EXCELLENT post.

I am convinced that the proper way to count a sugar alcohol is to multiply the percentage of absorbable energy it contains by total carb count. This is because absorbability = caloric/energy contents = amount of sugar that individual food will bestow upon your body.

For example, maltitol is 75% absorbed. That means 1 gram of maltitol has 3 calories, not 4. So, 20 grams of maltitol are the equivilant of 15 carbs. It really is imaterial that these carbs don't spike blood sugar as readily as something like a corn syrup or sucrose would. Sure, that makes them more desirable than 15 grams of a high glycemic bread or something, but 15 grams of sugar is still 15 grams of sugar and must be counted.

I don't think that sugar alcohols are pointless though. They are a good choice for caloric sweetners... just don't buy into the "net carbs" line. The bars contain more sugar than that implies.

Besides, it is really maltitol and the like which are the problem. Erythritol and xylitol are almost completely energy free and therefore have an extremely minimal impact on blood sugar.