Does Erythritol Have Calories?

Erythritol is an incredible natural sweetener used in a variety of food and drink (including many we have here at Hits Different).

It's a sugar alcohol that is produced by fermenting corn starch to recreate the sweet taste we all know and love. It is 70% as sweet as sugar yet has virtually zero calories!

If you look at the nutrition panel of a drink with Erythritol in it, you'll notice something unusual.

Did you see it?

There's 14 grams of carbohydrates that comes from 14 grams of Erythritol. There are 4 calories  (or 16.8 kj) per 1 gram of carbohydrate which means there would usually be 56 calories per can.

So why does it say there are 0 calories in this drink?

This is because the body digests Erythritol differently compared to other carbohydrates. When you drink (or eat) Erythritol, most of it is absorbed into the bloodstream before it can be digested. Once in the blood stream, it doesn't raise blood sugar levels or cause insulin release. It is then excreted through the urine - that's it!

This means that there are zero net carbs and therefore zero calories in the product.

Interested in learning more about natural and artificial sweeteners? Check out our blog all about them here

For more info about Erythritol, click here

Written by:
Dylan, Founder @ Hits Different Drinks
Precision Nutrition L1