Health Risks of Sorbitol

Sorbitol, also known as glucitol, is defined as a faintly sweet alcohol which is synthetically made and used as a sweetener in various food items--such as soda, candy and gum. Since it is low in calories, sorbitol is commonly used as a substitute for sugar in dietetic foods, which are adapted for use in special diets. Moderate consumption of sorbitol is safe, but eating too much of it is bad for your health.

Diarrhea

• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) enforces foods "whose reasonably foreseeable consumption may result in a daily ingestion of 50 grams of sorbitol" be sold with a label which states that "excess consumption may have a laxative effect." Consuming more than 50g of sorbitol per day can result in aggressive diarrhea.

Abdominal Pain

• Unhealthy consumption of sorbitol can cause your stomach to painfully cramp. Sorbitol toxicity leads to severe bloating of the stomach, which is an emergency situation. If you experience abdominal pain shortly after consuming sorbitol, immediately seek medical help.

Vomiting

• If you are extremely sensitive to sorbitol, vomiting may occur. Unfortunately, there are no tests to predetermine your sensitivity to sorbitol, so exercise caution when consuming foods that list sorbitol as an ingredient.

Extreme Weight Loss

• In rare cases, extended periods of ingestion of sorbitol have lead to severely unsafe drops in body weight, in which patients have been reported to have lost dozens of pounds in just a few months.