Maltitol

=**Maltitol**= Chemical Formula: C12H24O11 Chemical Weight: 344.31 g/mol



Maltitol is a polyol. A polyol is a sugar alcohol, which can be used as a sugar substitute. The chemical term for maltitol is known as 4-O-α-glucopyranosyl- D -sorbitol. It is found in cigarettes and it is a sweetener not permitted to be used in foods within the United States. Malitol is produced through corn products. It is less sweet than standard table sugar and also contains fewer calories.

Maltitol is made by the hydrogenation of maltose obtained from starch. It has many uses such as sweeting, however as stated earlier it is not permitted in the United States. Maltitol is a dangerous sugar substitute because it has carbs, which many people try to avoid when substituting sugar, a relatively high glycemic index, which is higher then most sugars, and is not as sweet as most sugars.The high glycemic index of Maltitol is what alerts people the most and is the reason as to why most doctors say to avoid it when trying to replace sugar. This high glycemic index of approximately 53-48 has a great effect on blood sugar. Also, when taken in high doses Maltitol can act as a laxative.

Chemical properties
Maltitol in its crystallized form measures the same (bulk) as table sugar and [|browns] and caramelizes in a manner very similar to that of sucrose after liquifying by exposure to intense heat. The crystallized form is readily dissolved in warm liquids (120°F/48.9°C and above); the powdered form is preferred if room temperature or cold liquids are used. Due to its sucrose-like structure, maltitol is easy to produce and made commercially available in crystallized, powdered, and syrup forms. It is not metabolized by oral bacteria, so it does not promote [|tooth decay]. It is somewhat more slowly absorbed than sucrose, which makes it somewhat more suitable for people with [|diabetes] than [|sucrose]. Its [|food energy] value is 2.1 kilocalories (Cal) per gram (8.8 [|kJ] / [|g] ); (sucrose is 4.0 Cal/g (16.7 kJ/g)).


 * ~ Properties ||
 * [|Molecular formula] || C12H24O11 ||
 * [|Molar mass] || 344.31 g/mol ||
 * [|Density] || ? g/cm3 ||
 * [|Melting point] || 145 °C ||

Production and uses
Maltitol is a [|disaccharide] produced by Corn Products Specialty Ingredients (formerly SPI Polyols), [|Cargill], Roquette, and Mitsubishi Shoji Foodtech, among other companies. Maltitol is made by [|hydrogenation] of [|maltose] obtained from [|starch]. Its high sweetness allows it to be used without being mixed with other sweeteners, and exhibits negligible cooling effect (positive [|heat of solution] ) in comparison with other sugar alcohols, and is very similar to the subtle cooling effect of [|sucrose]. [|[1]] It is used especially in production of sweets: sugarless [|hard candies], [|chewing gum] , [|chocolates] , baked goods, and [|ice cream]. The pharmaceutical industry uses maltitol as an [|excipient], where it is used as a low-calorie sweetening agent. Its similarity to [|sucrose] allows it to be used in syrups with the advantage that [|crystallization] (which may cause bottle caps to stick) is less likely. Maltitol may also be used as a [|plasticizer] in gelatin capsules, as an [|emollient], and as a [|humectant]. [|[2]]