What To Look Out For With Partly Digested Sugars (Sugar Alcohols)

Some sugars are not completely digested. You may recognize these sugars by the terms "sugar alcohol," "polycols," or "sugar replacers." Because they really do not contain any alcohol, the term "sugar alcohol" is often confusing. However, you will see this term used in the nutrition facts panel of a food label under Total Carbohydrate.

If there is only one sugar alcohol in a food, the specific ingredient name is listed (e.g., sorbitol). If two or more are used, the panel says "sugar alcohol." The individual names are always listed in the ingredient list. They include sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, isomalt, malitol, lactitol, and hydrogenated starch hydrolysates. You can find these in a variety of foods including candy, cookie, throat lozenges, and chewing gum.

Main points to know. There are three main points to know about sugar alcohols:

• They are often found in foods that are labeled "sugar-free" or "no added sugar," but the food may still contain calories from other carbohydrates.
• They may cause stomachaches and excess gas.
• They should not be used to treat hyopglucemia.

We do not have enzymes in our mouth to start the digestion of sugar alcohols, so unlike other caloric sweetners, sugar alcohols will not cause tooth decay. In fact, since they are not completely digested, they have pluses and minuses. On the positive side, they produce a smaller rise in blood glucose than regular sugar, and give you additional low-carbohydrate food choices. On the negative side, they can cause stomachaches, excess gas, and even diarrhea because they are partially digested. Eating smaller amounts of such foods at one time can help eliminate the problem.

Sugar alcohols are sometimes added to food products that are sweetened with a low-calorie sweetener because they add bulk (filler) and few calories. When you take sugar out of a food, you not only lose the sweet taste, you also lose bulk. The sugar alcohols replace the bulk while the low-calorie sweetener replaces the sweet taste (since sugar alcohols are only half as sweet as other caloric sweeteners).

Additional points to know. There are two additional points that those who adjust their before-meal insulin based on the carbohydrate content of the meal should know.

• Sugar alcohols produce a slower and lower rise in blood glucose than other sugars or starches.
• On average, only half of the sugar alcohol carbohydrate needs to be counted into your carbohydrate grams, because only half of it is digested.

Because sugar alcohols are only partially digested, only half the carbohydrate grams listed next to the specific sugar alcohol (e.g., sorbitol) or the general term "sugar alcohol" are available to raise your blood glucose. To get the true amount of available carbohydrate from a food with a sugar alcohol, subtract half of the sugar alcohol grams from the Total Carbohydrate amount. As an example:

• Divide sorbital grams by two: 16 / 2 = 8
• Subtract 8 from 19 = 11 grams of total carbohydrate that are available to raise your blood glucose.

For some people, this will be a small amount of carbohydrate and will not make a difference. For others, however, it may help with blood glucose control, and choosing the amount of food to eat.