Q. I am a diabetic and used to have diarrhea all the time. Then I read that sorbitol can cause diarrhea. I had been using sugar-free pancake syrup sweetened with sorbitol.
I stopped using it and the diarrhea stopped immediately. I told my doctor about this and he agreed that sorbitol can cause diarrhea. Others may be suffering from this same problem.
A. You are not the only one to pinpoint non-sugar sweeteners as a potential cause of diarrhea. Here is a message from another reader:
“I read a question from a reader suffering from diarrhea and stomach pain. The reader wondered if the diabetes meds were causing this.
“Was that person eating sugar-free products with the sweetener maltitol? This sweetener can also cause digestive problems. Sensitive individuals should check the list of ingredients.”
Sweeteners like sorbitol, maltitol and mannitol are frequently used in foods for people restricting sugar. They have calories but are absorbed much more slowly than table sugar. Because they can reach the large intestine without being absorbed, they may cause diarrhea.