How to Calculate Sugar Alcohol in Net Carbs

Sugar alcohols are sweeteners and thickeners that are often used in place of table sugar in commercial foods. They are carbohydrates that are less sweet and have fewer calories than sucrose, but they are also less digestible and may cause side effects in some people. Sugar alcohols are found naturally in some fruits and vegetables, but they are usually manufactured.

To calculate net carbs from sugar alcohols, you can subtract half of the sugar alcohol grams from the total carb grams. For example, if a food label lists 25 grams of total carbohydrates and 10 grams of sugar alcohol, you would divide 10 by 2 to get 5 grams. Then, you would subtract 5 grams from 25 grams to get 20 grams of net carbs. 

However, there are some exceptions to this rule:

Erythritol
If erythritol is the only sugar alcohol in the ingredients, you can subtract the total amount of erythritol from the total carbs.

Isomalt
Because the small amount of isomalt that is absorbed into the small intestine can still impact blood sugar levels, you can subtract 70% of the total grams of isomalt from the total carbs. 

You can find sugar alcohols listed on the nutrition facts panel, just below the total and added sugars.