Much of what I see in the grocery stores these days contains Erythritol. And for me, I had never heard of that so I was very concerned that it was not good for me. It is known to be as sweet as regular sugar but without all the negative side effects. So I decided to dabble into understanding it better.
Erythritol is a type of sugar alcohol hence why the word ends in “ol” similar to sorbitol or xylitol. It is naturally found in small quantities in fruits and vegetables. The way the molecule is structured allows it to simulate sweetness! Erythritol is made on a large scale by a type of yeast fermenting the glucose in a corn or wheat starch. For every gram of Erythritol there are 0.24 calories which is so much less than the 4 calories per gram of table sugar.
Although there haven’t been any toxic side effects seen from consuming Erythritol, it can show a negative caveat. An excessive amount of Erythritol can cause digestive problems. The digestive issues stem from the fact that the structure of Erythritol can’t be broken down until it reaches the colon. Here, in the colon, bacteria breaks down the Erythritol and produces gas…so it cause you to toot a lot! Even though we may be farting, most of the Erythritol goes into our bloodstream quite quickly where it doesn’t breakdown and gets excreted in our urine.
Two positives to using Erythritol are that it doesn’t spike blood sugar and that it has benefits in reducing heart disease. Because it doesn’t spike blood sugar, it is a great sugar alternative for those who are trying to watch their weight or have diabetes. Erythritol can act as an antioxidant and can improve blood vessel function.
Overall, it seems that Erythritol can be an amazing sugar substitute! I would be more willing to try it since now I know more about its functionality. However, always talk to a medical professional before trying something new!!
Xoxo, Z
