Birch Sugar: What Is In The Sugar Substitute?

Birch sugar, also known as xylitol, is becoming increasingly popular as a substitute for regular sugar. It is one of the most expensive sugar substitutes on the market. Is the sugar alternative worth the money? PraxisVITA knows all the facts about the sugar substitute.

What is birch sugar?

Birch sugar is a sugar substitute that can be used to sweeten foods. Since birch sugar is almost as sweet as regular sugar, but at the same time has significantly fewer calories, it is becoming increasingly popular. For comparison: 100 grams of birch sugar contains around 240 calories, and 100 grams of sugar is around 400 calories.

The term birch sugar came about for the sake of simplicity, to clarify what the sugar substitute does. However, the name suggests that this substance is made from birch, which has long since been untrue. The actual name of the substance is “xylitol”.

How was birch sugar discovered?

Birch sugar was discovered by Emil Fischer around 1890. After a lengthy process, the scientist was able to isolate the sugar substitute from beech shavings. In the years that followed, the sweetener was mainly obtained from the bark of the birch tree, which is how it got its well-known name. Although found in tree bark, xylitol is found in nearly all vegetables and fruits. However, the content there is usually so low that isolation is not worthwhile.

Today, xylitol is extracted from many residues such as straw, grain bran, and corn cobs. Processing is anything but easy. The residues mentioned are heated to over 200 degrees and washed out with sulfuric acid. With this process, xylose is obtained, which is then converted into xylitol under high pressure and with a catalyst.

Birch sugar compared to table sugar

The most important question with a sugar substitute is of course how well it can replace normal table sugar. And this is where birch sugar scores: Xylitol not only looks like conventional sugar, but it also has almost the same sweetening power and can also be used for the same recipes. Therefore, table sugar can be replaced almost one-to-one with birch sugar. The only downside is that xylitol is not compatible with yeast. It is therefore not suitable for baking bread.

What does birch sugar taste like?

Birch sugar is not naturally tasteless. It has a slightly minty taste, which is why it is also used in the manufacture of chewing gum and toothpaste. Although the mint taste is usually removed, you should make sure when buying whether it is the tasteless version.

Is birch sugar a healthy sugar substitute?

Xylitol is a healthy alternative to table sugar. Birch sugar has a very low glycemic index of seven, which means it can also be used by diabetics. It also has an anti-cariogenic effect, which means that it prevents tooth decay. This is precisely why xylitol is so popular in the manufacture of chewing gum and toothpaste, even before the taste.

What are the disadvantages of birch sugar?

When buying birch sugar, you should be careful: If you make a mistake in the supermarket, you will quickly end up with untreated birch sugar in your shopping trolley. Due to its incompatibility with yeast, birch sugar is not an alternative, especially when baking.

The production of xylitol is questionable: Sulfuric acid has to be used to obtain the substance from grain and corn.

On the one hand, this is not very environmentally friendly, on the other hand, the manufacturing process is very expensive. This is also reflected in the price of birch sugar: you have to pay between eight and 16 euros for a kilo, depending on the purity. Caution: Birch sugar can have a laxative effect at first, but this wears off after you get used to it.