Erythritol

Erythritol is a tetraol with the chemical name of 1,2,3,4-butanetetraol and molecular formula of C4H10O4. It has lower molecular weight and higher solution osmotic pressure comparing with sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol and other sugar alcohols. Erythritol is a safe, excellent, natural and healthy sweetener which exists in seaweed, mushroom, melon, grape and fermented foods in the nature world. It has been used for over tens of thousands of years in human dietary component. Its sweetness is about 70 % ~ 80 % of sucrose. It has cool and pure sweetness in the mouth, which is similar to the sweetness of sucrose, and there is no bitterness. It can be combined with saccharin, aspartame and other sweeteners which can achieve good sweetness and cover up the bad tastes.

Main characteristics

Low calories:
According to the testing results of the carbohydrate calorie evaluation method of Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan ( No.71 Weixin, Heisei period 3rd year ), the calorie value of erythritol is 0.
High tolerance:
Erythritol does not participate in the metabolism of sugar after entering the human body, as there is no enzyme system to metabolize erythritol in human body, so erythritol almost does not cause any changes in blood sugar.
Caries prevention characteristics:
Erythritol can also inhibit the growth and acid productions of various Streptococcus mutans and fluoride-resistant bacteria. It has a significant inhibitory effect on porphyromonas gingivalis, which is the main pathogenic bacteria of periodontitis. Erythritol can reduce the adhesion effect on the surface of cementum.
Anti-oxidation:
Erythritol can properly extend the shelf life of products. It can be added to lemon juice drinks to protect VC and can also be applied as an antioxidant in human body to prevent oxidative stress damage in human body.
Stable property:
There is no decomposition, no discoloration, no browning reaction, no Maillard reaction and few browning or decomposition under the high temperature of 200 ℃.