How to Find the Best Protein Powder Without Sugar Alcohols

📌 Overview and Key Takeaways

This is a Dietitian’s guide on how to find the best protein powder without sugar alcohols.

Discover how to supplement your protein intake without xylitol, erythritol, etc.

Last Updated
Jan 28, 2026

Author and Medical Reviewer

Written by Kayla Kamen, MS, RD

Kayla Kamen is a Registered Dietitian with a MS in Nutrition.

Medically reviewed by Jennifer Fossett, PA-C

Jennifer Fossett is a Physician Assistant with a BA in Nutritional Sciences.

Protein Powder Without Sugar Alcohols

Are Sugar Alcohols Bad for You?

Sugar alcohols, also known as polyols, are a carbohydrate used to sweeten 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, and mannitol.

Because they have a sweet taste, but are not fully absorbed, sugar alcohols have become a popular ingredient in sugar-free or reduced-sugar products.

Unlike added sugars, they do not cause blood sugar spikes and contribute only a few calories to your diet.

Keep in mind that although some sugar alcohols occur naturally, those added to foods, beverages, and supplements were commercially produced.

It is also important to note that sugar alcohols are not required to be listed individually on the Nutrition Facts label.

This means you could be consuming sugar alcohols, and not know it!

Although there are health benefits associated with replacing added sugars with sugar alcohols, sugar alcohols are not necessarily better for you.

For one thing, sugar alcohols are known to cause a number of digestive issues like bloating and diarrhea, especially for individuals with sensitive stomachs (Adv Nutr, 2017).

Regularly consuming sugar alcohols has also been shown to disrupt the function and composition of the gut microbiome (Adv Nutr, 2019).

Over time, this can lead to gut dysbiosis, which contributes to a wide range of chronic diseases, including obesity and type 1 diabetes (J Exp Med, 2019).

It is worth adding that erythritol has also been linked to an increased risk for heart attacks and stroke (Nat Med, 2023).

This alone is one of the main reasons why more and more people try to avoid sugar alcohols.

What Is the Best Sugar Alcohol-Free Protein Powder?

Instead of using sugar alcohols, we sweeten our Protein Powders with pure monk fruit.

Monk fruit, also known as luo han guo, is a melon-like fruit that grows in Southeast Asia.

Its intense sweetness, which is approximately 200 times that of sugar, comes from non-caloric compounds called mogrosides.

There are several reasons why we opt for monk fruit.

Firstly, it is the most natural sugar substitute on the market.

Monk fruit sweetener is made by removing the seeds and skin, crushing the fruit, and collecting the juice, which is then dried into a powder.

We also like monk fruit because it tastes like sugar.

Other sugar substitutes, like stevia, activate bitter taste receptors in addition to sweet taste receptors (Genes Nutr, 2014).

And for the record, the monk fruit we use contains a single ingredient, meaning it is not blended with sugar alcohols or any other sweeteners.

Sources

1. Advances in Nutrition (Adv Nutr). A Systematic Review of the Effects of Polyols on Gastrointestinal Health and Irritable Bowel Syndrome. 2017.
2. Advances in Nutrition (Adv Nutr). Gut Microbiome Response to Sucralose and Its Potential Role in Inducing Liver Inflammation in Mice. 2019.
3. The Journal of Experimental Medicine (J Exp Med). The gut microbiome: Relationships with disease and opportunities for therapy. 2019.
4. Nature Medicine (Nat Med). The artificial sweetener erythritol and cardiovascular event risk. 2023.
5. Genes & Nutrition (Genes Nutr). Genetic signature of differential sensitivity to stevioside in the Italian population. 2014.

Editorial Guidelines

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This article was written by a Registered Dietitian and reviewed by a Physician Assistant. We rely on peer-reviewed research and trusted medical sources, and regularly update our content to ensure accuracy and clarity.