Erythritol (low calorie natural sugar substitute)
85I first found out about erythritol when I bought Honest Tea's Tangerine Green Tea, which has only 10 calories but is all natural. How? It uses a little-known, natural low-calorie sweetener called erythritol. Erythritol has only 5% of the calories of sugar, but 70% of the sweetness.
It's a sugar alcohol, but with a few key benefits over both sugar and other high-calorie natural sweeteners, and sorbitol, maltitol and others used in low-carb products today.
Benefits of erythritol vs. maltitol, sorbitol and other sugar alcohols
- fewer calories--0.2 calories per gram, versus 2.1 and 2.6 calories per gram in maltitol and sorbitol, respectively
- higher digestive tolerance (i.e. no bloating or diarrhea)--it is much harder for bacteria in your digestive tract to digest and convert to gas; it is for the most part absorbed into the bloodstream and excreted through urine unchanged
Advantages of erythritol over sugar, honey, maple syrup, etc.
Other benefits of erythritol
- It's 100% natural, occurring naturally in fruits like canteloupe and grapes. Also, it's a natural by-product of fermentation by bacteria in your digestive tract.
- It's safe. The U.S. FDA lists it as a GRAS (generally recognized as safe) substance, the highest-safety designation, like foodstuffs.
- It is not hygroscopic, which means it doesn't attract moisture and start to clump and harden, like fructose or brown sugar do.
The downsides to erythritol
- It has a large, negative heat of dissolution, which means that it cools hot liquids much more than sugar when you dissolve it (see picture to right), and it is very difficult to dissolve it in cold liquids like iced tea.
- It is only 70% as sweet as table sugar (sucrose), so you will have to use more of it to make something as sweet as sugar.
- It will not melt or caramelize, so it will not brown or melt if you want to make candy or caramel.
- When a liquid with erythritol dries on a glass, it creates fine, white crystals, which makes your glass look really dirty.
To me, these are not big negatives, but they are worth mentioning. For iced tea, it's worth dissolving the erythritol in hot water first, and then adding that to the iced tea, like a simple syrup.
Chocolate sweetened with erythritol
No Amazon results foundAvailable on Amazon if you can't find it in your natural grocer
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Now Foods Erythritol, 1-pounds (Pack of 2)
Price: $15.94
List Price: $17.98 |
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Erythritol 1 lbs
Price: $5.82
List Price: $8.99 |
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Yes, most are, because they're not absorbed into the bloodstream (they remain in the digestive tract) and because bacteria like to digest them (producing gas). But erythritol is absorbed into the bloodstream much more than other sugar alcohols, and gas-producing bacteria don't seem to like it.
Wow I want to sell this stuff too! What a profit margin. You can buy sugar for less than 99c/lb and you're selling this crap for 800% more. Rip off.
You do realize it's not sugar, right? It helps to read something before reacting to it.
Thanks, Livelonger! Does this product have a different taste from sugar?
Hi Gredmondson; Yes, it's a little less sweet than sugar (but it has a similar "flavor" to sugar), but if you put some of the granules directly in your mouth, you'll feel it get cold because as it dissolves in your mouth, it absorbs heat. In liquid drinks, you don't notice it, though.
I can't find this in my area but I'd love to try it. I'm one of those that can't use sugar alcohols like Xylitol so I'm keen on trying erythritol instead.
I found this product at a little better price at http://emeraldforestsugar.com They have a 5# pkg for $19.95 with no shippiing charge. Am anxious to give it a try.
I'm on the weight watcher "core" program, do you think this would be acceptable?
I have no idea what the WW Core program allows and doesn't allow, but erythritol basically doesn't have any carbs or calories, so it's probably allowed.
Hi Livelonger--I've been using Stevia root instead of sugar for years and do like it, but think I might give this a try too, especially since I can just add it to my next Amazon order:-) Thanks for a really interesting read on a product I knew nothing about.
my pleasure, robie2!
How is erythritol different from xylitol?
Nan - xylitol does have caloric value, and it does ferment in your GI tract (leading to gas and bloating).
Thanks for the information.........we tried to phone the emeralforestsugar.com and they couldn't take an order!! We placed an order on line with FREE SHIPPING!!
Livelonger do you know if this product is safe for dogs? I see that zylitol isn't. So we ordered erythritol for us because of GI issues and wonder now if it is safe for the little dog who always wants a bite?!
I read on About.com that powdered erythritol is different from crystalized erythritol... do you know anything about this? I bought some of the "powdered" variety online but it looks crystaline to me (though the packaging says it's powdered) and I made chocolate peanut butter fudge from a recipe I found online here: http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/candy/r/sugarfree - the fugdge is AMAZING! Tastes just like the real thing!!
I wanted to pass on the great recipe to everyone. :) But please give your info on the powdered vs granular - which do you use?
Best,
Rita
Rita, I'm not aware of being able to buy powdered erythritol, but it's very, very easy to make. Throw it in your blender, pulse for about 5-10 seconds, and you'll have erythritol powder! I've made it many times, mostly because the powdered version is much easier to dissolve in cold drinks like lemonade and iced tea.
Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Those who are allergic to yeast and fermented foods need to know that erythritol is a fermented product made from glucose and yeast. I didn't know this until I had an unpleasant reaction from a product that contains erythritol.
what is the essential difference between erythritol and xylitol. It seems to have many paralell advantages and disadvantages.
How dose my company become a dist. for your comp.
E-mail me.
This sounds great - I have been looking for an all natural sweetener. I'm going to give it a try. Thanks!
vic says:
3 years ago
Aren't sugar alcohols known for their gas producing properties?