A sugar alcohol is a kind of alcohol prepared from sugar. These organic compounds are a class of polyols, also called polyhydric alcohol, polyalcohol, or glycitol. They are white, water-soluble solids that occur naturally and are used widely in the food industry as thickeners and sweeteners. In commercial foodstuffs, sugar alcohols are commonly used in place of table sugar (sucrose), often in combination with high intensity artificial sweeteners to counter the low sweetness. Unlike sugars, sugar alcohols do not contribute to the formation of tooth cavities.
