Can Sugar-Free Foods Make You Sick?

"Sugar-free" gum, as well as sugar-free candies, products for diabetics and cough syrups, often contain the sweetener sorbitol. This sugar substitute is better for your teeth, and because it is metabolized more slowly it has less impact on the level of glucose in the blood, an important benefit for diabetics. But sorbitol is also a laxative—it draws water into the large intestine—and as little as four sticks of gum can cause bloating and abdominal pain.

Although product labels usually mention sorbitol's laxative effects, many people don't realize that the sugar-free treats they have been consuming could be the culprit when they're having gastrointestinal discomfort. A report published this month in the British Medical Journal described two patients who were hospitalized for chronic diarrhea and significant weight loss before doctors realized the cause. One, a 21-year-old woman, had dropped from 114 to 90 pounds after chewing about 14 sticks of gum daily for eight months. She completely recovered after going on a sorbitol-free diet.

How much is too much? Any amount that causes bloating or abdominal pain. If you have irritable bowel syndrome or trouble digesting fructose (the sugar in fruit), avoid sorbitol altogether. Check labels of gum in particular for the category "sugar alcohols," the family of sweeteners that includes mannitol and xylitol as well as sorbitol. All three can act as laxatives, though the effect of xylitol is milder.

© 2008