Sugar alcohols are a type of carb called "Polyols". Part of their chemical structure resembles sugar and part resembles alcohol. SA occur naturally in plants, fruits, mushrooms and fermented foods such as wine and soy sauce, but are mostly manufactured from sugars and starches. They are not completely absorbed by the body. Because of this, blood sugar impact is less than sugar and they provide fewer calories per gram.
Here are some examples of SA, where they come from, and how they impact blood glucose/insulin (glycemic index) levels. Notice Sugar and Malitol syrup have close to the same GI. Some SA do count
Sweetener- Source- Sweetness- GI- Cal/gram
Sucrose (sugar) for comparison 100%- 60- 4
Maltitol syrup 75%-52- 3
Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate 33%- 39- 2.8 Malitol 75%- 36- 2.7
Xylitol 100%- 1-3- 2.5
Isomalt 55%- 9- 2.1
Sorbitol (made from Corn syrup) 60%- 9- 2.1
Lactitol 35%- 6- 2
Mannitol (made from seaweed) 60%- -1.5
Erythritol 70%- 0- 0.2
MALTITOL CAUSES SERIOUS GASTRIC DISTRESS AND HAS THE MOST IMPACT COMPARED TO SUGAR.
Erythritol has the least impact on blood sugar, 0 carbs, and 0 GI. Powdered Erythritol is a great choice for baking and as a straight sweetener. It is available in granulated form and powdered form.
My point is, while these can typically be subtracted from total carbs along with fiber to get net carbs, they are NOT A FREE FOOD! They will cause blood sugar spikes and can cause weight loss to stall if consumed in large amounts. It is recommended for SA amounts higher than 5, to subtract only half the total grams listed.
The higher the GI, the more it can stimulate a blood sugar spike, resulting in an insulin response, which can trigger fat storage. Some also cause more gastric distress than others.
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