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Maltitol
Maltitol
Maltitol
What is it:
Maltitol is a sugar alcohol naturally occurring in fruits and vegetables and commercially used as a sugar substitute. It is made from maltose, a type of sugar that is derived from corn, wheat, or potato starch. The process of making maltitol involves treating maltose with hydrogen gas in the presence of a catalyst, which converts it into maltitol. The resulting product is then purified, dried, and crystallized. Maltitol is frequently used in the food industry as a sweetener and bulking agent, as it has a similar sweetness profile to sugar and can be used in a variety of applications, yet has half as many calories.
Rating:
Maltitol appears to be safe to consume in normal amounts in various human and animal studies and may have a beneficial effect on glycemic response and oral health. Maltitol may have a laxative effect and may cause digestive discomfort in some individuals if consumed in excess. Commercial maltitol is a fairly processed sweetener and it may be derived from GMO corn.
Resources:
- Consuming maltitol lowers glycemic response and causes mild increase in gastrointestinal symptoms (randomized, double-blind, cross-over study)
- Very high doses of maltitol may cause diarrhea (double-blind random cross-over study)
- Maltitol appears to be non-cytotoxic in human lymphocytes (in vitro study)
- Maltitol has no genotoxic or cytotoxic effect, but may cause low birth weight at very high concentrations in rats (animal study)
- General information about maltitol and its health implications
How we rate ingredients
Health is like a bank account, certain ingredients make a deposit into your health bank, meaning they add to
your health. Certain ingredients withdraw from your health bank. We want health promoting ingredients in our diet. To keep things simple, we rate ingredients on a green, yellow, red scale:
Clean
It is naturally occurring in food and has no harmful effects on the body. It is real food. It is health promoting.
Caution
It goes into one or more of the below categories
- It is not naturally occurring in food but doesn’t have data showing it has a harmful effect on the body (additives like Gellan Gum)
- It is naturally occurring but can have some harmful effects on the body (added sugars, oils, gums etc.)
We Avoid
It is known to have a harmful effect on the body (ex. All food colorings, Natural Flavors, MSG, Potassium bromate, aspartame, artificial flavors)
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