Erythritol - A Likeable Sugar Substitute

I was reading up on the most popular sugar substitutes and Erythritol was pretty highly recommended, it seemed to have less side effects and less unfortunate consequences than other stuff so I gave it a try.

I am supposed to take morning meds with food so usually that's coffee and a piece of cinnamon toast, buttered bread of whatever variety I happen to grab first, then sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon and toasted in the toaster oven until melted and crisp. Erythritol worked pretty good for this, it doesn't caramelize like sugar but it'll do.

It also worked for ice tea, we always order half and half tea in a restaurant and 1C of Erythritol in a gallon of fresh brewed tea tastes like half and half.

6% of the calories of sugar, doesn't spike the glycemic index, I can rely on it to keep my weight steady or even lose a bit. Not diabetic or overweight, I just like being trim at 6' and 180ish, and would welcome the lower cholesterol count from reducing sugar. I take Praulent shots every 2 weeks so I wonder now how much the Erythritol will help bring that number down. I guess we will see soon enough.

This stuff is kinda pricey but then again how much does plaque and blockages in the arteries and other health issues caused by our diet cost?

Curious if you checked to xylitol - I hope I spelled it right. My wife uses it in some things. It's supposed to be healthy, and prevents pyorrhea. I'm gonna have to check out erythritol and see how the two compare

I have not found any substitutes which do not give me headaches/migraines. Kinda like you but prefer 6' and 200lbs but usually around 205 or so. 180 is just to skinny on me. Good luck with the new substitute.

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Originally Posted by square butte

Curious if you checked to xylitol - I hope I spelled it right. My wife uses it in some things. It's supposed to be healthy, and prevents pyorrhea. I'm gonna have to check out erythritol and see how the two compare

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According to Google (who knows everything) So, which one is healthier? A study in Caries Research found that erythritol might be better for tooth health than xylitol. And compared to xylitol, erythritol can be fully absorbed by our bodies, causing less digestive distress. Plus, erythritol doesn't raise blood sugar at all, while xylitol has a small impact.

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Originally Posted by MrWolf

I have not found any substitutes which do not give me headaches/migraines. Kinda like you but prefer 6' and 200lbs but usually around 205 or so. 180 is just to skinny on me. Good luck with the new substitute.

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Thank you so far so good.. Your headaches not sugar withdrawls? I had to quit coffee when I had rads to the throat for tonsil cancer and I had headaches for a couple of weeks. I know when I quit drinking the first time my body DEMANDED I keep Sprite in the fridge or else! It wasn't addicted to the alcohol, it was addicted to the sugar it was making with/from the alcohol.

People who know about the Glycemic Index. :)

Several years ago I went from about 270# to 215# in 3 months. All because I watched the glycemic index of foods and cycled a lot.
I went from a 156 LDL to 114 in 2 weeks just by changing diet and exercising.
I bottomed out at 175# and my doctor told me to gain some weight. I was actually malnourished but not hungry. Best shape of my life at 54. Now, after Covid, I put on some weight and need to lose but at 210# I don't look or feel too bad.

Since I entered into ketosis 2 years ago I had to find sweeteners that I could use since sugar is a carb and that makes it a no-no. But it's easy enough to dodge. The days of saccharine are over.

One thing to be aware of with xylitol is that it's poisonous to dogs. I won't allow xylitol in my home. Erythritol is welcome though.

Another sweetener that works good and tastes good is Monk fruit extract. I use the 100% pure, not the one mixed with other stuff to make it spoon like sugar. I've never bought any that didn't come with a tiny spoon that corresponds to the same sweetness of sugar. Less is used because it's soooo much sweeter. It also appears to be quite expensive. But the expensive small quantity found in a packet goes a very long way. Just use the little spoon that comes with it.

Stevia can have an off aftertaste. There are stevia mixtures that spoon like sugar, but again, I buy the 100% pure stevia. Stevia is 300x sweeter than sugar.

