Cargill's (Blair, Neb.) commercial version of erythritol, Eridex[tm], can be used to enhance the inadequacies of other sweeteners in low-carb and no-sugar-added foods. Many polyols, for instance, can contribute to digestive intolerance. Therefore, they are not often used to sweeten diet drinks, which typically are consumed in large quantities.
While fructose, sucrose and glucose are actively transported, rapidly digested and absorbed, most of the sugar alcohols are transported into the gut, through passive diffusions, which are much slower and incomplete. The fraction that is not absorbed is sent to the lower gut, where it can cause discomfort. Erythritol, on the other hand, is absorbed but not metabolized at all, and 90%-95% is excreted through the kidney. Research shows that erythritol has the highest digestive tolerance of all sugar alcohols.