You’ve probably heard of sugar alcohol before, but don’t let its consumer-friendly name fool you. Sugar alcohol gets its name from its molecular structure, which is a hybrid between a sugar molecule and an alcohol molecule. While sugar alcohols are naturally present in many fruits and vegetables (in really small quantities), sugar alcohols are now most widely consumed as bulking agents and sweeteners within processed foods. More specifically, sugar alcohols are found in many “diet” and “sugar free” products, everything from gum to jam to toothpaste to breath mints and protein powders. Sugar alcohols include erythritol, maltitol, hydrogenated starch hydrolysates, isomalt, lactitol, mannitol, sorbitol, and xylitol.

Your body converts sugar alcohols to glucose more slowly than regular sugar, providing a slow increase in blood sugar levels, and using very little to no insulin to convert to energy. While this characteristic makes sugar alcohol beneficial to diabetics and while sugar alcohol is not generally considered harmful (nor beneficial), most nutritionists agree that consuming “sugar free,” “low carb,” or “diet” food products is not necessary or advised. If you do consume products with sugar alcohol, do so in moderation.¹