If you want to reduce your sugar intake without compromising on the sweet things in life, you have probably considered trying sweeteners like erythritol or xylitol. Both are popular sugar substitutes, but is one of them better or healthier than the other?
What is erythritol?
Found naturally in foods including mushrooms and grapes, erythritol is a type of sugar alcohol commonly used to replace sugar in packaged foods.Erythritol contains only 0.24 calories per gram, compared to 4 calories per gram of sugar.
Even though erythritol is sweet, this sweetener has no impact on insulin or blood sugar levels. The human body cannot metabolize erythritol, so instead, it gets absorbed into the bloodstream and excreted through our urine unchanged.
For these reasons, erythritol is used in many keto, low-carb, low-calorie, sugar-free, and diabetes-friendly foods including baked goods, light ice cream, candies, chocolates, and gum.
Benefits of using erythritol
1.Diabetes-friendly: Erythritol has zero impact on blood sugar and insulin levels. Even better, people with diabetes can use erythritol to benefit from lower blood glucose levels because erythritol helps to decrease the amount of sugar absorbed, along with altering glucose metabolism.
2.Aids in weight loss: Due to the very low calorie content of erythritol, it can be used in place of sugar throughout your day to reduce your overall caloric intake. In this way, swapping to erythritol as your sweetener can help you shed pounds.
3.Antioxidant properties: Erythritol scavenges free radicals to reduce oxidative stress throughout the body. This protects your cells and helps to prevent the development of many chronic conditions, including heart disease.
4.High digestive tolerance: Normal amounts of erythritol is very well tolerated as it is not fermented by our gut microbiome, preventing the gas and bloating that comes with some other sweeteners.
What is xylitol?
Xylitol, similar to erythritol, is also a type of sugar alcohol that is found naturally in certain fruits and vegetables. Additionally, the human body produces small amounts of xylitol during everyday metabolic processes.As a sugar alcohol, xylitol tastes sweet, however, it contains 40% fewer calories than regular table sugar with just 2.4 calories per gram.
In lieu of sugar, xylitol is often added to many packaged foods to reduce the sugar content or make the product sugar-free. You’ve probably come across many sugar-free candies, mints, and gum that use xylitol as the sweetening agent.
Benefits of using xylitol
1.Diabetes friendly: Xylitol does not lead to spikes in blood sugar or insulin, making it a great sweetener option for people with diabetes. This sweetener has a small impact on blood sugar, with a low glycemic index score of 7. Using xylitol may even help improve glucose tolerance for those with diabetes.
2.Supports weight loss efforts: Since xylitol has 40% of the calories of table sugar, replacing sugar with xylitol can be a great tool for reducing overall calorie consumption. Further, xylitol may even contribute to reduced levels of belly fat.
3.Supports oral health: Xylitol is added to many oral health products, such as toothpaste and chewing gum. The tooth decay and plaque-producing bacteria in your mouth absorb xylitol, which leads to the harmful bacteria starving and dying off. Xylitol also helps reduce acidity and increase saliva in the mouth. Because of this, the consumption of xylitol is tied to reduced amounts of cavities and tooth decay.
4.Can help prevent ear infections: Since the bacteria in our mouths can lead to infections in our ears, the fact that xylitol kills bad bacteria in our mouths means that xylitol can help prevent ear infections.
Erythritol vs Xylitol:which one is healtier?
The risk of digestive issues is higher with xylitol than it is with erythritol, however, xylitol is well tolerated at low to moderate doses.While xylitol is a better option in terms of supporting oral health, erythritol has antioxidant properties and can help prevent heart disease.
Both of these sweeteners are good options for people with diabetes, but erythritol has a leg up on xylitol here. Xylitol has a small impact on blood sugar, while erythritol does not impact blood sugar levels at all.
While each of these sweeteners has its pros and cons, they are still both fantastic options to use to replace sugar in your diet. So no matter which one you prefer, you are sure to reap some health benefits.
