Erythritol is a kind of polyoles. But it's relative molecular weight is very small. So the metaboly is different with other polyol in the digestive system of human and mammiferous body. So that it has 4 best advantage in the usage of functional food:
1. Low calory. It is the only 5-10% of sugar energy.
2. High bear capacity, no side effect.
3. It is suitable for diabetic.
4. It don't cause decayed tooth
In food area due to it's high sweetening power it find use in sweetener of food and beverage. Due to it's small molecular weight , for same dry solid solution it has higher osmotic pressure and lower water activity. So it can be used in the production and preserve of low water active food. It don't absorb moisture even in high humidity condition. So it is easy to preserve and use. The dissolve energy is very high so the food and confectionery made from erythritol have apparent pleasantly cool. Because it's sweet is very pure so when it compound with other high sweetener such as protein sugar and stevia sugar, it can sufficiently cover the after bitterness. Due to it's low calory it can make low caloric food and beverage. It can promote the compound of alcohol and water molecular in solution so it can find use to reduce the peculiar smell of alcohol to improve the quality of vapor wine liquor and wine.
It can also find use in pharmaceutical and health care products acting as taste correctional and excipient. It can sufficiently improve the taste.
In cosmetic it can replace the glycerine . Erythritol is not micro nutritional ingredients so it can prevent the harm caused by cosmetic metamorphose.
In chemical industry erythritol can act as intermediate of organic compound, the raw materials of oil painting, detonator and pharmaceuticals.
Compare with other polyol , The biologic bear capacity of erythritol is the best. In generally the other polyol will cause human diarrhea when it be eaten. So it restrict the use for diabetes. But the bear capacity of erythritol is 2.7-4.4 times of sorbitol, 2.2-2.7 times of xylitol. It cannot be composed be enzyme , don't take part in the sugar metaboly and don't affect the blood sugar. So it is very suitable for diametic, fatty people, hypertensive and hemal patients.