[email protected] writes:
> What exactly are sugar alcohols, and when did they come about
Sugar alcohols are also called polyols. They are a kind of (non-intoxicating) alcohols derived from
sugar. They taste sweet, but many of them are very poorly absorbed and metabolized, making them very
low in dietary calories ... and sometimes causing them to act as strong laxatives (because they pass
right through the digestive tract, carrying lots of water).
Sugar alcohols are used as low-calorie sweeteners in small amounts. In large amounts, they are
used to purge the gastrointestinal tract of all its contents before intestinal surgery or
diagnostic procedures. Eating too much sugar alcohols in food may cause diarrhea, depending on
which one is involved.
Sugar alcohols include mannitol (often used to purge the GI tract), sorbitol, xylitol (similar to
sugar in sweetness and calories), isomalt, erythritol (tastes like sugar, but has virtually no
calories and does not cause diarrhea), and many others.
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