A Healthy Diet For Sorbitol Intolerance

Have you ever felt discomfort in the gastrointestinal tract, flatulence or diarrhea after eating some fruits, sugar-free products or having chewed gum? If so,  you may suffer from sorbitol intolerance. Read on to learn how to follow a diet poor in sorbitol.

What is sorbitol?

Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol  found naturally in red algae and the leaves and fruits of plants in the rosaceae family,  such as:

• Pear
• Apples
• Flowers
• Quinces
• Peaches and apricots

The food industry also uses it widely  as a sweetener, thickener and humectant as it is able to sweeten by delivering few calories.

What is sorbitol intolerance?

Sorbitol intolerance is caused by deficiency of a particular means of transport in the intestines. Even in people without a deficit of it, a healthy person can absorb only a limited amount of this type of sugar, about 20-25 grams. If you exceed this amount, you may therefore also suffer from symptoms.

There are two types of sorbitol intolerance:

• Primary intolerance. This is the result of a lack of an enzyme in the transport of sorbitol, GLUT5. Experts believe that there is a genetic factor and that it can develop through a person’s life.
• Secondary intolerance. Although there is a genetic effect, it occurs as a result of a disorder of the intestines (intestinal infection, inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, etc.), which damages the brush ends of the mucous membrane of the intestines temporarily or permanently.

Symptoms

Patients affected by this condition  may have various symptoms, ranging from mild to severe. The most common symptoms include:

• Stomach pain or cramps
• Swelling
• Flatulence
• Air in the stomach
• Sounds from the intestines
• Diarrhea with air

Foods that contain sorbitol

If you have sorbitol intolerance, you will need to follow a diet poor in foods that contain sorbitol. Here are the foods that contain the most sorbitol:

Natural (from highest to lowest amount)

• Fresh fruits. Pears, plums, peaches, apricots, apples, grapes, strawberries, raspberries and blueberries.
• Preserved fruits:  Apple juice, canned strawberries, currant nectar, elderflower juice, blackcurrant nectar and canned raspberries.
• Dried fruits. Prunes, dried peaches, dried apricots, dried apples, dried dates and raisins.

Artificial

You can find it in both  food products and cosmetic or pharmaceutical products as an additive. As an additive, sorbitol may appear as “sorbitol” (E420i) or “sorbitol syrup” (E420ii).

In food products, it is present in jellies, jams, cakes and confectionery, frozen products, chewing gum, sugar-free products or light products. Therefore, you need to be careful with light products as it can trigger this kind of intolerance to overconsume them.

In cosmetic products, it  is present in toothpaste because it provides better plasticity, a sweet taste and also improved solubility. In the pharmaceutical industry, you can find it in creams. Likewise, you can find it in syrup.

How to diagnose sorbitol intolerance

At present, the best test to diagnose is a hydrogen breath test. The body’s inability to absorb sorbitol causes it to be fermented by bacteria in the intestines, producing a greater amount of free hydrogen. This hydrogen is what is measured in the air that is exhaled.

Before taking this test,  the patient should have fasted for eight hours. In the 24 hours up to the test, they should not eat fruits, vegetables or legumes as they delay the intestinal passage time. In addition, it is important to avoid digestive drugs and antibiotics in the days leading up to the test.

If the result of the test is positive, the degree as well as the symptoms that appear are evaluated in order to determine the diet that the patient should follow.

Nutritional recommendations for sorbitol intolerance

• If you suspect an intolerance,  then the first thing you need to do is get tested. However, you do not have to change your diet yourself.
• Also, always check the food labels to make sure they do not contain sorbitol.
• If you suffer from severe sorbitol intolerance,  talk to a specialist about the contents of each cosmetic product before using it.
• Limit your intake of fruits that are high in sorbitol.
• Be careful if you usually  consume light products or chew gum containing sorbitol.

Are you worried that you may be suffering from sorbitol intolerance? If you have experienced its symptoms, talk to your doctor to get an appropriate diagnosis. Additionally, if you are diagnosed with this intolerance, you should make sure that you follow these recommendations for your diet.