What are Sugar Alcohols?
Sugar alcohols (also known as a polyol, polyhydric alcohol, or polyalcohol) are carbohydrates (sugar or starch), that have been modified to contain a hydroxyl group. It is this hydroxyl group that classifies it, chemically, as an alcohol. Sugar alcohols are commonly used for replacing sucrose (sugar) in foodstuffs, often in combination with high intensity artificial sweeteners to counter the low sweetness.
Some common sugar alcohols:
- Arabitol
- Isomalt
- Mannitol
- Erythritol
- Isomannitol
- Ribitol
- Glycol Lactitol
- Sorbitol
- Glycerol (glycerine)
- Maltitol
Xylitol
Do Sugar Alcohols contain ALCOHOL?
Halal, if no alcohol is used as a solvent: E231: 2-Hydroxybiphenyl: Preservative: Halal, if no alcohol is used as a solvent: E232: Sodium Biphenyl-2-yl Oxide: Preservative: Halal, if no alcohol is used as a solvent: E233: 2-(Thiazol-4-yl) Benzimidazole: Preservative: Halal, if no alcohol is used as a solvent: E239: Hexamine.
Yes, and No. Sugar Alcohols are not made with, nor do they contain what we commonly refer to as ALCOHOL (ethanol). Yet they all fall into the chemical class 'alcohol' because like all compounds of its class, they contain a hydroxyl group (-OH) is bound to a carbon atom of an alkyl or substituted alkyl group.
Sugar Alcohols are not produced using the alcoholic fermentation process in the way that alcoholic beverages such as beer or wine are produced. Nor are they distilled in the way that gin, vodka or whiskey are. Nor do they contain the alcohol known as ethanol (ethyl alcohol), which is the type of alcohol that is present in all the alcoholic beverages mentioned above.
Are Sugar Alcohols allowed in Muslim countries?
Yes. Sugar alcohols are HALAL. They have been approved for use in foods in Muslim countries such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Qatar. This table provides regulatory information for various sugar alcohols for the countries of Qatar and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
SAUDI ARABIA permits:
- isomalt
- sorbitol and sorbitol syrup (E420)
- mannitol (E421)
- maltitol (E965)
- maltitol syrup
- lactitol (E966)
- xylitol (E967)
In accordance with good manufacturing practices in chewing gum, chocolate, confectioneny, bakery products, jams, jellies and marmalades, breakfast cereals and puddings.
Food manufacturers must only warn that mannitol, sorbitol and xylitol may cause diarrhea.
QATAR permits:
- sorbitol and sorbitol syrup (E420)
- mannitol (E421)
- isomannitol (E953)
- maltitol (E965)
- lactitol (E966)
- xylitol (E967)
Sugar alcohols (also called polyhydric alcohols, polyalcohols, alditols or glycitols) are organic compounds, typically derived from sugars, that comprise a class of polyols. They are white, water-soluble solids that can occur naturally or be produced industrially from sugars. They are used widely in the food industry as thickeners and sweeteners. In commercial foodstuffs, sugar alcohols are commonly used in place of table sugar (sucrose), often in combination with high intensity artificial sweeteners to counter the low sweetness. Xylitol and sorbitol are popular sugar alcohols in commercial foods.[1]
Production and chemical structure[edit]
Sugar alcohols have the general formula HOCH2(CHOH)nCH2OH. In contrast, sugars have two fewer hydrogen atoms, for example HOCH2(CHOH)nCHO or HOCH2(CHOH)n−1C(O)CH2OH. The sugar alcohols differ in chain length. Most have five- or six-carbon chains, because they are derived from pentoses (five-carbon sugars) and hexoses (six-carbon sugars), respectively. They have one OH group attached to each carbon. They are further differentiated by the relative orientation (stereochemistry) of these OH groups. Unlike sugars, which tend to exist as rings, sugar alcohols do not. They can however be dehydrated to give cyclic ethers, e.g. sorbitol can be dehydrated to isosorbide.
