How to Sensibly Incorporate Maltitol into Your Diet

Maltitol - A Sweet Alternative with Questions

A healthier lifestyle and reducing sugar intake are among today's main trends. Many people try to replace regular sugar with alternative sweeteners that have lower energy values and do not threaten dental health or blood sugar levels. One frequently used sweetener is maltitol – a name that appears in the ingredients of many foods but often remains misunderstood. What exactly is maltitol, where is it used, and is its consumption truly safe?

What is Maltitol and Where Does It Come From?

Maltitol is a sugar alcohol, chemically referred to as a polyol. Although it naturally occurs in small amounts in some fruits and vegetables, for food purposes, it is produced from corn or wheat starch. The process involves the enzymatic conversion of starch first into maltose and then by hydrogenation into maltitol.

This substance tastes very similar to regular sugar – it reaches about 90% of the sweetness of sucrose – but contains fewer calories, specifically around 2.1 kcal/g (compared to 4 kcal/g for regular sugar). Therefore, maltitol is popular among manufacturers of low-calorie, "sugar-free," and diabetic products.

Where Do We Most Commonly Find Maltitol?

It is most commonly used in the form of maltitol syrup, which is liquid and easily added to foods. It appears in the composition of chewing gums, candies, chocolates, cookies, protein bars, or toothpastes. Thanks to its stability at temperature and ability to caramelize, it is especially popular in confectionery.

A practical example might be "sugar-free" chocolate, which tastes almost the same as classic chocolate but contains maltitol instead of sucrose. Similarly, in drugstores, we find toothpastes or mouthwashes with this sweetener because maltitol does not support the formation of dental caries, making it an attractive choice for dental hygiene.

Is Maltitol Harmful? And What Do Experts Say?

The question of whether maltitol is harmful arises quite often. The answer is not black-and-white. Health risks of maltitol are mostly associated with its excessive consumption, not with moderate use.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the American FDA consider maltitol safe for human consumption. There is no evidence that it is toxic, carcinogenic, or negatively affects reproductive health. On the contrary, due to its lower glycemic index (around 35), it is more suitable for people with insulin resistance or diabetes.

However, like most polyols, maltitol can cause digestive issues if consumed in larger quantities. Typical symptoms include bloating, flatulence, or diarrhea. This is because maltitol is not fully absorbed in the small intestine and reaches the large intestine, where it is fermented by intestinal bacteria. Some products therefore carry warnings such as "excessive consumption may have a laxative effect."

Interestingly, children are more sensitive to the effects of maltitol than adults, so their intake of this sweetener should be carefully monitored.

How Does Maltitol Compare to Other Sweeteners?

There are many sweeteners on the market – from natural ones like stevia or erythritol to synthetic ones like aspartame or sucralose. Compared to these alternatives, maltitol has several specifics:

• It tastes very close to regular sugar, which is an advantage over stevia, which can leave a bitter aftertaste.
• It has slower absorption into the blood than glucose, which helps stabilize blood sugar levels.
• It is less caloric than sucrose but more energy-dense than erythritol or xylitol.
• It can have laxative effects, similar to other polyols.

From a sustainability perspective, it depends on the production method – maltitol made from GMO corn or using intensive chemical processes has an ecological footprint that should not be overlooked. However, this situation is improving, and more companies are opting for more environmentally friendly production methods.

Where Is It Hidden in the Regular Diet?

Imagine a typical day: in the morning, you have a "sugar-free" protein bar, for lunch a sugar-free soda, in the afternoon a few gums, and in the evening a handful of "light" candies. Each of these products may contain maltitol. Although a single bar doesn't contain a dangerous amount, accumulating it throughout the day can lead to exceeding the recommended amount, which can cause digestive issues.

According to EFSA recommendations, daily intake of polyols (including maltitol) should not exceed 20–30 grams per day. However, one bar can contain 10–15 grams of this sweetener. Therefore, it is important to read the ingredients and keep track of how much sweetener we consume daily.

How to Identify Maltitol in Products?

Maltitol appears on food packaging under various names – most commonly as maltitol, maltitol syrup, or under the code E965, where specifically E965(i) denotes maltitol itself and E965(ii) its syrup version.

Some manufacturers prefer to state collectively "sugar alcohols" or "sweeteners," which can be misleading. If one is monitoring the intake of certain substances, they should be attentive and spend time reading the small print on packaging.

Sensitive individuals, such as those with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), should be particularly cautious. In the context of the FODMAP diet used for this syndrome, polyols are one of the problematic types of carbohydrates.

Can Maltitol Be Part of a Healthy Lifestyle?

The answer is: yes, but with moderation. Maltitol can be a useful tool for those who want to reduce sugar intake, do not want to give up the sweet taste, and want to maintain stable glucose levels in the blood. However, it is important to know your body and how it reacts.

For example, athletes and people with an active lifestyle often reach for protein bars sweetened with maltitol. If their digestion works without problems, there is no reason for concern. For more sedentary individuals or those with sensitive digestion, it could lead to unpleasant side effects.

As the saying goes: “Everything in moderation.” And this also applies to seemingly healthy alternatives. Just as regular sugar can be harmful in large amounts, the same goes for maltitol or other substitute sweeteners. It's not just about what we sweeten with, but how much we consume.

Perhaps we should ask a different question than “Is maltitol harmful?” – because in moderate amounts, it isn't. A better question is: “How much sweetness do I need daily to be happy and healthy?”