Erythritol

Erythritol ((2R,3S)-butane-1,2,3,4-tetraol) is a sugar alcohol (or polyol) that has been approved for use as a food additive in the United States and throughout much of the world. It was discovered in 1848 by British chemist John Stenhouse. It occurs naturally in some fruits and fermented foods. At the industrial level, it is produced from glucose by fermentation with a yeast, Moniliella pollinis.

Special Precautions of Erythritol

In general, erythritol is free of side effects in regular use. When compared with other sugar alcohols, it is also much more difficult for intestinal bacteria to digest, so is less likely to cause gas or bloating than other polyols, such as maltitol, sorbitol, or lactitol.

• Doses over 50 grams (1.8 oz) can cause a significant increase in nausea and borborygmi (stomach rumbling), and (rarely) erythritol can cause allergic urticaria (hives).
• Excessive consumption of erythritol (over 80 grams per day) may result in digestive upset, diarrhea, and bloating.

Benefits and uses of Erythritol are

It is 60–70% as sweet as table sugar yet it is almost noncaloric, does not affect blood sugar, does not cause tooth decay, and is partially absorbed by the body, excreted in urine and feces

• Erythritol has almost no calories. In the United States, erythritol is labeled as having 0.2 calories per gram, which is 95 percent fewer calories than sugar. In Japan, erythritol is labeled as having zero calories.
• Erythritol has not been found to affect blood sugar or insulin levels and has a zero glycemic index.
• Erthyritol has a sweet taste. Some say it tastes more like sugar than other natural sweeteners such as stevia (which can be bitter) while others dislike the taste.
• In small amounts, erythritol is not supposed to cause digestive upset and diarrhea that other sugar alcohols like sorbitol and xylitol are known to cause, because erythritol is a smaller molecule and 90 percent of erythritol is absorbed in the small intestine and excreted for the most part unchanged in urine. This quality makes erythritol unique among the sugar alcohols. Many people, however, report side effects such as diarrhea, stomach upset, and headache after consuming normal amounts of erythritol in food or beverages.
• Erythritol isn’t metabolized by oral bacteria, which means that it doesn’t contribute to tooth decay. Erythritol was approved for use as a sugar substitute in Japan in 1990. In the United States, it is classified as being Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) since 1997. It was approved in Australia and New Zealand in 1999.