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CF diabetes sugar replacement

Question
Hello,
what is your opinion about the sugar replacement "bio sweetener" - can a patient take it without risks (if he can afford it...)?
Thanks
Answer
Hello,
"bio sweetener" is composed of erythriol, a sugar alcohol, which is in contrast to other sugar alcohols like xylitol, sorbitol etc. absorbed in the upper small bowel and is eliminated unchanged via the kidneys. It therefore doesn't reach the large bowel (microbiom) and is therefore well tolerated in larger amounts (about 1g/kg body weight), without causing flatulence and diarrhea.
As erythriol has a glycaemic index of 0, it is a good alternative for diabetic patients. However it has to be taken into account, that erythrit has less sweetness than normal houshold sugar (about 60-80% of it) and also causes a cooling effect on the tongue. Therefore erythrit is often used together with stevia, a sweetener that is also usable for diabetic patients. Furthermore, erythrit does not solve well in water, therefore this product is often in form of powder on the market. You will get erythrit also from other manufacturers. Many drugstores and supermarkets does actually sell those products.
Best regards,
Suzanne van Dullemen
26.01.2018