Microbiology

Erythritol and diabetes

Safe for people with diabetes: Single dose and 14-day clinical studies demonstrate erythritol does not affect blood serum glucose or insulin levels. Clinical studies conducted in people with diabetes conclude that erythritol may be safely used to replace sucrose in foods formulated specifically for people with diabetes. Of course, those with diabetes should consider the impact on their diet of other ingredients used in foods sweetened with erythritol.

The zero-calorie sweetener erythritol may exert a strong antioxidant activity which may protect vascular health of diabetics, says a new study from The Netherlands.

A study with diabetic rats found that the sweetener could protect the cells lining the blood vessels from oxidative stress, a key process in the development of heart disease, according to findings from researchers from Maastricht University and Tate & Lyle.

Erythritol, a bulk sweetener polyol that occurs at low levels in some fruits and fermented foods, contains a variety of benefits, including zero-calorie content, low GI index and a low laxative effect. The ingredient, manufactured by Jungbunzlauer and Cargill, is already marketed towards diabetics, since it does not affect glucose and insulin levels.