clipped from: www.medicinenet.com Jan. 10, 2008 -- Consuming sweets and chewing gum with sugar substitutes may help the weight-conscious slash calories, but excessive use of the sweetener sorbitol can cause extreme weight loss and other problems, according to a new report.
Reports of side effects such as abdominal pain and diarrhea with high amounts of sorbitol consumption are nothing new, says Roger Clemens, DrPH, a spokesman for the Institute of Food Technologists and professor of pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.
"Sorbitol is not well absorbed," Clemens says. As a result, excess water enters the gastrointestinal tract and diarrhea can occur. Those who rely on artificially sweetened products to help manage their diabetes or to reduce overall calories, he says, should use a variety of such products and consume them in moderation. Sorbitol is found in toothpastes as well as chewing gum and sweets.