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Everyone is talking about erythritol. After all, the substance has the same effect as sugar, only without calories, right? What erythritol can do and what advantages and disadvantages there are, you will learn in this article.

Erythritol is a natural sugar substitute obtained from pure glucose through the natural process of fermentation. It is calorie-free, tooth-friendly, has no effect on blood sugar and is insulin-independent^.1 The ideal sweetener for anyone who wants to do without sugar and excess calories - and still enjoy sweets!

Erythritol is obtained from natural and renewable raw materials. Plants with a high starch content are almost always used for this purpose. Their starch is processed into glucose syrup, which is fermented into erythritol in large tanks, just as grape must is turned into wine in winemaking. In nature, erythritol is found in some fruits (e.g. watermelon, pear, grape), mushrooms, fermented foods (soy sauce, rice wine, beer) and cheese.

Due to this natural occurrence, humans consume about 30-100 mg of erythritol per day. Erythritol is generally approved for food and is mainly used in liqueurs, fish, crustaceans and instant soups, as well as in dairy products, confectionery (ice cream, chocolate, chewing gum) and baked goods (cakes and cookies)^.2

Erythritol belongs to the sugar alcohols, also called polyols and polyhydric alcohols. A chemical compound that - similar to sugar - has a sweet taste. But not only in terms of taste, but also in terms of appearance, erythritol is very similar to conventional sugar^.3

Tip: You can also recognize erythritol in foods by the designation "E968". ⁴

Is erythritol healthy?

Erythritol is characterized by a broad spectrum of action. Although the sugar alcohol is almost completely absorbed by the body, it is not metabolized and is therefore excreted unchanged. The sugar substitute is rapidly absorbed in the small intestine and over 90 percent is excreted unchanged in the urine and stool. Erythritol is therefore much better tolerated than other polyols, and accompanying symptoms such as flatulence or diarrhea are greatly reduced. This is because these are mainly caused by the bacterial fermentation of the sweeteners in the large intestine^.5

Erythritol has a glycemic index of ^zero6, which means that this sugar alcohol does not affect blood sugar levels and consequently does not provoke insulin release. Therefore, diabetics can also use erythritol. In studies, neither the single consumption of 20 g of erythritol resulted in a change in blood glucose and insulin levels, nor were there any negative effects on blood glucose control when diabetics consumed 20 g of erythritol daily^.7

Furthermore, erythritol is tooth-friendly. It is not metabolized by caries-causing bacteria and therefore does not contribute to acid formation in the mouth. The bacteria in your mouth are not able to break down erythritol. For this reason, no caries-promoting acids are formed when you consume the sugar alcohol. It is therefore gentle on your teeth and, with prolonged use, can even care for your teeth^.8

In addition, Dutch researchers have demonstrated that erythritol can help protect against gingivitis and periodontitis due to its positive effect on oral flora^.9

This makes erythritol a real alternative to common household sugar.

Does erythritol have side effects?

Erythritol has a high gastrointestinal tolerance. Compared to other sugar alcohols, erythritol poses a much smaller risk in terms of gastrointestinal complaints.

This is due to the fact that erythritol is almost completely absorbed through the small intestine and excreted virtually unchanged in the urine. Since only a small percentage reaches the large intestine, hardly any fermentation by intestinal bacteria takes place, which can cause the gastrointestinal problems.

The symptoms are comparable to those of dietary fiber. For this reason, foods containing more than 10 percent erythritol must be labeled with the warning "May have a laxative effect if consumed in excess".10

How to use erythritol

Erythritol is a substitute for sugar that can be used just like sugar. It is versatile in the kitchen and can be used both in cooking and baking. In terms of taste, it has a slightly "cool" aftertaste, but is very close to table sugar.

The sweetening power of erythritol is about 70% of table sugar. Accordingly, 100g of sugar can be replaced by about 130g of erythritol. If you do not know that no sugar was used, you will not notice that the sugar was replaced!

Kanso uses erythritol in both its KetoCacaobar and KetoBiscuits products. 

Have fun trying it out!

Summary

Erythritol is not only a practically side-effect free and very safe sugar alternative, it potentially even has some positive effects on our health. Erythritol has two important effects compared to other sugar alcohols: practically non-caloric and very well tolerated.

Sources

1. Genotoxicity evaluation of erythritol using a short-term test - PMC (nih.gov).
2. E 968 - Erythritol - food science
3. Genotoxicity evaluation of erythritol using a short-term test - PMC (nih.gov).
4. E 968 - Erythritol - food science
5. Genotoxicity evaluation of erythritol using a short-term test - PMC (nih.gov).
6. International glycemic index and glycemic load table: 2002 - PubMed (nih.gov).
7. Effects of oral administration of erythritol on patients with diabetes - PubMed (nih.gov).
8. Noncarboxylicity of erythritol as a substrate - PubMed (nih.gov).
9. Full Article: Effect of erythritol on the microbial ecology of in vitro gingivitis biofilms (tandfonline.com).
10. Erythritol: Natural coating for an additive | Lebensmittelklarheit

Guest article by Iris Morgenthal, health and nutrition coach

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