Sorbitol Intolerance

Sorbitol is a commonly used sugar substitute in "sugar-free" food products. Also known as glucitol, sorbitol is a sugar alcohol that the human body metabolizes by the reduction of glucose. Known to be used as a sugar substitute, it is commonly listed under the inactive ingredients for a number of artificial food products. According to Wikipedia, Sorbitol is referred to as a nutritive sweetener because it provides dietary energy: 2.6 kilocals/gm vs the average 4 kilocals for carbohydrates.

Sorbitol is also found naturally in a number of berries and stone fruits from trees which belong to the genus Sorbus. But there are many chances where you can suffer from sorbitol intolerance because of excess intake or even allergies. Thus, find out what are the symptoms and treatments for such kind of sorbitol side effects mentioned in the following paragraphs.

Sorbitol Intolerance Causes

• When you are an excessive user of this artificial sweetener called sorbitol, which is used in many chewing gums and sweets, you can have sorbitol intolerance.
• Since it has fewer calories than table sugar and is less likely to cause dental health issues, it is preferred by a number of people as a substitute.
• The absorption of sorbitol also takes place much slower than other sugars in the small intestine. This further leads to moderate doses which are malabsorbed and in turn, reach the colon for fermentation.
• This occurs especially in individuals with a rapid intestinal transit. It is often unknown that fructose and sorbitol intolerance can co-exist and aggravate intestinal symptoms mutually. This can also occur as a part of sorbitol allergy, not only intolerance.

Sorbitol Intolerance Symptoms

• There are many symptoms which are observed during sorbitol intolerance. But these are also seen for many other disorders and so you could easily confuse them. Thus, if you are suffering from any of the following symptoms, do not ignore them, but get yourself checked well in advance by your physician.
• Some of the most common symptoms of sorbitol dangers include bloating, diarrhea, abdominal cramps and pain, nausea and increased intestinal sounds and gas production.
• These symptoms also match with those of functional bowel disease. It is also not known by many that up to 70% of patients with irritable bowel syndrome could be sorbitol intolerant patients.
• In case of diabetic patients, a fairly high concentration of sorbitol which is secondary to high blood glucose concentrations is associated with nerve and eye damages.

Sorbitol Intolerance Diet

• As sorbitol is used to make many diet foods as an artificial sweetener, you can avoid these foods from your diet to make a start.
• Foods like diet drinks, ice cream, candy, processed goods are very rich in sorbitol as they are used for adding a taste to them.
• Also try to eliminate products which have ingredients that list fructose, honey, crystalline fructose (not HFCS) and sorbitol on the label.
• Also make sure that the amount of fructose which is found in 2 apples or 2 oz of honey is the similar to the fructose present in 1 can of soda.
• It is also proven that fresh or fresh frozen fruits are always better tolerated than canned fruit, because of its preservatives and perishable timings.
• Some of the foods which you should avoid due to their fructose and sorbitol content are prunes, pears, cherries, applesauce, apple juice, peaches, apples, plums, pear juice, apple cider, grapes and dates.
• There are a few intestine friendly foods which can be chosen but the choice is dependable. These are pineapples, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, lemons, limes, avocado, bananas and oranges.

With this valuable information about sorbitol intolerance, hope we have helped you with the required amount of knowledge.