Erythritol

[waquin]

Roger,
What do you think about erythritol? It's healthier than Splenda, which is made using chlorine.

What erythritol is :

Erythritol is the sugar alcohol (polyol) that has the least impact on blood sugar. Erythritol has almost zero calories, carbs, and glycemic index. The reason is a bit different that most sugar alcohols, which are only partially absorbed in the small intestine. Most (60-90%) of the erythritol is absorbed into the blood, but is then excreted in the urine. Because of this, erythritol tends to produce much less intestinal distress than other sugar alcohols.
Where erythritol comes from:
Erythritol occurs naturally in small amounts in some fruits, and in greater amounts in certain mushrooms and other fungi, and in fermented foods such as wine and soy sauce. The form used in foods is generally made by the fermentation of plant sugars.
What erythritol is good for:
Erythritol has 60-80% of the sweetness of sugar. Especially when used plain it tends to have a cooling effect in the mouth.It can at least partially replace sugar or artificial sweeteners for most uses.
Erythritol is not widely available in stores at this time, so most must order online. It comes in both granulated and powdered forms. The powder is preferable for most uses, because the granulated form seems to stay grainy unless dissolved in water. If you end up with some granulated erythritol, just run it through the blender for awhile to pulverize it (the food processor doesn't work for this).

Thanks and God bless,
waquin 

[LINDA RN]

Any no-cal sweetner is "legal" on LDL. However, you have to consider the health risks vs any weight loss benefits in using them. As Mary said it has apparently been used in many other products.

Even though a no-cal sweetner reduces calorie intake and enhances weight loss, it still sets up the same body response as if you had taken in real sugar. In otherwords, using sugar-free mints or gum still signals the body that you are eating something sweet and your body responds by sending out insulin.

[CodingQueen]

Erythritol isn't TOTALLY absorbed and, therefore, does cause gastrointestinal issues as well as headaches in some individuals. If someone is looking for a sugar alcohol to use instead of Stevia then they need to use Xylitol. It's totally absorbed by the body and doesn't cause any side effects.

But, as LINDA RN mentioned, sugar alcohols will cause your body to sometimes crave sweets just like real sugar.

CQ

[waquin]

Little Mary,
I don't care for Stevia because it leaves an aftertaste in my mouth. I have tried 2 different brands of it and still have the aftertaste.

Linda, R.N.,
This is what I read about insulin response and Erythritol:

High amounts of sugar in the diet can result in diabetes and obesity.  Consequently, healthy alternatives to glycemic sweeteners are important for the future health of the population. Erythritol is a unique sweetener that is classified as a sugar alcohol. It is structurally similar to sugar, found in a variety of fruits and vegetables and is naturally produced in the human body. Erythritol differs from other sugar alcohols, as it is virtually calorie free. It also has no adverse effects on digestion and has several positive health effects.

"Erythritol has no insulin response" and is safe for diabetics and desirable in low glycemic load food products. Erythritol does not cause cavities. Unlike many artificial sweeteners, Erythritol can be used in applications that require high temperature, such as baking and pasteurization.

Here is another website: HealthCare Professionals; pertaining to insulin response to Erythritol:
http://www.zsweet.com/htmls/health-prof ... tinal.html

And another: http://hubpages.com/hub/Erythritol

This why I wondered if using the pure Erythritol would be better than other sweeteners.
Thanks and God bless Mary and Linda.
 

[LINDA RN]

You may be right Wauquin,
What I had read was that anything that tasted sweet in the mouth would mount the insulin response. Maybe they have the studies to prove this does not. If the Xylitol makes the same claim about the no insulin response, then to me it may be better. If not then try this one. As long as you don't have the GI problems it may work well for you.

[CodingQueen]

This is part of a newsletter written by Dr. Mercola on July 17, 2010....CQ

"Erythritol is a sugar alcohol, a type of sweetener that provides fewer calories than sugar. But despite the name, sugar alcohols are neither sugar nor alcohol. It is actually not that bad of a sweetener, far safer than artificial sweeteners, fructose and most of the other sugar alcohols, except xylitol."

[waquin]

Thanks ladies for your responses. It's so nice to be able to get answers to all our questions on LDL.
Thank you Lord for LDL and all the people on this website.