Erythritol is a sugar alcohol which has been approved for use as afood additive .At the industrial level, it is produced from glucose by fermentation with a yeast, Moniliella pollinis.Some countries like Japan label it as zero-calorie, while European Union regulations currently label it and all other sugar alcohols at 2.4 kcal/g.
In the body, erythritol is absorbed into the bloodstream in the small intestine. This is a unique characteristic, as other sugar alcohols are not absorbed directly by the body in this manner, and consequently are more prone to causing gastric distress.Erythritol, when compared with other sugar alcohols, is also much more difficult forintestinal bacteria to digest, so it is unlikely to cause gas or bloating.
Erythritol has a strong cooling effect when it dissolves in water, which is often combined with the cooling effect of mint flavors but proves distracting with more subtle flavors and textures. This is particularly pronounced in chocolate bars made witherythritol.The cooling effect oferythritol is very similar to that ofxylitol and among the strongest cooling effects of all sugar alcohols.
Erythritol is commonly used as a medium in which to deliver high intensity sweeteners, especially stevia derivatives, serving the dual function of providing both bulk and a flavor similar to that of table sugar.Other sugar alcohols are sometimes used witherythritol, particularly isomalt due to its minimally positive heat of solution, and glycerin which has a negative heat of solution, moderate hygroscopicity, and non-crystallizing liquid form.
Erythritol is the sugar alcohol (polyol) that has the least impact on blood sugar. Most (60-90%) of theerythritol is absorbed into the blood, but is then excreted in the urine. Because of this, erythritol tends to produce much less intestinal distress than other sugar alcohols.Erythritol has 60-80% of the sweetness of sugar. Especially when used plain it tends to have a cooling effect in the mouth.It can at least partially replace sugar or artificial
