Sugar alcohols have the general formula HOCH2(CHOH)nCH2OH. In contrast, sugars have two fewer hydrogen atoms, for example, … See more

Sugar alcohols can be, and often are, produced from renewable resources. Particular feedstocks are starch, cellulose and hemicellulose; the main conversion technologies use See more

• Ethylene glycol (2-carbon)
• Glycerol (3-carbon)
• Erythritol (4-carbon)
• See more

Sugar alcohols do not contribute to tooth decay; in fact, xylitol deters tooth decay.
Sugar alcohols are absorbed at 50% of the rate of sugars, resulting in less of an effect on blood sugar levels as measured by comparing their effect to sucrose using the glycemic index See more

This table presents the relative sweetness and food energy of the most widely used sugar alcohols. Despite the variance in food energy content of sugar alcohols, the European Union's labeling requirements assign a blanket value of 2.4 kcal/g to all sugar alcohols. See more