Effect of Mannitol on the Microbiome

[Bolt_Upright]

I'm still on the fence about taking Mannitol so I Googled "mannitol microbiome" and found this:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

Effects of nutritive LCSs on the gut microbiota

Polyols

Polyols are a specific group of compounds used as food additives. They are stable at high temperatures and through pH changes and do not intervene in Maillard reactions. A number of polyols are naturally present in some fruits, vegetables, and mushrooms. Their industrial production started in the last century with the hope of solving health problems related to excessively consumed NNSs. Polyols are noncariogenic, do not induce salivation, and do not interfere with insulin concentrations or increase the blood glucose response; therefore, they are used in “light” foods. The FDA, Codex Alimentarius, and EFSA have approved 8 different polyols—erythritol, hydrogenated starch hydrolysates, isomalt, lactitol, maltitol, mannitol, sorbitol, and xylitol—for use as bulk sweeteners in human foods (5, 7, 65, 66).

The excessive consumption of polyols causes gastrointestinal symptoms and laxative effects in healthy patients. Polyols also induce dose-dependent symptoms of flatulence, abdominal discomfort, and laxative effects when consumed by both healthy volunteers and patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). In addition, moderate doses of polyols increase the number of bifidobacteria in the microbiomes of healthy individuals and may therefore be beneficial as a prebiotic, but the data are limited to patients with a number of intestinal diseases, including IBS (66). It is important to know the impact of polyol consumption on gut microbiota both in healthy and diseased humans.

As with all food additives, the safety of polyols is being re-evaluated by the EFSA. In June 2017, the EFSA called for technical and toxicologic data on sweeteners authorized as food additives in the EU. This re-evaluation will be completed by the end 2020 (67).

[Bolt_Upright]

Note this line "In addition, moderate doses of polyols increase the number of bifidobacteria in the microbiomes of healthy individuals and may therefore be beneficial as a prebiotic"

Bifidobacteria help modulate the gut microbiota, prevent inflammation and protect from many diseases, including colorectal cancer, enteric infections (of the intestines) and diarrhoea, inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohn's, ulcerative colitis), and even depression.

I might be ordering some mannitol after all.

[park_bear in reply to Bolt_Upright]

Taking it in divided doses over the course of the day reduces the flatulence.