All About Sweeteners
by D. Eric Walters, Ph.D.

Artice of the week:

Sweetener article of the week

Erythritol

     

Taste:
Erythritol is about 70% as sweet as sucrose, on a weight basis.  It produces a cooling effect in the mouth, similar to xylitol.

Calories:
     Unlike other polyols, erythritol is readily absorbed in the small intestine.  It is not readily metabolized in the human body, so it provides only 0.2 calories per gram.

Safety:
Erythritol occurs naturally, at low levels, in many fruits, mushrooms, and fermented foods
such as wine, soy sauce, and cheese.
     Erythritol is largely absorbed in the small intestine and excreted in the urine.  It is not metabolized in the body.  Since most of it is absorbed, it is not subject to fermentation in the large intestine as most polyols are.  This means there is far less gas-forming and laxative effect, compared to the other polyols.  Storey et al. reported that a 50 g dose produced some rumbling (borborygmas), but no diarrhea.[1]
     Erythritol has been used in Japan since 1990 and has had GRAS status in the USA since 1996.  It received full approval from the European Union in 2008.

Chemistry:

Molecular formula: C4H10O4

Molecular weight: 122.12

Chemical structure of erythritol

Properties:
Erythritol is not hygroscopic (does not pick up moisture from the air).  It has lower water solubility than sucrose and a higher tendency to crystallize.

References:
1.  Storey, D.; Lee, A.; Bornet, F.; Brouns, F.  Gastrointestinal tolerance of erythritol and xylitol ingested in a liquid.  Eur. J. Clin. Nutr. 61:349-354 (2007).  PubMed link



Other links:
Erythritol on Wikipedia

SweetenerBook.com

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