Have you heard about sugar alcohols?

Sugar alcohols are a class of chemicals that are derived from plants. They are commonly used in low-fat or low-calorie foods as a way to reduce the overall calorie count of the food. Sugar alcohols are the middle ground chemical between pure sugars like sucrose which have a sweet taste and high calories and artificial sweeteners, which have an unnatural sweet taste but no calories.

Sugar alcohols contain a large number of calories, but provide a strong sweet taste to the food and are derived from natural sources. Artificial sweeteners provide a weaker sweetness, but contain no calories but some have been shown to cause cancer in laboratory testing. Sugar alcohols contain less than half the calories of pure sugars, provide a strong sweet flavor and are derived from natural sources. The taste provided by sugar alcohols is also a ´cooler´sweetness that is often associated with chewing gum and hard candy.

Sugar alcohols are also different than sucrose and other pure sugars in that they are not completely absorbed by the intestines. What this means is that while sugar alcohols contain less than half the calories as common sugars, the amount of calories absorbed by the body is even significantly less than that. Because sugar alcohols are not absorbed as rapidly by the small intestines, it makes it a great choice for diabetics because there will not be a spike in blood sugar levels following consumption of sugar alcohols.

Sugar alcohols, while a true alcohol do not cause the altering of mental state associated with other alcohols. But because of their slow absorption by the small intestines, bacteria in the intestines are able to cause fermentation of the sugar which can result in bloating and gas formation. Sugar alcohols also behave much differently in the mouth. While normal sugars are closely associate with tooth decay and bad breath, sugar alcohols do not cause tooth decay, and certain sugar alcohols actually diminish the amount of bacteria in the mouth, thus reducing bad breath.

The only real danger in consuming sugar alcohols is in the labeling that is often used by foods that contain them. Sugar alcohols are not calorie free so it is important to remember that they are not a free pass for natural sweetness. They also have slightly less sweetness than sucrose, so, in some cases, the calorie-to-sweetness level may not be as great as one would originally think. But as a middle ground sugar substitute, they are an excellent addition to foods as long as they are used in moderation.