People believe in many strange things and some of the tales they tell seem persuasive. You have probably heard things like, “Being cold gives you cold”, “Cracking you knuckles is bad”, “Eating late at night makes you fat”, and “Sugar makes kids hyper”.

All of them are myth, but the one about sugar is often hotly debated. Many parents firmly believe that sugar makes kids hyper active. I am still on the fence about that one, but to me, one thing about sugar seems certain – sugar cravings drive people insane.

Sometimes I go nuts just by looking at Juji Fruit candies. One day I could not toast my pop tarts, because a toaster was broken, and I almost slipped into steroid like rage. The only thing that saved me on both occasions is what appears to be my uncanny ability to channel all that energy toward a productive workout.

Okay, okay, maybe I exaggerated a little, but sugar cravings are real. In all probability, you are well-versed in what causes you to crave sugar, so I will spare you with scientific mambo jumbo.

How do I deal with sugar? I do not, because I replaced it with Erythritol. I do not know how they come up with names like that, it sounds like something you find in cough medicine.

Erythritol is a very good tasting sweetener. It is a natural sugar alcohol, yet unlike other sugar alcohols, it is well tolerated and does not cause gastric side effects. In other words, people sensitive to “laxative effects” of other sugar alcohols do not have this problem with Erythritol.

The bloodstream absorbs Erythritol only when it reaches the small intestine. Then it is excreted almost unchanged in the urine and only a tiny part of it enters the large intestine. As a result, even substantial amounts of it, found in some foods, unlikely to cause bloating and laxative side effect.

It was introduced in United States fairly recently, but it has been sold in Japan since 1989 with great success. The FDA approved its use as food additive and sweetener in 1997. It is safe for people with diabetes. It cooks and behaves like regular sugar, which means there is no limit to what you can do with it.

There is another benefit of ditching sugar for Erythritol – your teeth. Unlike sugar, Erythritol does not cause tooth decay, because it is resistant to metabolism by oral bacteria. Even FDA and American Dental Association jumped on the bandwagon with their “does not promote tooth decay” approval for labeling purposes.

Last, but definitely not least, Erythritol has a very low caloric content. The label claim allowed in United States is 0.2 calories per gram and 0 (zero) calories per gram for Japanese labels. Its metabolism in the human body has a negligible to nonexistent effect on insulin and blood sugar, so all of you low-carb aficionados start clapping with joy.

Do not hold out on me, what is your favorite sugar substitute?