Sorbitol

For those of us that need to limit the amount of carbs and sugars we consume, a sugar-free product may be something we turn to.  I was researching sorbitol and too my shock, I found out that sorbitol is used as a laxative.  If you experience stomach and intestinal discomfort from time to time, check the ingredient label of products you recently consumed.  Sorbitol can be found in sugar-free candy, gum, syrups and many other products that are labeled as being sugar-free, or no sugar added.
In addition to the side effect, of which I only touched on one of them, I found out that Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol.  Diabetics limiting the consumption of carbs in their diets need to read the labels for the total carbohydrates in the product.  As always, if there is a concern or question about the product, always check with your medical professional for advice.

Here is an article I found at the American Diabetes Association web site. http://diabetes.org
From Ask the Registered Dietitian Archives - American Diabetes ...

Sugar alcohols are one type of reduced-calorie sweetener. You can find them in ice creams, cookies, puddings, candies, and chewing gum that is labeled as “sugar-free” or “no sugar added”. On average, sugar alcohols provide about half the calories of sugar and other carbohydrates.

Examples of sugar alcohol are:
   Erythritol
   hydrogenated starch hydrolysates
   isomalt
   lactitol
   maltitol
   mannitol
   sorbitol
   xylitol
Even though they are called sugar alcohols, they do not contain alcohol.

Tips for Carb Counting and Sugar Alcohols
The effect that sugar alcohols have on your blood glucose can vary so it is difficult to know how sugar alcohols will affect your blood glucose levels every time. Because there is less of an effect from sugar alcohols than either sugar or starch, you can use the following tips to estimate how much carbohydrate from a serving to count in your meal plan for foods that contain MORE than 5 grams of sugar alcohols.

If a food has more than 5 grams of sugar alcohols:

• subtract ½ the grams of sugar alcohol from the amount of total carbohydrate
• Count the remaining grams of carbohydrate in your meal plan…to read more go to:

http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/what-can-i-eat/sugar-alcohols.html