Bottle says zero calories… yet 6g of carbs per serving… how can a carb be associated with zero calories?.. much less six of them…
Is my guessing correct that Erythritol is some kind of sugar alcohol, and is neither a “net impact” carb nor a source of caloric value…? Or is it possible to have no impact carbs, yet still provide “energy” and spike the blood sugar?
Can someone explain…
[quote]Spartiates wrote:
Bottle says zero calories… yet 6g of carbs per serving… how can a carb be associated with zero calories?.. much less six of them…
Is my guessing correct that Erythritol is some kind of sugar alcohol, and is neither a “net impact” carb nor a source of caloric value…? Or is it possible to have no impact carbs, yet still provide “energy” and spike the blood sugar?
Can someone explain…[/quote]
yes, that would be a sugar alcohol, and while not technically a carb according to the FDA, they do carry IIRC 2.4 cals/g
with 6g, I don’t see how it’s listed as 0 cals either
[quote]Spartiates wrote:
Bottle says zero calories… yet 6g of carbs per serving… how can a carb be associated with zero calories?.. much less six of them…
Is my guessing correct that Erythritol is some kind of sugar alcohol, and is neither a “net impact” carb nor a source of caloric value…? Or is it possible to have no impact carbs, yet still provide “energy” and spike the blood sugar?
Can someone explain…[/quote]
Your guess is correct. Erythritol is a sugar alcohol. Technically it is a carb, but passes through your system pretty much undigested giving you no energy, or in other words no calories.
[quote]superdad4 wrote:
Your guess is correct. Erythritol is a sugar alcohol. Technically it is a carb, but passes through your system pretty much undigested giving you no energy, or in other words no calories.[/quote]
that is false
Probably just pulling the same trick that “O grams of fat per serving” can really mean “Up to 0.5g of fat per serving”
[quote]jehovasfitness wrote:
superdad4 wrote:
Your guess is correct. Erythritol is a sugar alcohol. Technically it is a carb, but passes through your system pretty much undigested giving you no energy, or in other words no calories.
that is false[/quote]
Well, I won’t claim to be a nutrition expert JF so I’ll concede this to you. I’m just going by what I’ve learned. I sure as heck am no expert on FDA labeling.
and sugar alcohols can impact blood sugar, along with give you the hershey squirts
[quote]jehovasfitness wrote:
superdad4 wrote:
Your guess is correct. Erythritol is a sugar alcohol. Technically it is a carb, but passes through your system pretty much undigested giving you no energy, or in other words no calories.
that is false[/quote]
Actually, its true…partially. Sugar alcohols run the gamut in calories, from 0 to 4.
(Source: http://www.ingredients.co.nz/images/IFIC%20Sugar%20Alcohols.pdf)
[quote]Evil1 wrote:
jehovasfitness wrote:
superdad4 wrote:
Your guess is correct. Erythritol is a sugar alcohol. Technically it is a carb, but passes through your system pretty much undigested giving you no energy, or in other words no calories.
that is false
Actually, its true…partially. Sugar alcohols run the gamut in calories, from 0 to 4.
(Source: http://www.ingredients.co.nz/images/IFIC%20Sugar%20Alcohols.pdf)[/quote]
well SOB, the one sugar alcohol in question is the lowest one, lol
[quote]Evil1 wrote:
jehovasfitness wrote:
superdad4 wrote:
Your guess is correct. Erythritol is a sugar alcohol. Technically it is a carb, but passes through your system pretty much undigested giving you no energy, or in other words no calories.
that is false
Actually, its true…partially. Sugar alcohols run the gamut in calories, from 0 to 4.
(Source: http://www.ingredients.co.nz/images/IFIC%20Sugar%20Alcohols.pdf)[/quote]
Thanks Evil1. I knew that is what I had been told.
I think the FDA allows for labels to say 0 calories if the serving size of the food/beverage is less than 5 calories. Something along those lines. I’m not 100% if this true. So 6 grams of erythritol would be 1.2 calories.
So, if you were counting carbs, would you count those six carbs per serving as six carbs… even though they are “low impact” according to the labeling industry (same stuff that’s in “low carb” protein bars)… or should they just be counted as carbs… half a carb?
[quote]Spartiates wrote:
So, if you were counting carbs, would you count those six carbs per serving as six carbs… even though they are “low impact” according to the labeling industry (same stuff that’s in “low carb” protein bars)… or should they just be counted as carbs… half a carb?[/quote]
6grams of carbs = 24 calories (really think it matters in the big scheme of things?)
there is little to no insulin released
I don’t know how much of it would be converted to glycogen, but again refer to #1 for the minuteness of detail you are talking about
Adding a reply for completeness-sake, as I have done more digging on the subject.
As it stands: Erythritol, carries about 0.2cal/gm (Source: Google Scholar). However, it is still a carbohydrate since the FDA mandates that sugar alcohols been labeled as such. This does not mean the same caloric load as sucrose/glucose etc.
The closest analogy would be that of MCT’s. MCT’s have less calories than other fats but are not labeled any different from other fat source.
W.R.T. glycogen replenishment and insulin. There was no change in insulin levels in the study on healthy individuals. As it carries 1/20th the amount of calories as sugar (0.2 vs 4.0), it will affect glycogen levels to the same degree (1/20th).
My conclusion. It is a definite winner as far as sugar replacements for coffee or sauces.
[quote]Evil1 wrote:
[quote]Spartiates wrote:
So, if you were counting carbs, would you count those six carbs per serving as six carbs… even though they are “low impact” according to the labeling industry (same stuff that’s in “low carb” protein bars)… or should they just be counted as carbs… half a carb?[/quote]
6grams of carbs = 24 calories (really think it matters in the big scheme of things?)
there is little to no insulin released
I don’t know how much of it would be converted to glycogen, but again refer to #1 for the minuteness of detail you are talking about[/quote]
Correct, this is definitely minutia that isn’t worth being concerned with in the long run.
Besides, 6 grams of any carbohydrate isn’t enough of a load to cause an insuline “spike.”
If one has healthy insulin sensitivity, insulin production is not one all out spike or nothing.
I just wanted to add to this that erythritol is not likely to give you the same symptoms (“hershey squirts,” ew) as other sugar alcohols…it’s quickly absorbed by the body and then excreted in urine.