Why does sugar free jello melt faster than sugar jello?

Answer 1

It can be attributed to a number of factors: differing water temperatures (the hotter the liquid, the faster the "melting"), or the fact that the main sweetener used to replace sugar, Aspartame, is considered a polyol. A polyol (or sugar alcohol) is derived from natural sugar (glucose), and are just "chopped down" versions of glucose. Polyols are smaller in molecular size than a regular glucose molecule. Simple chemistry notes the smaller the molecule, the faster it will be broken down in the presence of heat or enzymes. Furthermore, products with these sugar derivatives, while being made from actual sugar, can still be labeled as sugar-free, since polyols are not sugars..they are smaller sugar byproducts often with an alcohol group (CH2OH) attached. Because polyols are not found in nature, the body has no enzyme(s) to break down these molecular structures..therefore polyols are very low in calories because it passes through the digestive system unabsorbed. Keep in mind that the more sugar-free products are consumed, the greater the risk is for intestinal distress (bloating, cramping, diarrhea) due to their nonabsorbtion.