You might assume that sugar-free foods are always better for you, but this isn't necessarily right. Sugar-free foods may contain sugar alcohols like sorbitol or manitol, aspartame or sucralose. Many of these sugar alcohols have problematic side effects when consumed in excess. Sorbitol is a type sugar found naturally in some fruits and is also used as an artificial sweetener in foods labeled as sugar free, "lite" or "diabetic." Sorbitol is added to food products both to sweeten as well as to increase the self-life of the product. A side effect of sorbitol is that it is a laxative, and in large doses can cause gas, flatulence and diarrhea.
Fruit
Sorbitol can be found naturally in certain fruits including apples, pears, prunes and peaches, as well apple, pear, prune and peach juice. As always, it is wise to keep juice portions small. Consuming too much sorbitol is more likely with juice, since it is easy to over-consume liquids.
Diabetic Foods
Although natural whole fruits are a source of sorbitol, it is more common to find sorbitol in processed foods like cakes, cookies, brownies, condiments, toppings, chocolate sweets and snacks and meal replacement bars and beverages. Foods labeled "sugar-free" or "lite" or those meant for diabetics are often sweetened with sorbitol. Check the ingredients labels on foods, particularly sweets and condiments like sugar-free syrup, sugar-free cake, brownie and cookie mixes, sugar-free gelatin and pudding, sugar-free whipped toppings, fruit toppings or other dessert toppings, and sugar-free jams and jellies. Diabetic snack foods including meal replacements bars, meal replacement beverages and chocolate candies may also use sorbitol to sweeten and improve their taste.
Candy and Gum
Sorbitol is the most common artificial sweetener in sugar-free gum, mints and other types of candy. As examples, sugar-free varieties of Extra, Eclipse, Orbit and Dentyne gums contain sorbitol, often listed as the first ingredient. Sugar-free varieties of Lifesavers and Altoids are examples of candy or mints that list sorbitol as the artificial sweetener. Sugar-free candy and chocolate found in the bulk section of your grocery store likely contain sorbitol. Always check the ingredients list on the bulk foods containers.
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