Introduction of Erythritol

Erythritol is not artificially produced. It is widely found in nature, such as fungi, lichens, melons, grapes, pears, etc., and is also found in small amounts in fermented foods such as wine, beer, and soy sauce.

In 1848, Scottish chemist John Stenhouse accidentally discovered a substance that is sweeter than lichenol. It emits blue light and releases a caramel-like taste. This is "erythrose" alcohol". In 1956, when Professor Spencer and others from Canada were studying the production of glycerol by hypertonic yeast, they observed that fermentation could produce erythritol, thus laying the foundation for mass production of erythritol. In 1990, due to the realization of industrialization technology, mass production of erythritol was applied in fields such as candy, beverages, sweeteners and even pharmaceutical coatings.

The secret of low-calorie erythritol

Erythritol is mainly absorbed in the small intestine and enters the blood circulation. Only a small amount directly enters the large intestine as a carbon source for fermentation. Since the human body lacks the enzyme system to metabolize erythritol, erythritol entering the blood cannot be digested and degraded and can only be excreted in the urine through the kidneys, which determines that erythritol has almost no calories.

Erythritol has many advantages and widely applied in many fields

The sweetness of erythritol is 60%-70% of that of sucrose. It almost has no calories, and is highly stable. Products added with erythritol contain less sugar and remain delicious, so they are favored by food and beverage manufacturers.

Erythritol will not be metabolized by oral bacteria, has a relatively small risk of tooth decay, and is very friendly to oral hygiene. For people who are concerned about their oral health, erythritol is a good choice.

Erythritol also has a relatively small impact on blood sugar levels and does not cause significant blood sugar fluctuations, so it is also loved by the majority of diabetic patients.

Erythritol is safe when consumed in moderation

After long-term research and monitoring, there is currently no evidence that erythritol will have serious adverse effects on human health. Both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) consider erythritol to be a safe food additive. Relevant studies have shown that the tolerance of animals to erythritol can reach 20g/kg body weight, and it is recommended that the daily intake of erythritol should not exceed 1g per kilogram of body weight.

It may cause discomfort when ingesting erythritol more than above amount, most commonly gastrointestinal discomfort, including diarrhea and gas. Because after ingesting a large amount of erythritol, the digestive system cannot fully absorb it, causing the effective osmotic pressure in the intestinal lumen to be too high, hindering the absorption of water and electrolytes by the intestinal wall. Too much water entering the intestines can cause osmotic diarrhea. At the same time, large amounts of erythritol may also ferment to produce gas, causing gastrointestinal flatulence.

Methods for estimating erythritol content

Sugar substitutes such as erythritol are generally added to prepackaged sugar substitute foods. Currently, Chinese law does not require the labeling of sugar substitute content, so it is difficult to accurately know the sugar substitute content in food, but we can make a rough calculation based on the sweetness. Merchants often use sugar substitutes to prepare products with the same sweetness as regular products. Take Coke as an example,the sugar content of Coke is about 10g/100ml. The added sugar is mainly fructose syrup, while the sweetness of erythritol is 78%-89% of fructose syrup, so the erythritol content in erythritol cola is approximately 11.2-12.8g/100ml.

To summarize, erythritol is a safe sweetener suitable for most people. In order to avoid discomfort symptoms, consumers should pay attention to moderate intake. It is recommended to consume no more than 1g per kilogram of body weight per day.