The Problem with Sugar Alcohols

Baking without refined sugar often leads people to use sugar alcohols such as xylitol and erythritol. But it is not sustainable or in the best interest of your kids’ health to regularly bake with sugar alcohols in large amounts. In this post, find out why baking with sugar alcohols can become a problem.

Why I Used Sugar Alcohols for a While

I used to bake with sugar alcohols (primarily xylitol) for a time because I needed to reduce my first daughter’s consumption of all carbs and sugars drastically. This was in an effort to fight a candida overgrowth we had been battling since she was born.

Xylitol seemed like an amazing alternative to sugar. It did not contain any sugar or carbs but still made baked goods taste sweet without an aftertaste. And for a family that craves sweets, that was life-saving. The bonus was that xylitol is known to kill candida.

I never cared too much for other sugar alcohols because of the aftertaste or overly-sweet taste most of them had, so I stuck to using xylitol. And I used it fairly regularly so that my daughter could enjoy treats without compromising her intense candida-destroying diet.

It seemed like a great solution, at least for the time being. And I’m not alone in this. Many people and food manufacturers use xylitol and other sugar alcohols to sweeten treats, gum and candy without the negative health effects of sugar.

The Problem with Sugar Alcohols

Sugar alcohols have been thought to be a great sugar alternative for various groups of people who must severely limit their sugar consumption, such as those with diabetes or other health conditions.

Xylitol, erythritol, malitol, isomalt – these are all ingredients you may have seen listed on the back of sugar-free dessert packaging. They taste almost identical to sugar, so they are a very attractive sugar alternative for many people, just as they were for my family.

But recent studies have begun to uncover some potential health risks associated with consuming sugar alcohols that are raising concerns in a lot of people.

Gut Health

Xylitol’s effects on the gut microbiome have been receiving a lot of attention in recent years due to its rising popularity, along with other polyols and sugar-free sweeteners. Although I have been told by some people that xylitol has a negative effect on the gut microbiome, what I am finding from studies is that there is no definitive conclusion at this point.

While many studies have demonstrated various changes that occur in the gut microbiome as a result of consuming xylitol, these changes are not necessarily bad, although they can be when they are in excess. However, as mentioned in this analysis by Science Direct, many studies looking at low-calorie sweeteners have flaws and limitations, one of which is that doses that are too high to be compared to real-life consumption.

So the debate on sugar alcohols’ effects on gut health continues. We don’t have all of the answers on that specific topic yet.

But there is another piece of the puzzle, and it is something you don’t need a study to figure out. Anyone who consumes more than a little bit of sugar alcohols in one day will know from personal experience that they can cause digestive discomfort, diarrhea, gas and bloating.

So whatever their ultimate effect on the gut microbiome may be, sugar alcohols are best when limited to small amounts if they are consumed.

Heart Health

But what about the recent concerns over sugar alcohols affecting heart health?

Recent studies from Cleveland Clinic have linked both erythritol and xylitol to increased risk of having a cardiovascular event. This was big news and spooked a lot of people!

However, the American Council on Science and Health (ACSH) is questioning the validity of those studies, stating that a causal effect has not been established. And they are not the only ones questioning the integrity of the study. Dr. Mark Burhenne from Ask the Dentist also points out numerous flaws in the study on xylitol.

Notably, one flaw with the study according to the ACSH is the absence of dietary information from the study participants – meaning we don’t even know if the individuals with increased xylitol in their blood actually consumed any xylitol or if their bodies produced it (because our bodies do produce some xylitol).

Dr. Burhenne also points out that almost half of the study participants had pre-existing heart disease and calls that a “major red flag” for the study’s validity.

So the risk to your child’s cardiovascular health due to consuming xylitol is questionable, but perhaps not something to be entirely ignored either.

The safety or healthfulness of sugar alcohols is, at this point, highly debatable based on the inconclusive studies and the opinions of experts. But I have my own conclusions about this topic for my family.

The Conclusion From My Viewpoint

From the start, even though I was originally happy to have a virtually carbless, sugarless sweetener for my daughter, I knew xylitol was not the most natural way to go. All you have to do is look at it to see that it is a highly processed ingredient.

Knowing that you will never find xylitol in this form in nature (although it is a part of nature) is enough to de-classify it as an ideal health food for me.

I still think xylitol has its place and purpose in life. In fact, I still value it as an important part of dental hygiene as xylitol has been proven to fight cavities. I still let my kids have a lollipop or gum sweetened with sugar alcohols sometimes because I would rather they coat their teeth with xylitol or erythritol than sugar of any kind.

But I no longer bake with it. I no longer give it to my kids to consume as a regular practice. And I no longer purchase it as a staple ingredient to refill my pantry.

What this Means for Your Kids

So what does this mean for your kids? Well, it means you have to do your own research and come to your own conclusions about what is best and healthiest for your family. If you have a child with a specific health concern, you may have to do things a little different for a time as I did.

But here’s what I think. I think we should come back to nature whenever we can. “Healthy eating” has different meanings for each family and child. And that’s totally okay! We can take different paths as needed to get our kids to a healthier place.

Ultimately, if you can bake and feed your children as close to nature as whatever is realistically possible for you, you’re doing “healthy” just right for your family.

For my family, right now, that means letting my kids have the sugar but making sure it is only natural, wholefood kinds of sugar as much as possible so that they are getting the vitamins and nutrients too. It also means limiting sugars that quickly spike blood sugar and lead to feeling crummy later.

So there’s my two cents on the problem with sugar alcohols. What are your thoughts on this topic? Let me know in the comments below.