Does sugar-free mooncake use xylitol? What kind of sugar is used in sugar-free mooncake?

As we all know, there are many types of mooncakes, and sugar-free mooncakes are a very popular type of mooncake. They are sugar-free and taste healthier than traditional mooncakes. Many people often eat sugar-free mooncakes. Sugar-free mooncakes use other ingredients to replace sugar, so do sugar-free mooncakes use xylitol? Let's take a closer look!

What kind of sugar is used in sugar-free mooncakes?

Sugar-free mooncakes are just a term. In fact, they are still sweet, but they use xylitol.

To discuss whether "sugar-free mooncakes" are really "sugar-free", we first need to clarify what "sugar-free" means. This is clearly defined in GB 28050-2011 "General Rules for Nutrition Labeling of Prepackaged Foods": "≤0.5 g /100g (solid) or 100mL (liquid)". The sugar here, according to the WHO definition, refers to "monosaccharides and disaccharides", in addition to sugars such as glucose, fructose, and sucrose, it also includes sugars in honey, syrup, and fruit juice.

Starch is not sugar. Although it turns into glucose after digestion, because of the existence of the "digestion" process, its impact on health is very different from that of sugar, so it is not considered sugar.

Syrup is sugar. But if syrup is used and the sugar content exceeds 0.5%, it cannot be called "sugar-free". Otherwise, professional counterfeiters will be very happy and it will be easy and enjoyable to fight against counterfeiting.

Sugar alcohols are not sugar. Although they have a certain sweetness, their metabolism in the body is completely different from that of sugar. They do not increase blood sugar or stimulate insulin secretion. At the same sweetness, the calories are much lower than sugar.

Currently, the "sugar-free mooncakes" on the market are generally made of maltitol or other sugar alcohols instead of sugar. As long as there is no fraud, it is completely possible to have a sweet taste but be "sugar-free".

However, it should be noted that "sugar-free mooncakes" are just without sugar, which does not mean they are "healthy mooncakes". Mooncakes still need a lot of fat to taste good. In addition, although sugar is replaced by sugar alcohol, there is still a lot of starch.

Do sugar-free mooncakes really contain no sugar?

We need to look at the ingredients of "sugar-free" mooncakes. Generally speaking, the main ingredient of mooncakes is low-gluten flour, which itself contains about 70% to 80% starch, and starch belongs to the polysaccharide family of carbohydrates. Starch is initially digested into dextrin and maltose by salivary amylase in the mouth, and then enters the small intestine, where it continues to be broken down into monosaccharides under the action of pancreatic amylase and disaccharidase secreted by the pancreas, and absorbed by intestinal mucosal cells. Therefore, "sugar-free" mooncakes contain sugars and will affect blood sugar fluctuations.

Can diabetics eat sugar-free mooncakes?

Sugar-free mooncakes are indeed edible for diabetics, but they cannot be eaten freely just because they do not contain sucrose, because the production of mooncake crusts is inseparable from flour, and flour is rich in starch, which will eventually break down into glucose, affecting blood sugar. In addition, the amount of oil used is high, and the fat content is not low. Diabetics also need to avoid consuming too much high-oil and high-fat food. It is recommended not to eat more than 100g a day, which is about the amount of a large mooncake, and not to consume more than 50g at a time. You should also choose your blood sugar stable period and eat it when your blood sugar is lower during two meals.

"Sugar-free food" is indeed a benefit for diabetics. Foods that do not directly add sucrose will at least control the blood sugar rise rate to a certain extent. Diabetics can indeed consume many sugar-free foods in moderation, such as sugar-free beverages, sugar-free yogurt, sugar-free jelly, etc. However, it should be noted that some foods do not have sucrose added but are rich in higher starch, such as sugar-free moon cakes, sugar-free biscuits, etc. These foods can be eaten but it is recommended to eat small meals frequently and not overeat. If blood sugar soars after eating, more exercise should be done to stabilize blood sugar.