A type of sugar alcohol produced by reducing an aldose sugar (a sugar with an aldehyde group), converting the aldehyde into an alcohol group.
From aldose (a sugar with an aldehyde group) plus the suffix -ol (indicating an alcohol compound). The term was developed in carbohydrate chemistry in the early 20th century.
Alditols are why xylitol (a common sugar substitute) exists—it's the alditol form of the natural sugar xylose, and your mouth bacteria can't ferment it to make acid, which is why xylitol is actually good for your teeth instead of rotting them like sugar does.
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