After hearing from a reader who suffers from diabetes and dry mouth that she was searching for sugar-free hard candy that doesn’t contain sugar alcohols, I responded that even if there were products that didn’t contain these types of sweeteners, they weren’t even on my radar.
Soon after, I received a letter from Mary O. of Richmond, Virginia: “I searched for candy and stevia together and it took me a few seconds to find a candy that was both sugar-free and sugar alcohol-free.” Attached to her letter was an ingredients list for a sugar-free candy that uses the sweetener stevia.
I was intrigued by the nutrition facts label for this product, which clearly states that it contains 0 sugar alcohols. However, the first ingredient on the label, listed from most to least in the product, is isomalt, a sugar alcohol.
Why is this? According to Food and Drug Administration regulations, if a food product contains less than 0.5 grams of sugar alcohols per serving it can be labeled as 0. So this product does contain sugar alcohols, although in very small amounts.
Jeanne G. of St. Louis shares a different opinion: “There’s a lot of talk about xylitol and other sugar alcohols, but no mention of how toxic these products are to dogs. There have been cases of dogs dying after eating sugar-free gum that contains xylitol. Please warn your readers of the dangers posed to pets by ingesting these products.”
That’s absolutely true, Jeanne. In 2016, the FDA issued a warning that xylitol (a sugar alcohol found in everything from breath mints to chewable vitamins) is toxic to dogs. If a dog ingests the sweetener, symptoms like weakness, staggering, and seizures can appear within 10 minutes to an hour.
Xylitol is safe for humans, but can cause diarrhea if consumed in large quantities. This sugar alcohol has been shown to reduce bacteria in the mouth and help prevent tooth decay, which is why it’s often found in sugar-free gum and candy.
Some recent studies have linked high levels of xylitol in the blood to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke, but Consumer Reports says the amount of xylitol consumed to achieve these effects is at least 30 times the amount found in typical sugar-free gum and candy.
Finally, Ann from Monterey, California writes, “I don’t know if this suggestion will help your dry mouth, but maybe it will. A few years ago, tests showed I was pre-diabetic, so I cut back on my sugar intake. One time I bought too many grapes, but rather than watch them go bad, I thought I might still be able to use them, so I washed them, drained them, and froze them. They’re really tasty when frozen, a little crunchy and sweet, like a popsicle.”
That’s great, Ann. Grapes contain natural sugars, and many dental experts recommend them as a healthy snack that’s good for your teeth.
Barbara Intermill is a registered dietitian and syndicated columnist. She is the author of Quinn-Essential Nutrition: The Uncomplicated Science of Eating. Email her at barbara@quinnessentialnutrition.com.
