What is "sugar alcohol"

n. a hydrogenated form of carbohydrate, whose carbonyl group has been reduced to a primary or secondary hydroxyl group; sugar alcohols are commonly used as sugar substitutes in food, often in combination with artificial sweeteners.

Sugar alcohols (also called polyhydric alcohols, polyalcohols, alditols or glycitols) are organic compounds, typically derived from sugars, that comprise a class of polyols. Contrary to what the name may suggest, a sugar alcohol is not a sugar nor an alcoholic beverage. They are white, water-soluble solids that can occur naturally or be produced industrially from sugars. They 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. Xylitol is perhaps the most popular sugar alcohol due to its similarity to sucrose in visual appearance and sweetness.