Maltitol is a sugar alcohol (polyol) used as a sugar substitute. It has 90% the sweetness of sugar and nearly identical properties, except for browning. It is used to very easily replace sugar and has less food energy, does not promote tooth decay and has a somewhat lower blood sugar response. Unfortunately, maltitol is well known to cause gastric distress, particularly if consumed in great quantities. Chemically, maltitol is also known as 4-O-a-Glucopyranosyl-D-sorbitol. Commercially, it is known under trade names such as Maltisorb and Maltisweet.
Metabolism of maltitol
Maltitol, like other sugar alcohols, does not brown or caramelize. It is not metabolized by oral bacteria, so it does not promote tooth decay. It is somewhat more slowly absorbed than sugar (sucrose) which makes it somewhat more suitable for people with diabetes than white sugar (sucrose). It is very important to be aware that its blood sugar impact is far from negligible and some traditional sugars, such as fructose, actually have a significantly lower impact on blood sugar[citation needed]. Its food energy value is 2.1 calories per gram (8.8 kJ/g); (sugar is 4.0 cal/g (16.7 kJ/g).
Due to its slow absorption, excessive consumption can have laxative effect and often can cause gas and/or bloating. Maltitol is particularly demonized regarding gastric side effects because it is so easy for food producers to use it in vast quantities (due to its amazingly sugar-like properties) so consumers often end up consuming far more than they could most other sugar alcohols. While this is a major problem with maltitol, many sugar alcohols are far more likely to cause gastric distress than maltitol when compared gram-for-gram.