ERYTHRITOL
• 2023 BUYING GUIDE •

Quick Facts about Erythritol

• Erythritol is found naturally in some foods (fruits, mushrooms, fermented foods). However, due to being available in minuscule amounts, the store-bought erythritol is a synthetic sweetener produced from corn via fermentation or an electrochemical process. When made from non-GMO corn, it's imported from China. 

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• Erythritol is 60 to 70% as sweet as table sugar. Expect to add 1.3x more and pay a higher price than table sugar to get the same sweetness. To compensate for the reduced sweetness, you will find erythritol combined with high-intensity sweeteners (stevia, monk fruit, sucralose). Erythritol and its blends produce crispy and soft baked goods, but they don't dissolve as readily as table sugar.

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• When eaten in powder form, erythritol creates a cooling sensation as it dissolves in the mouth, referred to as a cooling effect. To minimize the cooling effect, it's often blended with other low-digestible sweeteners (polyols and soluble fibers such as inulin and FOS).

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• The caloric value per gram is close to zero (0.4 cal), being promoted as a calorie-free sweetener. Powdered erythritol provides1.2 calories per teaspoon. Granulated erythritol has about 1.6 calories per teaspoon. One cup of erythritol has approximately 75 calories.

• Most of the erythritol you consume is absorbed and excreted unchanged, without any decomposition, through urine. A small amount of erythritol, anywhere from10 to 40% of the amount ingested, reaches the large intestine, where it may have two effects: (1) is fermented by gut microbes and, as a result, contributes energy which is minimal if you eat small amounts; (2) excessive intake of pure erythritol on an empty stomach and without any other food may cause bloating, cramps, and laxative effects.

• Advantage: 1.2 to 1.6 calories per teaspoon, 75 cal per cup; no effect on blood glucose level; tastes and looks a lot like table sugar. Disadvantage: Compared to table sugar, it is 60 to 75% less sweet and 8 to 40x more expensive (cost varies from $4 to $20/lb); it may cause adverse gastrointestinal effects.