Polyols

Nick500

Question about polyols here.

First of all some background information:

What are Polyols?

* Polyols are sugar-free sweeteners. Polyols are carbohydrates but they are not sugars. Unlike high potency sweeteners like aspartame which is used in very small amount, polyols are used in the same quantity as sucrose. Chemically, polyols are considered polyhydric alcohols or sugar alcohols because part of their structure resembles sugar and part is similar to alcohols. However, these sugar-free sweeteners are neither sugars nor alcohols, as these words are commonly used.
* They are derived from carbohydrates whose carbonyl group (aldehyde or ketone, reducing sugar) has been reduced to a primary or secondary hydroxyl group.
* The most widely used polyols are sorbitol, mannitol, and maltitol. Sorbitol is derived from glucose, mannitol from fructose, and maltitol from high maltose corn syrup. There are a number of different polyols, please see our Polyols Comparison Chart (PDF format) to help in selecting a polyol or blend of polyols needed in a formulation.

What do Polyols do?

* Polyols are derived from sugars, but they are not processed by the body like sugars. Polyols have many advantages such as reduced calories as compared to sugar, reduced insulin response, ability to be labeled "sugar-free" and "no sugar added", do not promote tooth decay, and do not brown in bakery applications (i.e. no Maillard reaction).

What are Polyols’ functionality?

* Polyols are used mostly in confectionery, food, oral care, pharmaceutical, and industrial applications. Some characteristics of polyols are fewer calories, pleasant sweetness, ability to hold moisture, and improved processing. Polyols serve as humectants, bulking agents, and freeze point depressants. Polyols are versatile ingredients, used in a variety of applications to provide value-adding properties. For a few examples go to Applications.

To learn more about the function that various polyols can provide in an application, click on one of our technical bulletins listed below or Contact Us for more information.

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EDIT: found another interesting article:

Can I Eat Sugar Alcohols On My Low Carb Diet?

"Polyols" or sugar alcohols are a number of differentcarbohydrates that are neither sugars nor alcohols--andare commonly used as artificial sweeteners in a rangeof products, from ice cream to chewing gum.

While these tasty sweeteners appear to be the perfectsolution for both low-carb dieters and low-carbfood producers, recent studies of sugar alcoholshave painted a somewhat different picture.

To begin with, sugar alcohols are not entirely carb-free.Most studies have indicated that sugar alcohols containapproximately 1/2 to 1/3 the amount of calories assugar--and in the form of carbohydrates.

In addition, studies have shown that sugar alcoholsare absorbed by the small intestine, but the processis slower and fractured. This affects a risein blood sugar, but again is smaller and more gradualthan with sugar--and the rise tends to vary fromperson to person.

Sugar alcohols also have a laxative effect on someconsumers. Since they are only partially absorbed,they bring water into the bowel--and undigestedcarbs into the colon, creating gas and bloatingas the carbs are acted on by bacteria.

Over-consumption of sugar alcohols can oftenhave an adverse effect on low carb dieters,even when they can digest them properly.Sugar alcohols can trigger cravings inlow carb dieters, causing them to deviatefrom dietary restrictions.

In addition, sugar alcohols can often causelow carb dieters to choose an unhealthydiet of sweets, which appear to be carb-free,over a varied diet that includes essential nutrients.

If you are currently on a low carb diet and wantto mix sugar alcohol products into your diet,it is very important that you monitor your totalsugar alcohol intake--and keep it at a minimum whileconsuming a healthy diet.

One easy way to do this is to determine the totalamount of carbs in sugar alcohol products you areconsuming. You can do this by subtracting theamount of fat and protein calories per serving from the total amount of calories per serving. Simply multiply the grams of protein by four and the grams of fat by nine. Now subtractthe sum of the two from the total amount ofcalories per serving.

Using these figures, you can determine whetheror not carbs are being "hidden" in "carb free"sugar alcohol products you consume, allowingyou to make a better-informed decision thatfits the prescriptions of your low-carb diet.

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Questions:

-Do they raise insulin significantly?
-Are they acceptable to eat on a precomp or dieting-down diet?
-Do they give you the shits?
-I love these things called AQUADROPS ~:~
but they are 95% carbohydrate, but all polyols, not sugars... are they bad?


Nick

Nick500

bump

Extreme

When we were developing our Nutri-Pro Bars we tried loads of formulas, some with polyols, these ones tasted nice and were quite chewy but (purely scientific) after eating 3 of them I was intolerable. Bad wind, bad smell and increased time in the toilet, which had to be left undisturbed for the next hour to let the aroma dissipate.

Polyols are pretty cheap but I found were not a sensible option to add to a convenience product,

www.extremenutrition.co.uk
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