New Alternative to Sugar & Sugar Substitutes Hits Market

The other day as I was looking for agave nectar at Whole Foods, I noticed a new sweetener sitting on the grocery shelf. It's called erythritol. Intrigued by the discovery, I decided to do some research.

I found that it just might be a good option for people avoiding sugar, but don't want to live without a little sweet stuff in their lives. More than a dozen animal studies have concluded that erythritol is harmless. While it is a sugar alcohol like maltitol and xylitol, it does not cause gastric side effects. It has virtually no calories. It also does not affect blood sugar levels or insulin release. And you don't have to worry about tooth decay from eating it.

The most undesirable quality that I found about using erythritol is that is produces a cooling effect in the mouth after it is consumed. Additionally, it is only between 60-80 percent as sweet as sugar.

If you decide to use it in baking, I recommend pairing it with lo han, an extract from a sweet fruit harvested in China, which also does not affect blood sugar levels and has no calories. However, it is 15 times sweeter than sugar so a little bit of it coupled mostly with erythritol may be a better option for baking. In fact, a Japanese company makes a product combining the two ingredients called Lakanto. Donna Gates, founder of Body Ecology, promotes Lakanto as a healthy alternative for people suffering from candida and other inner ecology imbalances.

For those wary of genetically modified foods, I should warn you that erythritol is derived from corn so you may want to look for an organic variety. Wholesome Sweeteners offers organic erythritol.Body Ecology offers a non-GMO version in their Lakanto on their website at BodyEcology.com.

I plan to give erythritol a try soon and will report back the results. If any readers have used it, please leave your comments below.

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