Sugar alcohols and their role in metabolism: an update

Erythritol and xylitol are sugar alcohols that occur naturally in small quantities in berries and vegetables and are used as sweeteners in the food industry and can also be used by the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries. When ingested as a sweetener, erythritol is quickly absorbed in the small intestine and excreted largely unchanged in the urine. In contrast, only 50% of xylitol is absorbed and metabolized in the liver, while the unabsorbed portion ends up in the large intestine. This partial absorption explains why the rapid ingestion of large amounts of xylitol can lead to osmotic diarrhea.