Sugar alcohols occur naturally and at one time, mannitol was obtained from natural sources. Today, they are often obtained by hydrogenation of sugars, using Raney nickel catalysts.[1] The conversion of glucose and mannose to sorbitol and mannitol is given:
- HOCH2CH(OH)CH(OH)CH(OH)CH(OH)CHO + H2 → HOCH2CH(OH)CH(OH)CH(OH)CH(OH)CHHOH
More than a million tons of sorbitol are produced in this way every year. Xylitol and lactitol are obtained similarly. Erythritol on the other hand is obtained by fermentation of glucose and sucrose.
Health effects[edit]
Sugar alcohols do not contribute to tooth decay. Studies have shown xylitol to be a deterrent to tooth decay.[2][3]
Food containing xylitol increased bone density in rat studies. These results have generated interest in the sugar alcohol that would examine if it could be a human treatment for osteoporosis.[4][5]
Consumption of sugar alcohols affects blood sugar levels, although much less than does sucrose comparing by glycemic index.[6][7] Sugar alcohols may also cause bloating and diarrhea when consumed in excessive amounts.[8]
Common sugar alcohols[edit]
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Both disaccharides and monosaccharides can form sugar alcohols; however, sugar alcohols derived from disaccharides (e.g. maltitol and lactitol) are not entirely hydrogenated because only one aldehyde group is available for reduction.
Sugar alcohols as food additives[edit]
Name | Relative sweetness (%)a | Food energy (kcal/g)b | Relative food energy (%)b | Glycemic indexc | Maximum non-laxative dose (g/kg body weight) | Dental acidityd | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Arabitol | 70 | 0.2 | 5.0 | ? | ? | ? | |
Erythritol | 60–80 | 0.21 | 5.3 | 0 | 0.66–1.0+ | None | |
Glycerol | 60 | 4.3 | 108 | 3 | ? | ? | |
HSHs | 40–90 | 3.0 | 75 | 35 | ? | ? | |
Isomalt | 45–65 | 2.0 | 50 | 2–9 | 0.3 | ? | |
Lactitol | 30–40 | 2.0 | 50 | 5–6 | 0.34 | Minor | |
Maltitol | 90 | 2.1 | 53 | 35–52 | 0.3 | Minor | |
Mannitol | 40–70 | 1.6 | 40 | 0 | 0.3 | Minor | |
Sorbitol | 40–70 | 2.6 | 65 | 9 | 0.17–0.24 | Minor | |
Xylitol | 100 | 2.4 | 60 | 12–13 | 0.3–0.42 | None | |
Footnotes:a = Sucrose is 100%. b = Carbohydrates, including sugars like glucose, sucrose, and fructose, are ~4.0 kcal/g and 100%. c = Glucose is 100 and sucrose is 60–68. d = Sugars, like glucose, sucrose, and fructose, are high. References:[9][10][11][12][13][14] |
As a group, sugar alcohols are not as sweet as sucrose, and they have slightly less food energy than sucrose. Their flavor is like sucrose, and they can be used to mask the unpleasant aftertastes of some high intensity sweeteners. Sugar alcohols are not metabolized by oral bacteria, and so they do not contribute to tooth decay.[2][3] They do not brown or caramelize when heated.
