Description

Erythritol belongs to a class of compounds called sugar alcohols (1).

Food producers use many sugar alcohols such as xylitol, sorbitol, and maltitol.

Most of them function as low calorie sweeteners in sugar-free or low sugar products.

Most sugar alcohols are found in small amounts in nature, especially in fruits and vegetables.

Because of the way these molecules are structured, they can stimulate the sweet taste receptors on your tongue.

However, erythritol appears to be quite different from the other sugar alcohols.

To begin with, it contains many fewer calories:

• Table sugar: 4 calories per gram
• Xylitol: 2.4 calories per gram
• Erythritol: 0.24 calories per gram

With only 6% of the calories of sugar, it still provides 70% of the sweetness.

In large-scale production, erythritol is created when a type of yeast ferments glucose from corn or wheat starch. The final product looks like powdery white crystals.