Another way to use stevia, and I have not tried this yet with monk fruit extract but it does mix freely with alcohol, is to mix a quantity with neutral spirits and put it in a dropper bottle. That way the amount used can be fine tuned by the drop, since they are so concentrated.

While they taste sweet they don't always act the same as sugar in cooking. They won't feed yeast for instance. Erythritol is only 70% as sweet as sugar so more needs to be used. I already mentioned how potent stevia and monk fruit are. I've been known to reduce the amount of erythritol by adding some monk fruit extract when cooking.

It's been a long time since I've used sugar, but be aware that sugar does have a taste and some people gauge sweetness by that taste. Many years ago a friend was over and I offered him a cup of coffee. I watched spellbound as he added huge quantities of stevia to his cup, tasing after each addition, and couldn't get the right "sweetness". All the while his cup had sweetness off the chart. He was looking for that sugar taste and there was no way he was ever going to get that from stevia. Just be aware. Erythritol and xylitol are both most like sugar in that regard. Erythritol is close to being the perfect sugar substitute.

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Originally Posted by DougGuy

I was reading up on the most popular sugar substitutes and Erythritol was pretty highly recommended, it seemed to have less side effects and less unfortunate consequences than other stuff so I gave it a try.

I am supposed to take morning meds with food so usually that's coffee and a piece of cinnamon toast, buttered bread of whatever variety I happen to grab first, then sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon and toasted in the toaster oven until melted and crisp. Erythritol worked pretty good for this, it doesn't caramelize like sugar but it'll do.

It also worked for ice tea, we always order half and half tea in a restaurant and 1C of Erythritol in a gallon of fresh brewed tea tastes like half and half.

6% of the calories of sugar, doesn't spike the glycemic index, I can rely on it to keep my weight steady or even lose a bit. Not diabetic or overweight, I just like being trim at 6' and 180ish, and would welcome the lower cholesterol count from reducing sugar. I take Praulent shots every 2 weeks so I wonder now how much the Erythritol will help bring that number down. I guess we will see soon enough.

This stuff is kinda pricey but then again how much does plaque and blockages in the arteries and other health issues caused by our diet cost?

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Depends on how you respond to it. Massive gas? Not so good. Headaches? Also not good. We have a big expensive bag of the stuff sitting here because neither of us tolerate it well. Not sugar headaches, as we know about those, and haven't quit the sugar yet. Need to, haven't got there yet. YMMV, of course.

Bill

Not sugar withdrawal, just reaction to the substance giving headaches. When Costco used to do the samples, my first question was always if it had an artificial sweetener in it. Had one time vendor said no, I tried it and told him he was full of it. He checked again and I was right.

I am allergic to so many man made chemicals that label reading is a must...

One thing you have to be careful of that I learned the hard way. Many sugar alcohols are laxatives.

I'm a stevia guy. The "different than sugar" taste that it has is now part of my preferance. I don't even like the taste of sugar in my coffee anymore. jd

10 years from now it will be a classified cancer carcinogen.

Am also an artificial sweetener user. I use a mixture of pure stevia powder and erythritol as sugar replacement. I put 1 C of erythritol + 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pure stevia in a food processor and pulverize it into consistency of powdered sugar. Can get pure stevia and erythritol in bulk online. Stevia and sucralose from the grocery store is typically mixed with maltodextrin, which is caloric.
Pure stevia is so sweet, that you can taste it in the air, when it is stirred up. Just a dab 'il do ya!

Thanks in part to this thread we bought some Erythritol and the wife made a batch of tea with it 2 days ago.

Only 70% as sweet as sugar so if you like it sweet you either have to use a fair amount, or add some stevia or similar.

In our case for a gallon we used 1 full cup of the Erythritol and after mostly filling the jug and mixing found it a bit tart yet.

Added maybe 1/4 of zing and that was pretty darn good. Wife is diabetic but not on insulin. Keeping it under control with meds.
I guess I need to look around, find a cheaper bulk source. Looks like we could be using this for a long time.

