I will paste the Wikipedia entry for Erythritol. It is said that it is best
used in baking used with chocolate, such as fudge or brownies. This is not
the entire entry but should give you some of the details.
Erythritol ((2R,3S)-butane-1,2,3,4-tetraol) is a natural
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_alcohol> sugar alcohol (a type of
sugar
substitute) which has been approved for use in the
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States> United States
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erythritol#cite_note-cfsan.fda.gov-0> [1]
and
throughout much of the world. It was discovered in 1848 by British
chemist
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Stenhouse> John Stenhouse.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erythritol#cite_note-1> [2] It occurs
naturally in fruits and fermented foods
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erythritol#cite_note-2> [3]. At the
industrial
level, it is produced from glucose by fermentation with a
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yeast> yeast,
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moniliella> Moniliella pollinis
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erythritol#cite_note-cfsan.fda.gov-0> [1].
It
is 60-70% as sweet as table sugar yet it is almost non-caloric, does not
affect blood sugar, does not cause tooth decay, and is absorbed by the
body,
therefore unlikely to cause gastric side effects unlike other
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_alcohols> sugar alcohols. Under U.S.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_and_Drug_Administration> Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) labeling requirements, it has a caloric value of 0.2
kilo <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calorie> calories per gram (95% less
than
sugar and other carbohydrates), though nutritional labelling varies from
country to country-some countries like
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan>
Japan label it as zero- <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calorie> calorie,
while <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union> European Union
regulations currently label it and all other sugar alcohols at 2.4
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calorie> kcal/g.
Contents
[ <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erythritol#> hide]
*
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erythritol#Erythritol_and_human_digestion> 1
Erythritol and human digestion
* <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erythritol#Physical_properties> 2
Physical properties
* <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erythritol#Heat_of_solution> 2.1 Heat
of solution
*
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erythritol#Blending_for_sugar-like_properties>
2.2 Blending for sugar-like properties
* <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erythritol#Erythritol_and_bacteria> 3
Erythritol and bacteria
* <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erythritol#See_also> 4 See also
* <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erythritol#References> 5 References
* <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erythritol#External_links> 6 External
links
[
<http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Erythritol&action=edit§ion=1>
edit] Erythritol and human digestion
In the body, erythritol is absorbed into the bloodstream in the
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_intestine> small intestine, and then
for
the most part excreted unchanged in the
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urine> urine. Because erythritol is normally
absorbed before it enters the
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_intestine> large intestine, it does
not
normally cause <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laxative> laxative effects
as
are often experienced after over-consumption of other sugar alcohols (such
as <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xylitol> xylitol and
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maltitol> maltitol) and most people will
consume erythritol with no side effects. This is a unique characteristic,
as
other sugar alcohols are not absorbed directly by the body in this manner,
and consequently are more prone to causing gastric distress
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erythritol#cite_note-3> [4].
As a whole, erythritol is generally free of side-effects in regular use,
but
if consumed in very extreme quantities (sometimes encouraged by its almost
non-caloric nature), effectively consuming it faster than one's body can
absorb it, a laxative effect may result. The laxative response does not
begin until the body's natural absorption threshold is crossed, which is
the
point at which more erythritol has been ingested than is found in
reasonable
servings of food products and is usually a larger amount than most people
will eat in a single sitting. Erythritol, when compared with other sugar
alcohols, is also much more difficult for intestinal bacteria to digest,
so
it is unlikely to cause gas or bloating
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erythritol#cite_note-4> [5], unlike
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maltitol> maltitol,
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sorbitol> sorbitol, or
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lactitol> lactitol. Allergic side effects
can
be itching with hives.[
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed> citation needed]
[
<http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Erythritol&action=edit§ion=2>
edit] Physical properties
[
<http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Erythritol&action=edit§ion=3>
edit] Heat of solution
Erythritol has a strong cooling effect (
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endothermic> endothermic, or positive
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_of_solution> heat of solution
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erythritol#cite_note-5> [6]) when it
dissolves
in water, often combined with the cooling effect of
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mentha> mint flavors, but proves distracting
with more subtle flavors and textures. The cooling effect is only present
when erythritol is not already dissolved in water, a situation that might
be
experienced in an erythritol-sweetened frosting, chocolate bar, chewing
gum,
or hard candy. When combined with solid fats, such as
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut_oil> coconut oil,
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocoa_butter> cocoa butter, or cow's
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butter> butter, the cooling effect tends to
accentuate the waxy characteristics of the fat in a generally undesirable
manner.[ <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed> citation
needed] This is particularly pronounced in chocolate bars made with
erythritol.[ <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed>
citation needed] The cooling effect of erythritol is very similar to that
of
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xylitol> xylitol and among the strongest
cooling effects of all sugar alcohols.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erythritol#cite_note-6> [7].
[
<http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Erythritol&action=edit§ion=4>
edit] Blending for sugar-like properties
Erythritol is commonly used as a medium in which to deliver high intensity
sweeteners, especially <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevia> stevia
derivatives, serving the dual function of providing both bulk and
additional
flavor. Diet beverages made with this blend thus also contain erythritol
in
addition to the main sweetener. Beyond high intensity sweeteners,
erythritol
is often paired with other bulky ingredients that exhibit sugar-like
characteristics to better mimic the texture and mouthfeel of
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sucrose> sucrose. Often these other
ingredients are responsible for the gastric side effects blamed on
erythritol. The cooling effect of erythritol is rarely desired, hence
other
ingredients are chosen to dilute or negate that effect. Erythritol also
has
a propensity to crystallize and is not as soluble as
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sucrose> sucrose, so ingredients may also be
chosen to help negate this disadvantage. Furthermore, erythritol is non-
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hygroscopic> hygroscopic, meaning it does
not
attract moisture, which can lead to products, particularly baked goods,
drying out if another <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hygroscopic>
hygroscopic ingredient is not used in the formulation.
Oftentimes, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inulin> inulin is combined with
erythritol due to inulin offering a complementary negative
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_of_solution> heat of solution (
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exothermic> exothermic, or warming effect
when
dissolved that helps cancel erythritol's cooling effect) and
non-crystallizing properties. Unfortunately,
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inulin> inulin has a propensity to cause gas
and bloating when consumed in moderate to large quantities, particularly
in
individuals unaccustomed to it. Other sugar alcohols are sometimes used
with
erythritol, particularly <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isomalt> isomalt
due
to its minimally positive <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_of_solution>
heat of solution, and <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycerin> glycerin
which has a negative <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_of_solution> heat
of solution, moderate <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hygroscopic>
hygroscopicity, and non-crystallizing liquid form.
Gary Patterson
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