![Is Sugar Alcohol Halal Is Sugar Alcohol Halal](https://everysing.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/coca-cola1.png)
In addition to their sweetness, some sugar alcohols can produce a noticeable cooling sensation in the mouth when highly concentrated, for instance in sugar-free hard candy or chewing gum. This happens, for example, with the crystalline phase of sorbitol, erythritol, xylitol, mannitol, lactitol and maltitol. The cooling sensation is due to the dissolution of the sugar alcohol being an endothermic (heat-absorbing) reaction[1], one with a strong heat of solution.[15]
Sugar alcohols are usually incompletely absorbed into the blood stream from the small intestine which generally results in a smaller change in blood glucose than 'regular' sugar (sucrose). This property makes them popular sweeteners among diabetics and people on low-carbohydrate diets. However, like many other incompletely digestible substances, overconsumption of sugar alcohols can lead to bloating, diarrhea and flatulence because they are not fully absorbed in the small intestine. Some individuals experience such symptoms even in a single-serving quantity. With continued use, most people develop a degree of tolerance to sugar alcohols and no longer experience these symptoms. As an exception, erythritol is actually absorbed in the small intestine and excreted unchanged through urine, so it contributes no calories even though it is rather sweet.[1][8]
The table above presents the relative sweetness and food energy of the most widely used sugar alcohols. Despite the variance in food energy content of sugar alcohols, EU labeling requirements assign a blanket value of 2.4 kcal/g to all sugar alcohols.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ abcdHubert Schiweck, Albert Bär, Roland Vogel, Eugen Schwarz, Markwart Kunz, Cécile Dusautois, Alexandre Clement, Caterine Lefranc, Bernd Lüssem, Matthias Moser, Siegfried Peters (2012). 'Sugar Alcohols'. Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry. Weinheim: Wiley-VCH. doi:10.1002/14356007.a25_413.pub3. ISBN978-3527306732.CS1 maint: Uses authors parameter (link)
- ^ abBradshaw, D.J.; Marsh, P.D. (1994). 'Effect of Sugar Alcohols on the Composition and Metabolism of a Mixed Culture of Oral Bacteria Grown in a Chemostat'. Caries Research. 28 (4): 251–256. doi:10.1159/000261977. PMID8069881.
- ^ abHonkala S, Runnel R, Saag M, Olak J, Nõmmela R, Russak S, Mäkinen PL, Vahlberg T, Falony G, Mäkinen K, Honkala E (May 21, 2014). 'Effect of erythritol and xylitol on dental caries prevention in children'. Caries Res. 48 (5): 482–90. doi:10.1159/000358399. PMID24852946.
- ^Mattila, P. T.; et al. (2001). 'Increased bone volume and bone mineral content in xylitol-fed aged rats'. Gerontology. 47 (6): 300–305. doi:10.1159/000052818. PMID11721142.
- ^Sato, H.; et al. (2011). 'The effects of oral xylitol administration on bone density in rat femur'. Odontology. 99 (1): 28–33. doi:10.1007/s10266-010-0143-2. PMID21271323.
- ^Sue Milchovich, Barbara Dunn-Long: Diabetes Mellitus: A Practical Handbook, p. 79, 10th ed., Bull Publishing Company, 2011
- ^Paula Ford-Martin, Ian Blumer: The Everything Diabetes Book, p. 124, 1st ed., Everything Books, 2004
- ^ ab'Eat Any Sugar Alcohol Lately?'. Yale New Haven Health. 2005-03-10. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
- ^Karl F. Tiefenbacher (16 May 2017). The Technology of Wafers and Waffles I: Operational Aspects. Elsevier Science. pp. 165–. ISBN978-0-12-811452-0.
- ^Encyclopedia of Food Chemistry. Elsevier Science. 22 November 2018. pp. 266–. ISBN978-0-12-814045-1.
- ^Mäkinen KK (2016). 'Gastrointestinal Disturbances Associated with the Consumption of Sugar Alcohols with Special Consideration of Xylitol: Scientific Review and Instructions for Dentists and Other Health-Care Professionals'. Int J Dent. 2016: 5967907. doi:10.1155/2016/5967907. PMC5093271. PMID27840639.
- ^Kathleen A. Meister; Marjorie E. Doyle (2009). Obesity and Food Technology. Am Cncl on Science, Health. pp. 14–. GGKEY:2Q64ACGKWRT.
- ^Kay O'Donnell; Malcolm Kearsley (13 July 2012). Sweeteners and Sugar Alternatives in Food Technology. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 322–324. ISBN978-1-118-37397-2.
- ^Lyn O'Brien-Nabors (6 September 2011). Alternative Sweeteners, Fourth Edition. CRC Press. pp. 259–. ISBN978-1-4398-4614-8.
- ^Cammenga, HK; LO Figura; B Zielasko (1996). 'Thermal behaviour of some sugar alcohols'. Journal of Thermal Analysis. 47 (2): 427–434. doi:10.1007/BF01983984.
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sugar alcohols. |
- 'The Other 26 Sweeteners'. The Sugar Association, Inc. Retrieved 2015-06-03.
- Sugar Alcohol Fact Sheet – An International Food Information Council publication