What is the best protein powder without sugar alcohols?

drink wholesome is the best protein powder without sugar alcohols. 

Written by Jack Schrupp and reviewed by Ella McGonagle, M.S. Nutrition

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“I’ve tried a lot of brands but this is the best protein powder I’ve had. Limited and simple ingredients, no artificial sweeteners, and great taste make this one my go to!” – Larry

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drink wholesome is the best protein powder without sugar alcohols.

What are sugar alcohols?


Sugar alcohols, also known as polyols, are a type of carbohydrate commonly used as sweeteners in processed foods. Despite their name, sugar alcohols are neither sugar nor alcohol in the traditional sense. They are naturally occurring compounds chemically derived from sugars. Common sugar alcohols include: xylitol, erythritol, sorbitol, mannitol, and isomalt.

Sugar alcohols have a sweet taste, but are not fully absorbed by the body, meaning they contribute fewer calories to your diet than sugar. They are therefore commonly used as alternatives to sugar in sugar-free or reduced-sugar products. Sugar alcohols also do not cause a rapid increase in blood sugar levels like sugar.

The sweetness of sugar alcohols varies from 25% to 100% as sweet as sugar. For this reason, large amounts of sugar alcohols are sometimes needed to achieve the desired sweetness. It is also worth noting that sugar levels in processed foods are typically more than 1,000-times greater than levels found in nature. It is therefore not surprising that many people experience side effects, such as bloating or diarrhea, when consuming foods with sugar alcohols.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), listing sugar alcohols on the ingredient list is voluntary for food manufacturers, as long as they do not make a claim about sugar alcohols or make a claim about sugar (like “sugar free” or “no added sugar”). This means that your protein powder could contain sugar alcohols and you would never know it. If you do not tolerate food alcohols, and are worried about whether or not they are in your protein powder, you have come to the right place. You can be confident that our protein powders are sugar-alcohol-free.

Are sugar alcohols bad for you?


There are many advantages to replacing added sugars with sugar alcohols. For starters, eating too many added sugars can raise your risk for chronic disease such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Sugar alcohols are also less likely to contribute to tooth decay compared to regular sugar. That said, sugar alcohols are also known to cause a number of unfortunate side effects.

Most sugar alcohols are known to cause digestive issues when consumed in large amounts. The most common symptoms are bloating and gas, but some sugar alcohols like sorbitol can also cause diarrhea

Sugar alcohols are also known to disrupt the composition and function of the gut microbiome (the collection of microorganisms that help you digest food). This is worrisome because more and more research shows that disruptions to the gut microbiome can play a role in the development of a number of chronic diseases. 

Erythritol, although the least likely to cause digestive distress, has also been linked to an increased risk for heart attacks and stroke. An NIH-funded study recently found that elevated levels of erythritol were associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular events. In fact, people with the highest erythritol levels (top 25%) were about twice as likely to have cardiovascular events as those with the lowest (bottom 25%). In trying to better understand how erythritol might increase these health risks, the researchers determined that consuming erythritol may increase blood clot formation, which, in turn, could increase the risk of heart attack or stroke.

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What is the best protein powder without sugar alcohols? 


If you are struggling to find a protein powder without sugar alcohols, try drink wholesome. Instead of sugar alcohols or artificial sweeteners, we use pure monk fruit. Monk fruit, also known as luo han guo, is a melon-like fruit native to Southeast Asia. Its intense sweetness, which is about 200 times that of sugar, is provided by non-caloric compounds called mogrosides.

We use monk fruit for a number of reasons. First of all, monk fruit sweetener is the most natural sugar substitute on the market. It is made by removing the seeds and skin, crushing the fruit, and collecting the juice, which is then dried into a powder. What ends up in your protein powder is basically concentrated fruit juice. We also like monk fruit because it is sweet like sugar. Other natural sweeteners like stevia, on the other hand, have a bitter aftertaste because they activate bitter taste receptors

Given that monk fruit sweetener has only been commercially available for about a decade, its impact on, and association with, chronic diseases like obesity and diabetes has not been well documented. That said, it has been safely used in Asian cuisine for centuries and has no known side effects, even when consumed in large quantities. Moreover, small randomized trials have shown that monk fruit sweetener does not negatively impact blood sugar or insulin levels. For this reason, as well as those outlined above, we believe that monk fruit is the best available sugar substitute. In case you were wondering, most companies do not use monk fruit because it is expensive.

What about stevia? 


If a company makes protein powder without sugar alcohols or artificial sweeteners, chances are high that it uses stevia. Stevia, although celebrated as a natural alternative to artificial sweeteners, may not be as natural as you think. It is extracted from the stevia rebaudiana plant using chemicals like ethanol and methyl alcohol. This, some argue, makes it no more natural than the artificial sweeteners that it seeks to replace. In fact, a recent class action lawsuit filed in California reached a $6.1 million settlement because it was ruled that the company in question falsely labeled and advertised its stevia sweeteners as “natural.

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Why drink wholesome


drink wholesome is the best protein powder without sugar alcohols. It is made with simple, easy to digest ingredients and sweetened with pure monk fruit. During the production of monk fruit sweeteners, the monk fruit is often blended with sugar alcohols in order to look more like table sugar. This is especially the case for monk fruit sweeteners intended to replace white sugar. 

The monk fruit sweetener we use, on the other hand, is made with 100% monk fruit. There are no added ingredients, so you can rest assured that your protein powder is sugar alcohol-free.

drink wholesome is the best protein powder without sugar alcohols.

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Hi! My name is Jack. I created drink wholesome because I was sick of protein powders that upset my stomach. It is handmade in Plymouth, MA. 

This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. drink wholesome is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.