Erythritol, is a sugar alcohol that's found naturally in fruits but also can be made in a lab and is a sweetener additive to many foods, especially health foods that are marketed as low carb today.
Erythritol, as I mentioned, is a sugar alcohol, which means that it does contain a small amount of carbohydrates. It contains four carbohydrates per serving, which are all in the form of carbs. However, the body may or may not absorb all of the carbs from erythritol, which leaves it with very minimal calorie impact.
With respect to taste, some people report that erythritol provides a very clean taste. Others report that it has a very distinct aftertaste. A lot of times, it depends on the context of the food that it was consumed with.
When it comes to many sugar substitutes, people want to know-- what does it do to impact blood sugars, and what does it do to impact digestive health? When it comes to erythritol, many report zero impact on their blood sugars. However, others do report a negligible increase in blood sugar as a result of consuming erythritol. It really tends to depend on the individual, especially those who may be susceptible to blood sugar changes, such as people living with diabetes or prediabetes.
From a digestive health standpoint, erythritol can cause diarrhea as well as have a laxative effect on the body. However, relative to other types of sugar alcohols, the impacts from erythritol may be less. In addition, erythritol may provide antioxidant properties as well.
From a long term use perspective, the research is very conflicting. Some studies have demonstrated that erythritol long term can lead to increased rates of obesity within younger populations. However, as I mentioned, the research is conflicting up to this point.
A fun fact about erythritol is your body actually produces a erythritol within itself in very small amounts.
I hope this video was helpful. And please contact us if you have any questions.