Been trying to wean my wife off her 3-4 cans of diet coke or pepsi habit for a while now.
I know too much of that is not good for you.

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Originally Posted by GhostHawk

I guess I need to look around, find a cheaper bulk source. Looks like we could be using this for a long time.

Been trying to wean my wife off her 3-4 cans of diet coke or pepsi habit for a while now.
I know too much of that is not good for you.

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I got some from Walmart, best price for a 4lb bag was 15.95 so two bags + some other stuff made the $35 limit for free shipping.

That much soda every day is not good.

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Originally Posted by Lloyd Smale

10 years from now it will be a classified cancer carcinogen.

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I highly doubt it. These are sugar alcohols, a family of sugars that occur naturally in some fruits and veggies. These aren't chemical compounds made in Monsanto labs. As much research and study that has been done since discovery of these sugars and there are more or less NO negative health concerns with Erythritol when used in moderation and only a bit of extra flatulence when used in excess, it has been recognized to be quite safe by some pretty credible institutions, look up Mayo clinic and artificial sweeteners they lay it all out one by one. There are many studies that basically say the same thing.

I mostly use Stevia, I'll use Monkfruit when spotted too (It seems quite rare around here though, lately.)

Won't use Aspartame, period, my body does NOT like the stuff, instant headache. Pass.

Well I ordered a pound of it and it arrived the other day. Haven’t opened it yet. I long ago dropped soda and switched to black coffee and unsweet tea, really the only sugar I use is a little brown sugar on my oatmeal. Maybe I’ll try a bit of it with sourgum on my oatmeal instead this morning.

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Originally Posted by DougGuy

I got some from Walmart, best price for a 4lb bag was 15.95 so two bags + some other stuff made the $35 limit for free shipping.

That much soda every day is not good.



I highly doubt it. These are sugar alcohols, a family of sugars that occur naturally in some fruits and veggies. These aren't chemical compounds made in Monsanto labs. As much research and study that has been done since discovery of these sugars and there are more or less NO negative health concerns with Erythritol when used in moderation and only a bit of extra flatulence when used in excess, it has been recognized to be quite safe by some pretty credible institutions, look up Mayo clinic and artificial sweeteners they lay it all out one by one. There are many studies that basically say the same thing.

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honestly i dont know much about sugar substitutes. Why is sugar made from one plant better then real sugar made from a plant. To me sugar is like eggs. One day its terrible for you and the next its ok in moderation. I think alot of this crap is just scientists trying to justify there jobs and get research money. How many have gotten cancer from sugar substitutes that some doctor said were safe. Its kind of like fauchi with the virus. I guess i look at it like this. Sugars bad for you, salt, bacon (heck any meat) potatoes and rice. Im not eating tofu, kale and beans to stay alive 3 more years. Id rather eat what i want in moderation and exercise and stay active so that the sugar doesnt turn to fat. My guess is ill live alot longer that some vegan that sits in front of a tv. If i do die 3 years earlier so be it. Ill at least enjoy my life. I can see this kind of crap if you have a medical condition that mandates it. If i couldnt have sugar because i was a diabetic then id be looking for a replacement too. But i wont live in fear of eating something i like because some doctor said i should be eating sea weed instead.

Lloyd, do you read labels when you shop or when you decide you want a certain something from the store?

I'm not food paranoid at all, I like eggs, steak now and then, bacon sometimes, but we read labels and that pretty much helps us decide what is a healthier choice and I think it helps with long term health. Lots of processed foods have things that are bad for our bodies, such as hydrogenated fats, high fructose corn syrup, those are two of the worst offenders and a LOT of food products still use these. Ritz crackers. Instant grits. Fruit preserves, cereals, on and on and on.

Corporate food giants own lawyers. They own lobbyists, they even start their own organizations that hire lobbyists to change the way they package and label the products they make. They own politicians. Almost ALL of your high up FDA officials were formerly Monsanto executives!

