Sugar Alcohol

Sugar alcohol is non-alcoholic. But there are many myths about it. It is on the negative list because of misconceptions about it, and because of how food manufacturers are perpetuating those myths.

When you see a food label that says, "Only (X) Impact Carbs!", you can be sure it has sugar alcohol in it. And the carb count on the front of the package will be radically different than on the back.

Food producers are now adding sugar alcohols to foods, and then telling consumers that those carbohydrates "don't count". They lie. They DO count. They take insulin to absorb, the body uses them for energy, and they contribute to obesity if overconsumed. They certainly have an impact, and to suggest otherwise is downright dishonest.

Sugar alcohols must be counted, by the carb count on the nutrition label. They go by such names as Sorbitol, Maltitol, Lactitol, and Erithorbitol. The names tend to end similarly, and they will almost always be accompanied by a warning label that says that overconsumption may have a laxative affect.

And that's not all it can have! They also tend to be very flatulent in affect. We are not talking a little gassiness either, we are talking measurable on the Richter Scale! The laxative effect of them tends to vary from person to person with how much you consume and how your body reacts to laxatives, but the flatulence seems to strike universally. Four candies, and you are done in! Digestive effects are often accompanied by stomach cramps, within a few hours when the gas hits, and again about 24 hours later when the laxative effect kicks in.

So, am I completely indicting sugar alcohols? No. They do seem to get you out of the "sugar craving" cycle, and since you can't eat too many of them without paying for it, they are self limiting. I eat chocolates with them on occasion, when I need a little bit, and I am not tempted to overeat them because the result is terrible if I do!

Just remember that they count as carbohydrates. And just because an item says "sugarfree" does not mean you can eat all you want! In fact, many sugarfree items have sugar alcohols, mostly those that rely on sugar for texture or moistness.

Sugarfree chocolates invariably have some form of sugar alcohol. Sugarfree baked goods usually do. Low sugar nutrition bars, hard candies, and some types of chocolate milks have sugar alcohols also.

Sugarfree hot chocolate mix does not. Many kinds of no sugar added ice creams do not (a few do so read labels!), and a few of the dryer baked goods will be free of them also. Foods without sugar or sugar alcohol tend to be dryer, and lower in carbs.

Like many other things, whether they are good or bad depends on how you use them. The misconceptions about them are certainly bad for the health of many people who buy into the lie. But if you understand what they are, and how they can help you without harming you, they can be a tool to help you better manage your diabetes.

Written by Laura Wheeler, Owner of Firelight Business Enterprises, Inc.