What Causes Gas in Diet Foods?

Diet Foods and Gas

Millions of people try to lose weight and eat right by choosing foods that are sugar-free or low-fat. But some are surprised when they try these foods and suffer unpleasant side effects such as abdominal bloating and distention, gas and diarrhea. What's going on? The culprit is most likely "sugar alcohols" used to replace calorie-laden sweeteners in diet products.

What are Sugar Alcohols?

Sugar alcohols (also know as polyols) are naturally occurring substances found in plants, although they are neither sugar nor alcohol. They are from 30 to 8,000 times sweeter than sugar but contain fewer calories and are converted to glucose more slowly than sugar. They're not completely absorbed in the body, which is the reason they can cause gas and other side effects. You can find them on food labels by looking for ingredients ending in "ol," such as sorbitol, with the exception of hydrogenated starch hydrolysates (HSH).

Are Sugar Alcohols Dangerous?

Sugar alcohols are classified by the Food and Drug Administration as either a food additive or GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe). Sorbitol is on the GRAS list. The alcohols classified as food additives are mannitol and xylitol. There are no known dangers from these products other than the gastrointestinal effects, and if use is kept to less than 20g per day, that should help prevent those problems.

Are There Benefits of Sugar Alcohols?

Sugar alcohols can be beneficial to diabetics and obese people by allowing them to eat a wider variety of foods and thus stay on their diets longer and more easily. They also don't affect blood sugar levels, although some of the foods that contain them (such as sugar-free cookies, for example) can contain high levels of calories and carbohydrates that do affect blood sugar. Eating foods with sugar alcohols can also help lower your chances of tooth decay, although acidic beverages such as sodas can negate that if taken in large doses. The key is moderation; some Type 1 diabetics can even experience weight gain and a rise in blood sugar if sugar alcohols are consumed in uncontrolled amounts. Again, the 20g-per-day limit should be a good guide to prevent such occurrences.

References

• MedicineNet
• Yale New Haven Hospital
• American Dietetic Association