02/24/2003

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Chow Line: Sugar alcohols not sugar, not alcohol (for 3/2/03)

Writer:

Martha Filipic
filipic.3@osu.edu
(614)292-9833

Source:

Jaime Ackerman

I often see gum labeled "sugar-free" and also "not a low-calorie food." Isn't that contradictory?

I can see why you might be confused, but these two statements aren't entirely contradictory. There are sweeteners other than sugar that contain plenty of calories. Often, sugar alcohols like sorbitol, mannitol and xylitol are used to sweeten, or help sweeten, gum, breath mints and candy. But products labeled "sugar free" that don't have 25 percent fewer calories than the full-calorie product also must say "not a low-calorie food."

First, a note of explanation: The chemical structure of sugar alcohols partially resembles sugar and partially resembles alcohol, but sugar alcohols don't contain the type of alcohol (ethanol) in alcoholic beverages. So, you don't have to worry about taking a breathylyzer test if you chew sugar-free gum on your drive home from work.

Because of their chemical structure, sugar alcohols are digested differently than regular sugar (sucrose). Only about half of the carbohydrates in them is digested in the small intestine, and the amount that is digested is absorbed very slowly. That's why many food items containing sugar alcohols are marketed toward people with diabetes -- the quick rise in blood sugars that occurs when digesting regular sugar doesn't occur with sugar alcohols.

However, people trying to control blood sugar shouldn't completely ignore sugar alcohol's effect on blood sugar -- just because sugar alcohols are absorbed slowly doesn't mean they aren't absorbed at all. Don't fall into the trap of indulging in lots of "sugar-free" foods thinking they're free from all types of sugar.

Another thing to be aware of: Consuming some sugar alcohols in large amounts can cause diarrhea. The Food and Drug Administration says products whose "reasonably foreseeable consumption" could result in a daily ingestion of 50 grams of sorbitol or 20 grams mannitol must carry the statement: "Excess consumption may have a laxative effect."

One good thing about sugar alcohols: They don't start being digested in the mouth, so they don't cause cavities.

Sugar, like all non-fiber carbohydrates, has 4 calories per gram. Sorbitol is 50 to 70 percent as sweet as sugar and has 2.6 calories per gram. Mannitol is 70 percent as sweet as sugar and has 1.6 calories per gram. Xylitol is just as sweet as sugar and has 2.4 calories per gram.

Chow Line is a service of Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. Send questions to Chow Line, c/o Martha Filipic, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210-1044, or filipic.3@osu.edu.

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Editor: This column was reviewed by Jaime Ackerman, registered dietitian and Ohio State University Extension nutrition associate in the College of Human Ecology.