Diabetics will be happy to know that on the glycemic index, Erythritol is rated at zero. This means that insulin is not used to metabolize Erythritol.
Erythritol is a natural sweetener that looks and tastes like sugar, yet has only 5% of sugar’s calories or 0.2 calories per gram. Erythritol is approximately 70% as sweet as cane sugar (sucrose). Classified as a sugar alcohol or polyol, erythritol can be manufactured from starches, or extracted from plants. It’s naturally occurring in many foods, including grapes, melons, and mushrooms, as well as fermented foods like yogurt, cheese, soy sauce, beer, and wine.
Erythritol scores a zero on the glycemic index whereas sugar scores a 100. Therefore, erythritol does not affect blood sugar or insulin levels. Erythritol is unique among sugar alcohols, as 90% of it is absorbed through the small intestine and eliminated through normal bodily functions. As a result, it does not cause any laxative effects whereas polyols like xylitol might.Erythritol has a cooling effect in the mouth, similar to xylitol, and is among the strongest cooling effects of all sugar alcohols.
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