The vegetable oil industry needed a market for left over vegetable oil after they make products, so they found a way of adding hydrogen to the oil to make it solid, they called it "margarine." They used to sell it with a yellow coloring agent that made it look like butter. They fed it to turkeys and the turkeys died. But, they figured that if they spread the misinformation and they advertised enough they could convince the American consumer to use it instead of butter. Remember all the "Parkay" vs. butter commercials? "Everything's better with blue bonnet on it?" They gave their products comfortable, friendly sounding names. Names you could (according to them) trust. Nabisco. Kraft. The big boys on the playground made BILLIONS of dollars while their processed food products made generations of Americans sick.

Do a google search on hydrogenated oils and what they do inside the body. It's very eye opening reading to say the least.

Heart disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer, we didn't have all this stuff when Ma and Pa ran the family farm, we ate beef, eggs, cheese, milk, corn, veggies, home made foods fed millions without any of the big health problems facing Americans who grew up in the 1950s and 1960s when it was never disclosed what went into the foods sold in the stores.

I can only change my world in small ways but at least I have the choice. Smucker's jams and jellies for instance, HFCS in their standard brand, but no HFCS in their "Naturals" brand so you can imagine which I will choose in the store aisle. THANKFULLY, they were forced by law, to list the ingredients inside the jar, starting with the highest percentage of content first. If you look at the label on the tub of Cool Whip for instance, you will see the first two ingredients are water, and hydrogenated vegetable oil. This would mean that this product would be a very unhealthy choice (so it is banned from this household). Plus, the Naturals brand that Smucker's sells tastes a LOT better than the regular brand.

It comes down to two things that make choices easier. When you go in the store, all the good foods are around the outsides. Produce, meat, fish, dairy, etc. While all the nasty processed foods full of chemicals and preservatives are on the center aisles. The other thing I consider when looking at labels are how long the Ingredients paragraph is. If it has line after line after line of these big long words that I can barely read let alone comprehend, that's a dead giveaway that it's full of junk that probably isn't good for you. Most of these items I put back on the shelf rather than try to force my aging eyes to focus on the tiny print which the farther I read, the less I am inclined to buy this product and back on the shelf it goes. When the Ingredients paragraph is short, and only a few items listed, that's undoubtedly a healthy choice.

Do a google or other online search for fructose, glucose, sucrose, and just see what hits you get. Not all of these will be "edited, worded, and biased" by some big company's lobbyists, you will find research done by honest researchers at some of our most respected labs and universities. I am FAR from some tree hugging vegan who only eats organic stuff, and I am NOT some paranoid prepper running around shouting the sky is falling, but I DO know how to make healthy choices in the foods I eat, how they are cooked, and I care about my weight and things like cholesterol which my Dr. is very concerned and controlling but they are doing pretty damn good at bringing the numbers down. I have coronary artery disease, I have blockages in my carotid arteries, and I grew up when fast foods were the norm for the working class, there were no labels to read back then, and there was generally no connection between corporate food giants and serious diseases from eating processed foods.

Google is your friend buddy, we have more access to information than ever before, we can make wiser choices than before. Cutting down intake of sugars is not a bad choice at all. Thinking about what we put in our diet and re-thinking how we shop for these items is a smart move these days..

There is so much lying by the food companies and even the go/vermin (what a surprise right?) when it comes to food. I suggest people do their own research, just as DougGuy sugested and don't believe the common knowledge. When it comes to diet what everyone knows is NOT correct.

Fats for instance, bad for you right? Wrong. The "doctor", and I use that term very loosely, fudged the study. But it makes sense right? Eat fats and those fats clog the arteries. Except no actual study, conducted properly, has ever backed that up. All of the genuine studies done since then have shown just the opposite. Eat fat and the cholesterol and such goes down. I have heart disease and took a huge interest in this when deciding on my diet. I'm on a statin to control the cholesterol that my liver produces. I'm also in ketosis. That means my body is burning fat and not carbs for it's main source of energy. It means I consume fat. Since my liver is in control my lipid panel comes back and my Drs are all smiles, all the while I'm eating fat, bacon, sausage, butter, eggs, it's all on the menu. They all know that I'm in ketosis and what that means for diet and they tell me to keep doing what I'm doing. Why did I go into ketosis? Because I did the research and found out about the fat studies. What is suspected of causing clogged arteries? Carbs. They crack the artery walls, cholesterol is the substance used to fix those cracks and it builds up. So I get a 2fer, eating fat (and the statin) causes my liver to slow down cholesterol production and no carbs mean no more cholesterol build up in the arteries.

