Sugar alcohols may also be referred to as polyol, glycitol, polyhydric alcohol and polyalcohol. The chemical constitution of these compounds make them nearer to alcohols than sugar. In commercial foodstuffs, sugar alcohols are normally used in place of sugar. Sugar alcohols are combined with high intensity imitation sweeteners to improve the taste. Xylitol remains the most popular brand. These brand names look like sugar. Unlike sugar, sugar alcohols do not cause tooth decay.

Sugar alcohols can be obtained from disaccharides and monosaccharides. There is a big difference between these. Those from disaccharides include maltitol and lactitol. They aren't hydrogenated totally is because only one aldehyde group is accessible for reduction. The simplest sugar alcohols, ethylene glycol and methanol, are sugary but exceptionally toxic chemicals utilized in antifreeze. Sugar alcohols with compound chemical set ups are typically harmless.

As a group, sugar alcohols are not as sweet as sucrose, and they have less food energy than sucrose. Their taste is like sugar, and they can be used to mask the unpleasant aftertastes of some high intensity sweeteners. Bacteria don't metabolize these sugar alcohols. These sugar alcohols show no caramelization in the presence of heat. Besides their sweetness, some sugar alcohols can yield a noteworthy menthol sensation inside the oral cavity when highly concentrated, for example in sugar-free hard candy or chewing gum. This occurs more regularly when intricate sugar alcohols in their crystal phases are used.

People with diabetes comprise the bulk of sugar alcohol customers. Customers not able to take table sugar use these. Steadily, blood sugar of diabetic patients may lower with continued use of sugar alcohol alternatives. Sugar alcohols are usually moderately absorbed into the blood from the small intestines which generally results in a smaller change in blood glucose than usual sugar. This property makes them popular sweeteners among people with diabetes and people on low-carbohydrate diet programs.

Many people are concerned about the safety of taking sugar alcohols. There are always unwanted side effects linked with unnatural substances taken in by the human body. When consumed excessively, bloating and diarrhea may occur. Constantly passing gas is also one of the main unwanted effects of sugar alcohol consumption. Sugar alcohols are not entirely digested, which leads to these uncomfortable side effects. There are many people that experience these effects more regularly than others. There are individuals that develop tolerance and no longer show these symptoms. One type of sugar alcohol that is one exception is erythritol. Erythritol is in fact absorbed in the small intestine and excreted unchanged by way of urine, so it has no uncomfortable side effects at typical levels of consumption. Owing to the unwanted side effects, people that have undergone gastric bypass should take care not to consume excessive sugar alcohol.