What Is Sugar Alcohol- Is it An Artificial Sweetener?
In this age, people are struck by many diseases, but diabetes and blood pressure are the most common. Hence those who have diabetes always worry about their blood sugar levels and try all possible options to satisfy their sweet tooth or their desire for the taste of sugar, and at the same time control their blood sugar levels. Sugar is loaded with calories and has a lot of health disadvantages.
Hence people with diabetes always look for some better option that can offer them the same taste but does not increase the blood sugar or calories. Sugar alcohol can be used for this, and it is a perfect alternative to sugar.
For diabetes patients, it is important to understand the concept of sugar-free and sugar alcohol as they love eating sweet items but want to keep the sugar level under control. Sugar alcohol does not contain any element of alcohol and hence from the viewpoint of alcohol, it is absolutely safe to consume. However, there are various factors in sugar alcohol also, and hence one needs to keep a sharp watch and read the label before going for a particular sugar-free item.
What Is Sugar Alcohol?
sugar alcohol is a sweetener with low calories, and sugar alcohol is extracted from different forms of sugars. They are widely used for making various food items such as pudding, cakes, pastries, and candies. There are also a few beverages made using alcohol sugar. These food items are most sought after by people who want to control calorie intake but are unwilling to give up sweet foods.
There are various sugar alcohols such as isomalt, maltitol, xylitol, glycerol, mannitol, erythritol, and hydrogenated starch. They have no alcohol content in them except for the name.
The Known Usages Sugar Alcohol
As mentioned earlier the sugar alcohol is an artificial sweetener with low calories or zero calories. Hence for the people who want to reduce weight, it is the best option. They can happily eat their food without any worry of adding calories or putting on weight. For patients with diabetes also it is an excellent alternative to having tasty food and still have control on the blood sugar levels.
Those who work out at the gym or if they are in a field job with plenty of physical activity need not be concerned too much about calories. For people who have a sedentary lifestyle foods based on sugar alcohol are the best option.You can prepare several tasty dishes right at home using sugar alcohol.
Various Sugar-Free Alcohols And Their Usages In Industry
Most of you would be curious to know how sugar alcohol works. It is also extracted from regular sugar and has the same sweet taste as well, but at the same time it contains no calories or is very low in calories when compared to regular sugar. Xylitol is a sugar alcohol that is extracted from plain sugar only, but after the process, it is left with hardly 40% of the calorie from plain sugar and hence it is widely used for making puddings, ice cream, tea, coffee, chewing gum and candies.
Sorbitol is another known sugar alcohol used in the industry. It is almost 60% as sweet as plain sugar but at the same time has 60% fewer calories. Hence it is widely used in making beverages, jellies, and other such sweet foods.
Elements In Sugar Alcohol
Erythritol is another known element in sugar alcohol that is very sweet but with a low-calorie count. The popular sweetener Truvia is made out of stevia which is an excellent alternative for sugar and erythritol. Erythritol causes no side effects to the human body as it is absorbed before it can reach the large intestine, hence it is considered safe for diabetics.
Another name of the element in this list is Maltitol. It tastes just like sugar and is sugar-free. There are many sugar-free foods made using maltitol, but as it is absorbed by the intestine, there are high chances that it will shoot up the blood sugar levels, hence caution needs to be exercised while consuming Maltitol.
Sugar alcohol is considered good for the teeth as there is no sugar or starch in it. Tooth decay is actually caused by excess sugar consumption, and as these all elements are sugar-free, there seldom are any adverse effects on the teeth.
Benefits Of Sugar-Free Alcohol
There are many advantages in consuming sugar alcohol. The obvious advantage is the low-calorie intake that helps the users control the sugar levels. It also contains dietary fiber and hence is considered very good for health. Xylitol feeds bacteria which can assist the human body to counter digestion problems and therefore one can avoid lots of other diseases that may occur due to the problems related to absorption.
Xylitol is also packed with minerals and other elements that are very good for the bones. The bone volume, as well as mineral content, can be increased with the help of this element that can help to counter bone diseases such as osteoporosis. Xylitol also has collagen, which is good for the skin tissues as it is rich in protein. Hence people with chronic skin problems can also try sugar alcohol. It also helps counter obesity and diabetes apart from various skin problem.
The Side Effects Of Sugar Alcohol
The sugar alcohols are also not totally free of side effects. Of the known side effects caused by sugar alcohol, digestive problems are at the top of the list. It can lead to gastric troubles, indigestion and diarrhea as well. However, this is not the case with the users of Xylitol. One must note here that these side effects are caused only when alcohol sugar is used in excess. When used in measured quantities, there are numerous benefits of sugar alcohol.
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