Erythritol
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Erythritol is a sugar alcohol which has been approved for use in the United States as a food additive and sweetener. While 70% as sweet as table sugar, it is substantially less caloric than sugar. By U.S. labeling requirements, it has a caloric value of 0.2 calories per gram (Japanese standards rate it at 0 calories).
In the body, erythritol is absorbed into the bloodstream in the small intestine, and then for the most part excreted unchanged in the urine. Since little of it enters the large intestine, erythritol does not cause the laxative effect often experienced after overconsumption of other sugar alcohols. Erythritol cannot be metabolized by oral bacteria, and so does not contribute to tooth decay.