Customer Reviews

Now Foods Erythritol, 1 Pound (Pack of 2)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Now Foods' erythritol is a sugar substitute made from corn. By fermenting the corn's sugars, the manufacturer produces a naturally-occurring sugar alcohol product. Sugar alcohols taste exactly like sugar, but without the calories and blood sugar spike. And they are alcohols in chemistry terms only, not to be confused with the kind of alcohol one finds in adult beverages.

PROS:

* Tastes just like sugar and has no unpleasant aftertastes, unlike stevia.

* Has a glycemic index of zero. Great for diabetics or those simply wishing to eliminate excess sugar from their diets.

* Contains virtually no calories.

* Made by a manufacturer committed to a wide range of sweeteners and food products, so the company is experienced and trusted in its field.

* Erythritol occurs naturally in many foods. The FDA recognizes it as a viable and safe sugar substitute. Erythritol-based sweeteners have been on the market in other countries for years.

* Unlike some other sugar alcohols such as xylitol, mannitol, and sorbitol, it will not cause gas if consumed in large amounts.

* Not only does erythritol not promote tooth decay, it actually prevents it, inhibiting the growth of harmful bacteria in the mouth.

* Can be used in baking.

CONS:

* Not quite as sweet as sugar. You need about a quarter to a third more erythritol by volume for an equivalent.

* Though it tastes exactly like sugar, erythritol has a slight, mint-like, cooling effect on the tongue. In foods where that effect would be undesirable, erythritol would need to be combined with another sweetener to diminish the effect. (This effect seems to vary from person to person, too.)

* In some clear liquids such as tea, adding erythritol will initially cloud the liquid, though the cloudiness fades quickly. (That issue probably comes from the release of oxygen bubbles as the product dissolves.)

* Though it dissolves, erythritol does not do so as rapidly as sugar. It will retain its granularity in some foods. (Some people recommended powdering it to compensate.)

* Because it involves more steps to make than corn syrup or sugar, this is not a cheap product. Perhaps in the future, economies of scale will drive the price down.

Many companies are discovering the benefits of erythritol as a natural sugar substitute that lacks the nagging questions that dog artificial sweeteners like sucralose and aspartame. Now Foods' erythritol is one of the best values in this natural sweetener on the market, available at a much lower price point than some competitors' products. Though not cheap compared with sugar or some artificial sweeteners, as a healthy alternative, it more than makes up for its higher cost.

Definitely recommended.

"Erythritol" has become our sugar substitute of choice since I became diabetic a few months ago. In crystal form, it seems about 70% as sweet as regular sugar. My wife uses a little bit of added sugar to bring the sweetness up for the rest of the family in things that need it, but I am happy with it as a one-to-one replacement for sugar in most things.

I have not noticed any glycemic impact to my blood sugar or "laxative" effects seen with other sugar alcohol sweeteners (which is a very important consideration :-)

Highly recommended!

I've used this product in tea, for strawberries, and most recently for peanut butter cookies. If prices is a non-issue for you, then by all means, this works well for tea (I mix several sweeteners, sucralose, saccharine and aspartame, usually for the best flavor) and dipping strawberries. Having read other reviews, that this products is only 70% as sweet as sugar, I mixed a bit of the pink stuff in for punch, and it was just like dipping in real sugar. There is definitely the "crunch" factor of granulated sugar. It is sparkly and pretty like granulated sugar, and you could possible put it in the sugar bowl without certain people noticing. That said, I made peanut butter cookies yesterday, which required a large amount of erythritol (about a cup) and I certainly noticed the "cooling" effect mentioned in other reviews. I think if one were making mint cookies or something chocolate-y then you might get away with it, but I found it rather disconcerting. They came out pretty heavy, which peanut butter cookies do normally.

So, although I won't rave about the product, it is a really great alternative to sugar and chemical sugar substitutes. It's awfully expensive, and I don't know if I will buy it again because of that, but I don't believe in deducting stars from reviews unless the price is much higher than a competitor for a comparable product. In this case, the product is relatively uncommon, so the price will be high.

I can't imagine ever going back to that nasty aftertaste of the chemical sweetners! Erythritol is AWESOME!

When I first tried this, I gave up on it quickly because it has a slightly weird aftertaste. Weeks later I tried again and decided to mix with some Splenda (in my coffee). Much better! Aftertaste went away! Now I like to mix two teaspoons of Erythritol with one teaspoon of real sugar. Almost as good as my old concoction of two tablespoons of brown sugar in my coffee. Yes, I like it sweet. This actually tastes like a treat, not a compromise. I look forward to coffee drinking again, and without all the calories - yea!!

This is the first time I've used erythritol, and am totally disappointed. This just isn't sweet. I used 3-4x as much in coffee as i would sugar and couldn't even taste it. It still tasted like black coffee. Maybe my sense of taste just can't detect it, I'm not sure. It was a complete waste of money, though.