What are
polyols?
Polyols are sugar-free sweeteners. Polyols are carbohydrates but they are not
sugars. They are used cup-for-cup [volume-for-volume] in the same amount as sugar is used
unlike acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose, which are used in very
small amounts.
What other
names are used for polyols?
Since "polyols" is not a consumer friendly term, many nutritionists and health
educators refer to polyols as "sugar replacers" when communicating with
consumers. Scientists call them sugar alcohols because part of their structure chemically
resembles sugar and part is similar to alcohols. However, these sugar-free sweeteners are
neither sugars nor alcohols, as these words are commonly used. Other terms used primarily
by scientists are polyhydric alcohols and polyalcohols.
What sugar
replacers (polyols) are now used in the U.S.?
Those currently used in foods in the U.S. are erythritol, hydrogenated starch hydrolysates
(including maltitol syrups), isomalt, lactitol, maltitol, mannitol, sorbitol, and xylitol.
What kinds
of products use sugar replacers (polyols) as sweetening ingredients?
In the U.S., they are now used in a wide range of products, including chewing gums,
candies, ice cream, baked goods and fruit spreads. They are also used in toothpastes,
mouthwashes, breath mints, and pharmaceuticals such as cough syrups or drops and throat
lozenges.
What other
foods sweetened with sugar replacers (polyols) are expected in the future?
Sugar replacers (polyols) function well in fillings and frostings, canned fruits,
beverages, yogurt and tabletop sweeteners. Also, some functional foods or nutraceuticals
are sweetened with them.
What are
their health benefits?
Sugar replacers (polyols) provide fewer calories per gram than does sugar, they do not
promote tooth decay, and they do not cause sudden increases in blood glucose levels.
Because they taste good, people can improve the healthfulness of their diets without
having to sacrifice the pleasure of eating sweet foods they enjoy.
Do they
cause gastrointestinal problems?
For the vast majority of consumers, these sweeteners do not cause a problem. In some
people, excessive consumption may cause gastrointestinal symptoms, such as gas or laxative
effects, similar to reactions to beans and certain high-fiber foods. Such symptoms depend
on an individual's sensitivity and the other foods eaten at the same time.
What should
a person do if he or she is sensitive?
Gastrointestinal symptoms, if they occur at all, are usually mild and temporary. If a
person believes she/he is sensitive, the amount eaten on a single occasion should be
reduced. Most people will adapt after a few days, the same way they do to high fiber
foods. Many people with diabetes, for example, have learned from their health professional
to eat only a small amount of sugar-free products containing polyols at first and then to
gradually increase these foods in the diet.
Are they
safe?
Sugar replacers (polyols) have been used in foods around the world for many years. An
Expert Committee of the World Health Organization has carefully reviewed them and
concluded that they are safe for human consumption.1 In the U.S., the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) classifies some as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) and others are
approved food additives.
How do their
calories compare with sugar? Sugar provides approximately 4.0 calories per gram. The
FDA allows the use of the following caloric values:
| 3.0 calories
per gram |
hydrogenated
starch hydrolysates |
| 2.6 calories
per gram |
sorbitol |
| 2.4 calories
per gram |
xylitol |
| 2.1 calories
per gram |
maltitol |
| 2.0 calories
per gram |
isomalt |
| 2.0 calories
per gram |
lactitol |
| 1.6 calories
per gram |
mannitol |
| 0.2 calories
per gram |
erythritol |
How do they
function differently as ingredients in foods?
Sugar replacers (polyols) usually do not absorb water the way sugar does; therefore, foods
made with them do not become sticky on the surface as quickly as do products made with
sugar. Molds and bacteria do not grow as well on these sweeteners, as they do on sugar,
and so products last longer. When used in medicines, they generally do not react with
pharmacologic ingredients as much as sometimes happens with sugar.
Can they be
used in foods that are heated or cooked?
Sugar replacers (polyols) generally do not lose their sweetness when they are heated and
can be used to flavor hot beverages and in foods that are heated when processed or cooked.
However, unlike sugar, they do not usually give a crisp brown surface to foods, which are
baked.2 The non-browning property is an advantage for products for which a change in color
is not desired.
How are they
used differently in the body?
Sugar replacers (polyols) are slowly and incompletely absorbed from the small intestine
into the blood. The portion that is absorbed is metabolized by processes that require
little or no insulin. Some of the portion that is not absorbed into the blood is broken
down into smaller segments in the large intestine.3
Why do they
not cause tooth decay? Sugar replacers (polyols) are not readily converted to acids by
bacteria in the mouth and, therefore, do not promote tooth decay. The FDA has authorized
the use of the "does not promote tooth decay" health claim for food products
containing erythritol, hydrogenated starch hydrolysates, isomalt, lactitol, maltitol,
mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol, or a combination of these. The American Dental Association
has adopted a position statement recognizing the role of sugar-free foods and medications
in maintaining good oral health.
Are they
useful for people with diabetes?
Because these sweeteners have lower caloric values, they may help people with diabetes
achieve their weight goals. Non-cariogenic throat lozenges may also be useful if a
person's medications cause dryness of the mouth.
Sugar replacers
(polyols) also cause smaller increases in blood glucose and insulin levels than do sugars
and other carbohydrates. Therefore, snacks sweetened with them may be useful. People with
diabetes should consult their physician or other health professionals about the usefulness
of sugar replacers (polyols) in their daily meal plan.
How should
they be calculated in exchange lists for meal planning?
Experts in diabetes management advise that if less than 10 grams of sugar replacers
(polyols) is consumed, that serving is considered a "free food”. Above 10 grams,
subtract half of the grams of sugar replacers (polyols) from the grams of total
carbohydrate and then calculate the exchanges.
Where is
information about sugar replacers (polyols) found on the food label?
The name of the polyol appears in the ingredient list. The words sugar alcohol or the
specific name of the polyol may also appear in the Nutrition Facts panel. When are they
included in the Nutrition Facts panel? The grams in a serving may be shown voluntarily. If
a claim such as "sugar free" is made on the label, the polyol content must be
shown in the Nutrition Facts panel. FDA regulations specify that the name of the specific
polyol may appear in the Nutrition Facts Panel if only one polyol is in the food. If more
than one is in the food, the term sugar alcohols must be used. FDA is considering whether
the term "polyol" would be less confusing to consumers than "sugar
alcohol”.
Why are they
used in combination with other sweeteners? Sweetness varies among the sugar replacers
(polyols) and depends in part on the products in which they are used. They vary in
sweetness from about half as sweet as the same amount of sugar to equally as sweet as
sugar. Sometimes combining sugar replacers (polyols) gives a more pleasant taste.
Sugar replacers
(polyols) are frequently combined with other alternative sweeteners, such as acesulfame K,
aspartame, saccharin and sucralose, in sugar-free chewing gums, candies, frozen desserts
and baked goods. The sugar replacer (polyol) gives these foods mild sweetness as well as
the bulk and texture of sugar; the other alternative sweeteners bring the sweetness up to
the level consumers expect.
TECHNICAL
NOTES
The Joint Food
and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization Expert Committee on Food Additives
(JECFA)
Sugar replacers
(polyols) do not participate in the Maillard reaction.
A significant
amount of the unabsorbed sugar replacer (polyol) is metabolized to short chain fatty acids
and gases by bacteria in the large intestine. Absorbed sugar replacers (polyols) are
generally metabolized by insulin-independent mechanisms.
*** Information
provided courtesy of the Calorie Control Council.
