Erythritol has very low levels of sweetener and calories. It seems really a good food for you.
Erythritol is a natural sweetener, which has no negative impact on your overall health. It is also considered to be almost like sugar-free calories.
Basically, normal types of sugar are not too bad if you know how to use them properly.
This article will help you know if the natural sweetener erythritol is really good, and how it affects your health.
1. What is Erythritol?
Erythritol belongs to a group of compounds called sugar alcohols.
These molecules include a carbohydrate and a alcohol (it does not contain ethanol - a substance that makes you drunk).
There are many different types of sugar wine. They can be found in natural foods like fruits, but they are also being added to all sugar-free products.
The way the molecules are made can increase the taste buds, helping you feel the sweetness on your tongue.
Common types of sugar alcohols are: xylitol, sorbitol, maltitol, and erythritol, of which erythritol is different from the rest.
Erythritol contains fewer calories than the remaining sugars
- Sugar sand: 4 calories per gram.
- Xylitol: 2.4 calories per gram.
- Erythritol: 0.24 calories per gram.
With only 6% of sugar calories, it contains up to 70% of sweetener.
Due to its unique chemical structure, our bodies do not break it.
It does not change much when it goes through your digestive system, and does not cause any harmful metabolic effects of excess sugar or digestive problems associated with other sugar alcohols.
In large-scale production, erythritol is produced when a yeast ferments glucose. The final product looks like in the left photo.
2. Erythritol Does Not Increase Blood Sugar And Insulin
Humans do not have enzymes to break down erythritol.
Therefore, erythritol is absorbed into the blood and is excreted unchanged in the urine.
Healthy people use erythritol, there is no change in blood sugar and insulin levels, nor does it affect cholesterol, fat, etc.
For people with overweight, diabetes or other problems related to metabolic syndrome, erythritol seems to be a great substitute for sugar.
3. Erythritol Does Not Raise Bacteria In The Oral Cavity
The consumption of sugar mostly has adverse side effects to the teeth such as tooth decay, appear more plaque ... etc.
The harmful bacteria in the mouth can use sugar to get energy. When these bacteria are full of energy, they will grow quickly and release acid that erodes your enamel.
In addition to arythritol, there is another sugar alcohol such as xyliton that is also oral friendly. Harmful bacteria in the oral cavity cannot digest them and cannot get energy from them.
Many studies of the effects of erythritol have stated that erythritol helps reduce dental plaque effectively and destroy harmful bacteria in the oral cavity.
According to a 3-year study of 485 students, oral erythritol was much better than other sweetening products.
3. What Happens With Erythritol In The Body?
If you consume a large amount of sugar alcohol, you may experience some digestive problems. Because your body will not be able to transform all of them. Some go down the intestine as food for bacteria. But Erythritol is completely different. Most erythritol is absorbed into the body before going down the colon, where the bacteria reside most.
From the small intestine, erythritol enters the bloodstream and is stored in the blood for some time, eventually it is excreted in the urine. About 90% of erythritol is eliminated in this way.
4. Erythritol And Digestive System
There are still a small amount of erythritol having intestinal bacteria, but they cannot digest it.
Nursing studies show that, for every 1g of erythritol for 0.45kg of body weight, the digestive system tolerates it very well.
However, there are also some studies that show that consuming 50g of erythritol in one time can cause stomach pain and nausea.
If you eat too much erythritol at once, you are at a higher risk of intestinal problems.
But overall, erythritol seems to be very safe. There have been many experimental studies on metabolic health, and long-term toxicity of arythritol in animals, and studies have not found any negative effects.
5. My Concerns About Sweetener Has Low General Calories
Through many studies, I have found no negative things related to erythritol. But I still don't quite believe that low-calorie sweeteners are generally completely harmless.
Although sweeteners do not contain calories, they still increase the risk of obesity and diabetes for a long time. This is also proven in many documents.
Even some obesity researchers even believe that many processed foods that are considered super-supplements are the cause of obesity. And time will answer you.
In summary, it can be said that erythritol is an excellent sweetener.
- It has almost no calories.
- It has 70% sweetness of sugar.
- It does not increase blood sugar or insulin levels.
- There are almost no side effects for the human body. Particularly digestive problems only occur in a few people, and cases of eating them too much at a time.
I myself, in addition to using erythritol, also regularly use stevia sweet sugar to increase the taste in life.
Erythritol can be said to be one of the best products in the world.
