as sweeteners and to provide bulk and texture of sugar in food products? Polyols are used in foods such as sugar-free chewing gums, ice cream, candies, frozen desserts and baked goods. On food labels look for the common names of polyols (erythritol, maltitol, mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol).

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?

Low-calorie, sugar-free foods sweetened with polyols offer a number of benefits. First of all, they taste like sugar, but have fewer calories than sugar; don't promote tooth decay according to the American Dental Association; and they don't cause blood sugar to rise as rapidly as do products made with sugar that benefits all consumers, including those with diabetes. Only partially absorbed by the body, polyols have fewer calories (0.2 to 3 calories per gram) compared to sugar with (4 calories per gram).

Polyols can be used to replace sugar, glucose and certain types of starch in a variety of foods such as milk products, baked goods, sweets and candy. Since they have a lower rate of digestion and absorption than sugars, you would see a lower rise in blood glucose and insulin levels than with eating sugars and other carbohydrates. That's why food manufacturers are introducing many new food products using polyols to reduce the calories and the blood glucose response of foods.

Eat foods with high amounts of low-digestible carbohydrates like polyols in moderate amounts. For many, eating too much of polyol-containing foods (about 50 grams of polyols or more daily) may cause laxative effects similar to prunes, beans or certain high-fiber foods.

As shown in the Calorie Control Council survey, consumer preferences for low-calorie, sugar-free products, plus more polyols available, consumers can enjoy additional good tasting sugar-free and reduced-calorie products. Besides having a positive effect on good oral health, these polyols are finding their place in both weight management and blood glucose control.

For further information concerning polyols and other sweeteners on the market today, contact your local county Extension agent - family and consumer sciences, Texas Cooperative Extension, Texas A&M University System.


Shelia Lewis is a Smith County Extension agent in family and consumer sciences. She can be reached via e-mail at sk-lewis@tamu.edu.

Shelia Lewis
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