Oh, and when I tell my Drs what my research turned up? No argument from them. I think they don't tell people because it would be like fighting the tide with a spoon. The false information that fats are bad is everywhere. Some fats are bad, they aren't all good. Dougguy discussed some of them. Highly refined oils are more bad fats.

Ok, getting off my soapbox now.

My point is to do your research, if a food company gives you data it's probably wrong, If the FDA or USDA gives you information it's definitely false since those are political organizations now and don't care at all for the people they supposedly serve.

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Lloyd, do you read labels when you shop or when you decide you want a certain something from the store?

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Honestly no i dont. but then i know what i like and dont buy a bunch of new things. Most of my meat comes from wild animals and pigs i butcher myself. Or occasionaly a cow from a farmer. Do i eat processsed foods? sure i do. I eat at burger king mcdonalds pizza places too. I guess i look at it like this. Like i said i dont overeat and i exercise alot. I quit snacking other then fruit and nuts. but will have desert or an occasional dairy queen. I look around and havent seen but a handfull of 65 year old guys in as good of shape, other then my injurys from the military, as me. Take away those injurys and id honestly say im in the best shape and strongest ive ever been. I still lift weights, can still bench 250, walk, do a 100 pushups and a 100 sit ups most days.

Id bet im more healthy then some of the leaf eater who sit on there buts watching tv . My dad eats about the same. hes 80 and has been overweight for 30 of those years and not just a little. Hes made it to 89 and still goes hunting every year and still drives a car and mows his own grass. I sometimes wonder if the people worrying about that crap dont age more from worrying then i do for eating. but no i dont read labels. matter of fact my wife shops. I go in a grocery store about once every two months and no she doesnt read labels either. She gets on weight watcher kicks once in a while and then she does but she doesnt make me eat that rabbit food. I guess i look at it like this.

At 65 eating is one of my greatest pleasures. I like food. i dont eat to just survive. If God came down and struck away all the meat cheese and pasta in the world id hope hed take me along too. by the way i cant stand margarine, cant stand cool whip, and we make our own preserves out of fruit and sugar. If i die so be it but you can bet your but it wont be with a piece of lettuce or kale in my mouth. My cholesterol is never high and my doc says i have the heart of a 30 year old. To bad the back and hips and ankles arent. But like i said that has nothing to do with diet. It came from an injury.

Any opinions on Splenda?

DG

I've never used it. But I just looked it up and the main sweetener is sucralose. I've seen it in the ingredient labels I've read so I've eaten it. I have no negative effects from it. Splenda has been out for a very long time. If there was negative press about it we'd know by now. It's 600x sweeter than sugar. Splenda also contains real sugar, just not very much of it. They also fiddled with the serving size so that they could make the claim that it contains zero carbs. But does anyone really use 1/2 packet of Splenda? That was all according to the info I just got.

I guess I'm a sugar addict, yeah, I like the real thing, but a dozen years ago or so switched to using raw sugar, I try to limit my intake to just added in coffee in the morning, I like a little bit of coffee with my sugar and cream. my father suffered from childhood diabetes and he had all the sugar free stuff and it was then I guess developed a dislike of the substitutes. i guess the like of sugar is one of those primitive brain things, as humans we crave the stuff that's hard to get in nature like fat, salt and sweetness. before the cultivation and refinement of sugar the sweet sources of stuff was mainly fruit. but these days there is so much sugar and high fructose stuff put in the foods made easily available to us in grocery store it get difficult to figure how much sugar intake I get each day.