Sponsored: Sugar-free not all it's cracked up to be?

Ask Leah! The Ingles Dietitian

Sponsored: Sugar-free not all it's cracked up to be?

Foods and drinks that are high in added sugar often lead to consumption of excess calories and dental caries so it would seem like "no sugar added" or "sugar-free" products would be a better choice, right?

Many products marketed as "no sugar-added" or "sugar-free" get their sweetness from a chemical compound known as polyols or sugar alcohols. Sugar alcohols can be found naturally in some foods like stone fruits (peaches, plums) as well as vegetables (cauliflower) and mushrooms. Polyols can also be made chemically,we can recognize them on an ingredient list with their -ol ending: mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol, erythritol. Sugar alcohols appear under "carbohydrates" on the Nutrition Facts panel but aren't a sugar or an alcohol but a "low digestible carbohydrate", which means your body doesn't recognize them as a sugar. Polyols don't have the same caloric impact of sugar; sugar (a carbohydrate) has 4 calories/gram and polyols can have just 0-3 calories/gram.

The bad news is that these polyols can play havoc with your digestive system. For many people, and especially you have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), polyols can cause a variety of issues - what we often call "GI distress".

What's the bottom line?: Sugar-free and no-sugar added may affect your digestive system. Be sure and read the ingredients and check the nutrition facts label.

Sources:

https://polyols.org/polyols-benefits/

Leah McGrath, RDN, LDN

Ingles Markets Corporate Dietitian

twitter.com/InglesDietitian

facebook.com/LeahMcgrathDietitian

800-334-4936

Tags:

Up Moses Creek: The Window Strike

One day last December, a flock of robins descended...

Up Moses Creek: Coyote Howl

I was hiking in the woods above our house at ...

Up Moses Creek: The Hatband

I was on the ridge this morning admiring the autum...

SUPPORT THE SMOKY MOUNTAIN NEWS AND
INDEPENDENT, AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISM

Contribute >

Ask Leah! The Ingles Dietitian

Partner content: Sensationalism and Seed Oils

These days there’s a lot of negativity about “seed oils”. According to some of the social media “influencers”, seed oils are ones made from: canola, corn, cottonseed, soybeans, sunflower, safflower, grapeseed, flaxseed, and sesame seeds.

Ask Leah! The Ingles Dietitian

Partner content: When Following Food Advice May Not Be the Best Idea

Often we see articles in magazines, posts on social media, reels or videos that feature a celebrity talking about what they eat in a day or week. This person may be an actor, an athlete, or an influencer-- but in most all cases the message is, ‘Eat like me and you could look/perform like me’.