Erythritol

Erythritol is a four-carbon molecule that is naturally present in various foods (vegetables, fruits, fermented foods) and even produced naturally in the human body. Some of its natural food sources include pears, watermelon, peaches, melons, mushrooms, wine and even cheeses. Commercially, it is mainly made through natural fermentation of glucose.

Multiple human trials demonstrate that (c. 90%) erythritol is absorbed in the small intestine and excreted unchanged, via urine (i, ii). Research demonstrates that absorbed erythritol is not metabolized and simply washes through and out. The smaller proportion that is not absorbed in the small intestine may be fermented in the larger intestine, again as many non-caloric fibres are. To put it simply, it has no significant metabolic effect (and is non-caloric, not used for energy), as most of it is excreted unchanged and the small amount that reaches the large intestine is consumed by commensal bacteria as any food fibre (ii). Whereas other polyols (e.g. maltitol, xylitol, sorbitol) in quantities found in food products can cause diarrhea and bloating, because of its low molecular weight, this is not the case for erythritol. Furthermore, research in humans have demonstrated significantly positive results after consumption of erythritol-sweetened candies vs. xylitol and sorbitol ones, in terms of reducing pathogenic plaque mutans streptococci while maintaining commensal Lactobacillus levels (iii).

Erythritol can often have a cooling sensation, but in NOMOSU products, this disappears when combined with our stevia and cacao ingredients, creating pure deliciousness.

To create a well-rounded, delicious sweet taste and texture, combining stevia (much sweeter vs. sucrose) with erythritol (not as sweet as sucrose) gives a balanced sweet flavour and optimal texture too. We use organic erythritol and find that the synergies between our organic stevia and organic erythritol are excellent to create a beautiful taste and texture that is indistinguishable from products sweetened with sugar and even often tastes better. Through lab-research, we are now finding out how specific ingredients work synergistically to create a healthy, natural taste response.

(i) Wölnerhanssen, B. et al. (2016), ‘Gut hormone secretion, gastric emptying, and glycemic responses to erythritol and xylitol in lean and obese subjects’, Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 310: E1053–E1061

(ii) Munro, I.C. et al. (1998), ‘Erythritol: an interpretive summary of biochemical, metabolic, toxicological and clinical data’, Food and Chemical Toxicology, 36(12), pp. 1139-1174

(iii) Runnel, R. et al. (2013), ‘Effect of three-year consumption of erythritol, xylitol and sorbitol candies on various plaque and salivary caries-related variables’, Journal of Dentistry, 41, pp. 1236-1244.