What are Polyols?
Polyols are sugar-free sweeteners. Polyols are carbohydrates but they are not sugars. They are used cup-for-cup [volume-for-volume] in the same amount as sugar is used, unlike acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose which are used in very small amounts. Since “polyols” is not a consumer friendly term, many nutritionists and health educators refer to polyols as “sugar replacers” when communicating with consumers. Scientists call them sugar alcohols because part of their structure chemically resembles sugar and part is similar to alcohols. However, these sugar-free sweeteners are neither sugars nor alcohols, as these words are commonly used. Other terms used primarily by scientists are polyhydric alcohols and polyalcohols. There are 7 calories in each gram of alcohol.
How Many Calories in Polyols?
- 3.0 calories per gram hydrogenated starch hydrolysates
- 2.6 calories per gram sorbitol
- 2.4 calories per gram xylitol
- 2.1 calories per gram maltitol
- 2.0 calories per gram isomalt
- 2.0 calories per gram lactitol
- 1.6 calories per gram mannitol
- 0.2 calories per gram erythritol
What is a Calorie?A kilocalorie is what we conveniently call a calorie. It is a measure of heat energy. It’s the energy necessary to raise the temperature of 1 kg of water by 1° Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit). How many calories in fats, carbohydrates and proteins? There are 9 calories in each gram of fat. Fat contains more than twice the number of calories in carbs or protein. There are under 4 calories in each gram of carbohydrates (3.75 calories), the same calories as per gram of protein. This compares with over 9 calories per gram of fat. There are just under 4 calories in each gram of protein. Although protein is essential for good health, it is better to lower your intake of animal protein (e.g. from cheese and meat) and increase your intake of vegetable protein (e.g. from beans, soybeans, lentils, nuts.)