wha is Sugar alcohol ?
A sugar alcohol is a kind of alcohol prepared from sugar These organic compounds are a class of polyols, also called polyhydric alcohol, polyalcohol, or glycitol. They are white, water-soluble solids that occur naturally and are used widely in the food industry as thickeners and sweeteners. In commercial foodstuffs, sugar alcohols are commonly used in place of table sugar (sucrose), often in combination with high intensity artificial sweeteners to counter the low sweetness. Unlike sugars, sugar alcohols do not contribute to the formation of tooth cavities.
Production and structure
Sugar alcohols have the general formula HOCH2(CHOH)nCH2OH. In contrast, sugars have two fewer hydrogen atoms, for example HOCH2(CHOH)nCHO or HOCH2(CHOH)n-1C(O)CH2OH. The sugar alcohols differ in chain length. Most have five- or six carbon chains, because they are derived from pentoses (five-carbon sugars) and hexoses (six-carbon sugars), respectively. They have one OH group attached to each carbon. They are further differentiated by the relative orientation (stereochemistry) of these OH groups. Unlike sugars, which tend to exist as rings, sugar alcohols do not. They can however be dehydrated to give cyclic ethers, e.g. sorbitol can be dehydrated to isosorbide.
Sugar alcohols occur naturally and at one time, mannitol was obtained from natural sources. Today, they are often obtained by hydrogenation of sugars, using Raney nickel catalysts. The conversion of glucose and mannose to sorbitol and mannitol is given:
HOCH2CH(OH)CH(OH)CH(OH)CH(OH)CHO + H2 → HOCH2CH(OH)CH(OH)CH(OH)CH(OH)CHHOH
More than a million tons of sorbitol are produced in this way annually. Xylitol and lacticol are obtained similarly. Erythritol on the other hand is obtained by fermentation of glucose and sucrose.
Health effects
Of these, xylitol is perhaps the most popular due to its similarity to sucrose in visual appearance and sweetness. Sugar alcohols do not contribute to tooth decay.[2]
However, consumption of sugar alcohols does affect blood sugar levels, although less than that of "regular" sugar (sucrose). Sugar alcohols may also cause bloating and diarrhea when consumed in excessive amounts
A sugar alcohol is a kind of alcohol prepared from sugar These organic compounds are a class of polyols, also called polyhydric alcohol, polyalcohol, or glycitol. They are white, water-soluble solids that occur naturally and are used widely in the food industry as thickeners and sweeteners. In commercial foodstuffs, sugar alcohols are commonly used in place of table sugar (sucrose), often in combination with high intensity artificial sweeteners to counter the low sweetness. Unlike sugars, sugar alcohols do not contribute to the formation of tooth cavities.
Production and structure
Sugar alcohols have the general formula HOCH2(CHOH)nCH2OH. In contrast, sugars have two fewer hydrogen atoms, for example HOCH2(CHOH)nCHO or HOCH2(CHOH)n-1C(O)CH2OH. The sugar alcohols differ in chain length. Most have five- or six carbon chains, because they are derived from pentoses (five-carbon sugars) and hexoses (six-carbon sugars), respectively. They have one OH group attached to each carbon. They are further differentiated by the relative orientation (stereochemistry) of these OH groups. Unlike sugars, which tend to exist as rings, sugar alcohols do not. They can however be dehydrated to give cyclic ethers, e.g. sorbitol can be dehydrated to isosorbide.
Sugar alcohols occur naturally and at one time, mannitol was obtained from natural sources. Today, they are often obtained by hydrogenation of sugars, using Raney nickel catalysts. The conversion of glucose and mannose to sorbitol and mannitol is given:
HOCH2CH(OH)CH(OH)CH(OH)CH(OH)CHO + H2 → HOCH2CH(OH)CH(OH)CH(OH)CH(OH)CHHOH
More than a million tons of sorbitol are produced in this way annually. Xylitol and lacticol are obtained similarly. Erythritol on the other hand is obtained by fermentation of glucose and sucrose.
Health effects
Of these, xylitol is perhaps the most popular due to its similarity to sucrose in visual appearance and sweetness. Sugar alcohols do not contribute to tooth decay.[2]
However, consumption of sugar alcohols does affect blood sugar levels, although less than that of "regular" sugar (sucrose). Sugar alcohols may also cause bloating and diarrhea when consumed in excessive amounts
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