We are including a short explanation of sugar alcohols which are used in sugar free candy and chocolate today. This is meant to inform you but not to advise you, nor to replace the advice of your physician. Hopefully these expert reports will help answer some of the questions you might have about sugar alcohols. Be sure to consult your physician if you have more questions.

SUGAR ALCOHOLS

"Though not technically considered artificial sweeteners, sugar alcohols are slightly lower in calories than sugar and do not promote tooth decay or cause a sudden increase in blood glucose. They include sorbitol, xylitol, lactitol, mannitol, and maltitol and are used mainly to sweeten sugar-free candies, cookies and chewing gums. The FDA classifies some of these sweeteners as 'generally recognized as safe' and others as approved as food additives."
John Henkel, WebMD Health

MALTITOL

"Maltitol is a member of a family of bulk sweeteners known as polyols or sugar alcohols. It has a pleasant sweet taste-remarkably similar to sucrose. Maltitol is about 90% as sweet as sugar, non-cariogenic, and significantly reduced in calories. Maltitol is especially useful in the production of sweets, including sugarless hard candies, chewing gum, chocolates, baked goods and ice cream."
Calorie Control Council

"Useful in the Diets of People with Diabetes - Control of blood glucose, lipids and weight are the three major goals of diabetes management today. Maltitol is slowly absorbed. Therefore, when maltitol is used, the rise in blood glucose and the insulin response associated with the ingestion of glucose is significantly reduced. The reduced caloric value of maltitol (2.1 calories per gram versus 4.0 for sugar) is consistent with the objective of weight control. Products sweetened with maltitol in place of sugar may be useful in providing a wider variety of reduced-calorie and sugar-free choices to people with diabetes."
Calorie Control Council

"Conversion of maltitol requires little or no insulin and does not cause a significant increase in serum glucose levels, making it suitable for diabetics. However, people with diabetes should consult their physician or health professional about including maltitol in their daily diet."
Whole Foods Market

"Recognizing that diabetes is complex and requirements for its management may vary between individuals, the usefulness of maltitol should be discussed between individuals and their health care providers. Foods sweetened with maltitol may contain other ingredients which also contribute calories and other nutrients. These must be considered in meal planning."
Calorie Control Council

SPLENDA ®

"Splenda ® is the brand name for sucralose, a no calorie sweetener that is made from sugar so it tastes like sugar. Although sucralose is made from sugar, it is not recognized by the body as a carbohydrate or broken down. That is why it has no calories.

"Sucralose is used as a sweetening ingredient in many no calorie and low calorie foods and beverages. Sucralose is also the sweetener in the granular and packet forms of Splenda® No Calorie Sweetener. These sweeteners have virtually no calories per serving.

"More than 100 studies done over 20 years show that sucralose has an excellent safety profile, causes no side effects, and is suitable for the entire family. Sucralose is approved for use in more than 50 countries including the United States. It has been available since 1991.

"Splenda® is suitable for everyone, including people with diabetes. Studies show that sucralose has no effect on blood sugar (blood glucose) or insulin levels, nor does it effect hemoglobin Alc (an indicator of long-term blood sugar control).

"Both Splenda® Granular and Splenda® Packets have a small amount of carbohydrate and calories per serving. These carbohydrates and calories don't come from sucralose; they come from the common food ingredients maltodextrin and/or dextrose.

"These ingredients help make Splenda® Granular and Packets pour and measure more like sugar. Each serving of Splenda© is so low in calories that the FDA allows them to be called no calorie sweeteners.

"Splenda® would not be expected to have a meaningful effect on blood sugar level, when used in reasonable amounts. Note that an individual serving of these sweeteners is considered a free food (Exchange lists for Weight Management, American Diabetes Association, 1999) and can easily fit into your meal plan.

"As a sweetening ingredient used by food manufacturers, sucralose adds no calories or carbohydrates to foods or beverages. However, other ingredients in these foods may or may not add calories and carbohydrate.

"You may have been taught to limit foods that contain ingredients that end in "ose," for example, sucrose, dextrose, or fructose, because they are types of sugar. Sucralose, however, is an OK "ose'. That's because it is not recognized by the body as sugar or a carbohydrate, and it has no calories…."

Splenda® Sweet News Brochure, 2002