Erythritol has come to the fore as a healthy sweetener. It has been talked about ad nauseam and it has become fashionable to the point that we already see it in all supermarkets. We wanted to know this product in depth, so we are going to solve your main questions, such as whether it is healthy or harmful to health.
We know that refined sugar is a poison that is sold as something beneficial, but it is not. The consumption of sugar is responsible for heart disease, diabetes and obesity, both adults and children, among other serious diseases. We know that all these diseases could be prevented with a balanced diet and physical activity, but when sugar is put in all foods and available to everyone, even with advertising claims, there is not much escape beyond self-control.
Erythritol appeared on the market a few years ago, but it was not until recently that it began to become popular. This is because we live in a time where we care a lot about health, food, sports and healthy life.
What is erythritol?
Simply put, erythritol is a good tasting, zero calorie sweetener – in fact, it is almost as sweet as traditional sugar. This sweetener belongs to the family of sugar alcohols better known as polyols found in fruits, vegetables and fermented foods.
More specifically, it is obtained from the fermentation of natural sugars obtained from wheat and corn and is then purified. It is slowly absorbed (unlike the usual refined sugar), so it does not generate glucose peaks.
When we buy it we will have to make sure that it is pure erythritol or at least with a percentage greater than 90% , since many brands add trans fats, other sweeteners and other solutions to enhance its flavor and accelerate the sugary touch. If we do not pay attention, we will be going from a healthy erythritol, to an erythritol almost as harmful as conventional white sugar.
This seasoning is recommended for certain foods, pastries and drinks that we want to sweeten in a simple and fast way. This alternative to conventional sugar has many advantages, and also some other disadvantages, but we will see all that later.
Is it a healthy alternative?
One of the main pillars of erythritol and that has launched it to stardom is that it is a healthy alternative to conventional sugar.
When talking about sweeteners, many times we panic, and since some are toxic and carcinogenic in the long term. The vast majority of sweeteners are good, but erythritol arrives and displaces everyone, since it does not change the taste of food, it simply adds the sweet touch that food needs.
Erythritol duels with the famous Stevia, but be careful, because many times, even if I put Stevia on the packaging, when reading the ingredients, we see Erythritol as the main ingredient. A good example of this is Mercadona’s Stevia which, without going any further, 93% is erythritol.
The intake of this alternative does not pose risks for patients with diabetes and it is usually one of the few sweeteners that are recommended both for people who want to reduce their sugar consumption, as well as those who have some kind of imbalance with blood sugar.
Its use in food has already been approved in Europe, the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia and in other countries such as Japan that has used it since the 90’s in gummies, yogurts, pastry fillings, cookies, jellies, drinks and soft drinks, etc. . So we can be sure that erythritol is a healthy and safe alternative.
Also, let’s not forget that it has no calories, unlike other sweeteners and refined sugar that is commonly used.
How to use it in the kitchen?
The big question is how do I add erythritol to dishes? Very simple, just like sugar is added. This healthy sweetener provides between 60 and 70% of the sweetness of conventional sugar , so it would be necessary to add a little more than necessary.
We recommend starting by using erythritol in small doses to get used to it and get used to the quantities. For example, unsweetened yogurt, we can go testing with that type of food, and get the perfect taste and learn to measure the tablespoons.
Only then will we be able to get all the recipes right, since if we are fond of pastry we will know how difficult it is to give it the exact touch without dying in the attempt and that when tasting it it is not a little sweet or excessively sweet.
We can use it in pastries, yogurts, milk, rice pudding recipes, Catalan cream, custard, homemade sweets, with churros, chocolate, for fruit, lemonades, coffee, teas, to make caramel, etc.
Advantages and disadvantages of erythritol
Everything in life has advantages and disadvantages, since there is no perfect food, no perfect car, and no perfect decision. It’s the same with this sweetener, that’s why we want to divide the advantages and disadvantages, to learn more about the erythritol that everyone talks about.
Main advantages
- It does not cause blood glucose spikes.
- It is suitable for diabetics.
- It can be eaten by children, adults and the elderly.
- It does not change the taste.
- It has no calories.
- It is a healthy sweetener.
- Helps to lose weight.
- It is of natural origin.
- It has almost the same taste as regular sugar.
- It is considered an antioxidant.
- It does not promote oral bacteria, that is, it does not cause cavities.
- It is being used more and more in the food industry.
- It is talked about as one of the best healthy alternatives.
They are few disadvantages, but important
- It can cause gas and inflammation of the stomach if you have an imbalance in the intestinal microbiota.
- An excess can lead to diarrhea.
- It depends on where we buy it, it can be mixed with other sweeteners (unhealthy) or contain trans fats.
- If it is not authentic erythritol, it can have a lot of fat, so it would no longer be healthy and we could worsen our health and gain weight.
