Maltitol is an artificial substance that replaces white sugar and is widely used in soft drinks and ultra-processed pastries. In the industry it is used to make foods low in sugar and suitable for diabetics, but it is not entirely correct, since it is still an unhealthy sweetener, although according to the European Union it is.
Currently there are many sweeteners, some are better than others. Maltitol is halfway between healthy and prohibited such as aspartame, sucralose, saccharin, glucose, fructose, sucrose, xylitol, saccharin, maltodextrin, glucose syrup, gazesulfame, sorbitol, etc.
The best options are Stevia and erythritol. Although the best option will always be to sweeten naturally using real honey, maple syrup, fruit, nut cream, etc. There are plenty of options before resorting to sweeteners.
Be very careful with the great lie of the food industry regarding “zero sugar”, “low calorie”, “low sugar” foods and the like, since they still contain sugars, but in smaller amounts and they are not powerful sweeteners, but from sweeteners such as maltitol.
What is?
This sweetener, called maltitol, is considered one of the main substitutes for white sugar in the food industry. It belongs to the sugar alcohols, polyalcohols or polyols such as xylitol and sorbitol. It is similar to other sweeteners due to its sweetening power and is slowly metabolized, which is why it is usually suitable for diabetics. In addition, it has a low caloric intake, unlike normal sugar.
In the European Union it is known as E-965 and it is a carbohydrate made from glucose and sorbitol, which in turn is produced from maltose derived from the starch of natural foods such as wheat, corn or tapioca.
In the next section we will understand how this sweetener is achieved, which replaces the refined white sugar that is so bad for our health. Later we will see the pros and cons of taking maltitol and whether it is healthy or better to switch to erythritol and Stevia or other alternatives.
how it’s done
This sweetener is achieved by hydrogenating maltose, which is obtained from the starch of natural foods such as wheat or corn. It is part of the group of polyols, and this gives it two good characteristics, which is that maltitol neither blackens nor caramelizes. That is why it is so common in the current food industry and it seems that it will be a constant, since it is cheap, “healthy” and very useful.
It has a high sweetness power, between 70 and 90% of the sweetener of white sugar. It is typically used in ultra-processed baked goods such as chewing gum, canned fruit, sugar-free chocolate bars, chocolate coatings, ice cream, scones, etc. and other “diet” foods.
The good thing about maltitiol is that it not only adds sweetness, but also body, consistency and creamy texture. That is why it is used in industrial ice cream, jellies and other processed products. Surely in our pantry we have some food with this sweetener in its composition.
Pros and cons
We come to the important part, and that is that we already know what this sweetener is, where it comes from and where it is used, but until now we have not said 100% if it is good or bad, only that it is not as perfect as they want us to paint it. in the food industry.
Among the pros, we know from the hand of science that this sweetener is not carcinogenic, unlike others such as aspartame, sucralose, xylitol, saccharin, maltodextrin, glucose syrup, gazesulfame, sorbitol, etc. But it is not 100% safe either, since it can influence overweight and other diseases such as cholesterol and other parameters of the body. It is best to consult with a specialist who knows our state of health and thus health of doubts as soon as possible.
Another pro is that it reduces the risk of developing cavities when consuming sugary foods, it also reduces the chances of suffering from fatty liver and it is suitable for diabetics because its glycemic response is lower.
On the other hand, the cons of this sweetener that is so famous in the food industry is the laxative effect if we consume it frequently or have large meals on time. With its consumption, it can cause abdominal distention, gas, flatulence, white stools, etc. in some people. This is because the intake of maltitol does not adapt to the intestinal flora.
For those with irritable bowel, maltitol is not the most recommended sweetener, nor is it for those who suffer from inflammation and abdominal swelling frequently. Before consuming this type of sweeteners, it is best to consult a specialist.
If when eating fruits or sweets, our belly swells, it could be a rejection response of our body towards some type of food or sugar such as fructose. Through a series of tests, doctors will check what is happening in our body and then they will indicate the guidelines to follow to prevent that annoying abdominal inflammation, those gases and loose stools from happening again.
It is healthy?
As we can see, at an industrial level, it is a slightly harmful sweetener, but it is better not to trust it too much and greatly reduce its consumption. We must naturally sweeten and re-educate our palate so that we do not need sugar so much in our day to day life, only in this way will we avoid diseases such as diabetes, fatty liver, heart disease, premature aging, etc.
There is the possibility of sweetening foods naturally using fruits, natural honey, nut cream, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, coconut sugar, Stevia, erythritol, beet root, etc. There are plenty of alternatives, before launching into sweeteners like maltitol.
It will never be healthy, but it is one of the safest options today. What we do have to do is reduce its consumption, as we have explained, making use of the alternatives that we have discussed in the previous paragraph.
