Xylitol, Erythritol, Stevia, Maltitol and Isomalt - How Do They Affect Blood Sugar?

Sugar-free sweets and chocolates are sweetened with a range of sugar substitutes - but not all of them are equal. The sweetener used makes a significant difference to how a product affects your blood sugar, your energy levels and your digestive comfort. This is especially important for diabetics and people following a keto or low-carb lifestyle.

Here is a plain-language breakdown of the five most common sweeteners used in sugar-free confectionery - and how each one performs.

The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar levels compared to pure glucose (GI 100). The lower the GI, the slower and more gradual the effect on blood sugar. For diabetics and people on a keto or low-carb diet, low-GI sweeteners are strongly preferable to regular sugar.

Xylitol is a naturally occurring sugar alcohol found in small amounts in fruits and vegetables. It has a very low GI of 7, is approximately as sweet as regular sugar and is well-established as both diabetic-friendly and tooth-friendly.

✔ GI: approximately 7 - very low blood sugar impact

✔ Calories: approximately 2.4 per gram (vs 4 for regular sugar)

✔ Tooth-friendly: yes - actively inhibits the bacteria that cause tooth decay

✔ Works well in baking, cooking and hot drinks

✔ Important: xylitol is highly toxic to dogs - always keep products containing xylitol away from pets

Erythritol is one of the most diabetic-friendly sweeteners available. It has a GI of zero, virtually no calories and almost no impact on blood sugar or insulin. Unlike other sugar alcohols, erythritol is almost entirely absorbed in the small intestine and excreted via urine - which means it also has very little digestive impact.

✔ GI: 0 - essentially zero blood sugar impact

✔ Calories: approximately 0.2 per gram

✔ Best tolerated of all sugar alcohols - minimal digestive effects

✔ Works excellently in baking and beverages

✔ Drawback in chocolate: produces a noticeable cooling sensation on the palate and tends to recrystallise over time - making it unsuitable as the primary sweetener in chocolate

Stevia is a plant-derived, calorie-free sweetener extracted from the leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana plant. It has zero GI and zero calories - ideal from a blood sugar perspective.

✔ GI: 0 - no blood sugar impact

✔ Calories: 0

✔ Intensely sweet: approximately 200-300 times sweeter than sugar, so very little is needed

✔ Works well as a secondary sweetener in beverages and some baked goods

✔ Drawback: distinctive bitter or liquorice-like aftertaste that becomes pronounced in chocolate and some other applications

Maltitol is the best-performing sweetener for chocolate manufacturing - it closely mimics the taste, texture and mouthfeel of regular sugar. However it is critical to distinguish between the two forms:

✔ Powdered maltitol (GI 35) - significantly lower than sugar. Smooth and creamy in chocolate. Used in Caring Candies no added sugar chocolate

✔ Maltitol syrup (GI 52) - almost as high as regular sugar (GI 65). Used in many cheaper sugar-free chocolates. Avoid this form

For a detailed explanation of why this distinction matters for diabetics, read: Why We Use Powdered Maltitol and Not Maltitol Syrup in Our Chocolates.

Isomalt is the sweetener used in Caring Candies hard candy and lollipops. It has a very low GI of 9, is heat-stable and has zero nett carbs - making it one of the most diabetic and keto-friendly sweeteners available.

✔ GI: approximately 9 - very low blood sugar impact

✔ Nett carbs: zero

✔ Heat stable: excellent for hard candy and lollipops

✔ Made with natural colourants in our Caring Candies range - no artificial colours

✔ Lowest possible blood sugar impact: erythritol or stevia

✔ Chocolate: powdered maltitol (never maltitol syrup)

✔ Hard candy and lollipops: isomalt

✔ Baking and hot drinks: xylitol or erythritol

✔ For diabetics: all of the above are suitable - the key is avoiding maltitol syrup and artificial sweeteners

Please note: Always consult your doctor or dietitian if you have a medical condition that requires you to carefully manage your carbohydrate intake.

At Caring Candies we use only natural low-GI sweeteners in our own-branded products - isomalt in our hard candy and lollipop range, and powdered maltitol in our no added sugar chocolate range. No artificial sweeteners, no artificial colourants and no seed oils. Kosher and Halaal certified, made in Cape Town and delivered nationwide.

Shop sugar-free: caringcandies.com/collections/sugarfree

Shop diabetic friendly: caringcandies.com/collections/diabetic

Shop keto friendly: caringcandies.com/collections/keto