sugar alcohols?

[donnajo]

What are they? Someone asked me if something has 1g sugar and 9 grams sugar alochol...(it was a protein bar btw)....what does that mean?

[Noel Clark]

Here is a site I found that is pretty detailed
http://www.ific.org/publications/factsheets/sugaralcoholfs.cfm

[trinitylove]

they are evil.:yell:

[Noel Clark]

they are evil.:yell:

:console:

[donnajo]

Ok, so from reading the bad part about them is they may have a laxative effect....so , overall in moderation they are ok in a food product is what I am getting..

So, why are they evil according to trinitylove ?

[trinitylove]

because before the laxative effect comes severe cramping coupled with being doubled-over in intense pain and nausea! :lol:

[Inatic]

LOL i think that depends on the person.. and the amt you consume.. Vic gets major pains/etc from them, they just make me a wee bit gassy.. but i pretty much dont eat them anymore

[Noel Clark]

yeah, I do think it depends on the amount you ingest and how the person handles them. I am not a big fan, a little-no big deal, a lot--I am not a happy camper :lol:

[donnajo]

So, they are primarily in fat free products and processed stuff right? I eat pretty close to natural and no processed foods so I don't think I get much of them in my diet....what products contain them? How much is too much to cause that bad side effect?

[Inatic]

I think they are primarily in SUGAR FREE products (you wrote fat free)


how much is individual to ea person and the product.

Be a soldier of science and report back

[trinitylove]

they're not necessarily in fat free products, but definitely in processed stuff. it doesn't take much for me to have severe effects. 5 grams and i'm in pain.

[Noel Clark]

They are in gum...that is where I would get them

But yes, they are in a lot of processed foods, or sugar free foods-candies---low carb stuff.

Found this too:

It is interesting to note that even the manufacturers and the official regulatory bodies hint at the potential problems with sugar alcohols. According to the ADA website: "All [sugar alcohols] are absorbed slowly and incompletely from the intestine by passive diffusion. Therefore, an excessive load (e.g., greater than 50 g sorbitol per day, greater than 20 g mannitol per day) may cause diarrhea. . . . [i]ncomplete absorption causes indirect metabolism of [sugar alcohols] via fermentive (sic) degradation by the intestinal flora. The energy return from indirect metabolism is less than the direct route; thus, [sugar alcohols] are referred to as reduced-energy or low-energy sweeteners. [The] FDA allows these nutritive sweeteners to be labeled as having fewer kilocalories per gram than other nutritive sweeteners. . . . Products with sorbitol and mannitol may have the following statement on the label because high intakes increase the risk of malabsorption: ‘excess consumption may have a laxative effect.’"
The ADA description hints at more than it actually says. Sugar alcohols are not broken down in the stomach, so they make their way intact into the bowels. It is here in the bowels that the "passive diffusion" mentioned by the ADA takes place, meaning that the presence of the sugar alcohols draws water into the bowels. This leads to the fermentation by undesirable bacteria and a resultant partial degradation or "metabolism" of the sugar alcohols. (This fermentation of intestinal bacteria can lead to or exacerbate problems with candida and other yeast problems.) The direct result of this chain of events is the severe stomach cramping and diarrhea that many people experience after ingesting too much sugar alcohol. So how much is too much? The above quotation lists the official, generally agreed upon thresholds for sorbitol and mannitol, but each sugar alcohol has its own threshold. However, certain individuals have been known to experience reactions at much lower dosages. Lactitol in particular may be problematic in small doses, especially for lactose-sensitive individuals.

[donnajo]

I think they are primarily in SUGAR FREE products (you wrote fat free)


how much is individual to ea person and the product.

Be a soldier of science and report back

I have been reading.....what I get is in moderation not bad unless you are very sensitive...just wanted to verify that I am getting the right take away here....

[donnajo]

They are in gum...that is where I would get them

But yes, they are in a lot of processed foods, or sugar free foods-candies---low carb stuff.

Found this too:

It is interesting to note that even the manufacturers and the official regulatory bodies hint at the potential problems with sugar alcohols. According to the ADA website: "All [sugar alcohols] are absorbed slowly and incompletely from the intestine by passive diffusion. Therefore, an excessive load (e.g., greater than 50 g sorbitol per day, greater than 20 g mannitol per day) may cause diarrhea. . . . [i]ncomplete absorption causes indirect metabolism of [sugar alcohols] via fermentive (sic) degradation by the intestinal flora. The energy return from indirect metabolism is less than the direct route; thus, [sugar alcohols] are referred to as reduced-energy or low-energy sweeteners. [The] FDA allows these nutritive sweeteners to be labeled as having fewer kilocalories per gram than other nutritive sweeteners. . . . Products with sorbitol and mannitol may have the following statement on the label because high intakes increase the risk of malabsorption: ‘excess consumption may have a laxative effect.’"
The ADA description hints at more than it actually says. Sugar alcohols are not broken down in the stomach, so they make their way intact into the bowels. It is here in the bowels that the "passive diffusion" mentioned by the ADA takes place, meaning that the presence of the sugar alcohols draws water into the bowels. This leads to the fermentation by undesirable bacteria and a resultant partial degradation or "metabolism" of the sugar alcohols. (This fermentation of intestinal bacteria can lead to or exacerbate problems with candida and other yeast problems.) The direct result of this chain of events is the severe stomach cramping and diarrhea that many people experience after ingesting too much sugar alcohol. So how much is too much? The above quotation lists the official, generally agreed upon thresholds for sorbitol and mannitol, but each sugar alcohol has its own threshold. However, certain individuals have been known to experience reactions at much lower dosages. Lactitol in particular may be problematic in small doses, especially for lactose-sensitive individuals.


Ok, so they are not horrible or anything but it is more of a personal tolerance issue.....thanks for the info noel..

[Noel Clark]

Ok, so they are not horrible or anything but it is more of a personal tolerance issue.....thanks for the info noel..

I am guessing that in the amounts that you are having them, if you aren't experiencing cramping or laxative like effects then you are probably ok. I think it is like anything else-don't go overboard.

[donnajo]

I am guessing that in the amounts that you are having them, if you aren't experiencing cramping or laxative like effects then you are probably ok. I think it is like anything else-don't go overboard.

Yup...I just had someone ask me about a protein bar and they gave me the list of ingredients...it said 1 g sugar and 9 g sugar alcohol....I guess i will tell them to eat with caution and see how it makes them feel....