Sugar Alcohols Ruined My Health: Learn from My Mistakes

[helvella]

Given the number of members who are intolerant to Teva levothyroxine, this video might be of some interest.

Many suspect it is the mannitol content of Teva levothyroxine that lies behind the intolerance. After all, there were also many complaints around the world as Merck have slowly move from lactose to mannitol in their levothyroxine.

And certainly sorbitol is well-known to cause problems.

As usual, this link is expressly for its relevant information and is not an endorsement of any products mentioned or promoted.

Sugar Alcohols Ruined My Health: Learn from My Mistakes

Sabine Hossenfelder

I was told that I have irritable bowel syndrome. But I then learned by sheer coincidence that most of my symptoms were instead caused by food additives collectively known as "sugar alcohols". Since I have cut sugar alcohols out of my diet, my symptoms have almost entirely disappeared. If you have irritable bowel syndrome (or have been told you have it), I suggest you try cutting out sugar alcohols. You will know within two days or so whether that was the cause of the problem.

A list of sugar alcohols including their classification numbers in Europe is:

Sorbitol (E 420)

Mannitol (E 421)

Isomalt (E 954)

Maltitol and Maltitol Sirup (E 965)

Lactitol (E 966)

Maltitol and Maltitol Sirup (E 965)

Xylitol (E 967)

Erythritol (E 967)

Hydrogenated glucose syrup, hydrogenated starch hydrolysates and polyglycitol syrup (all the same thing) is a mixture of sugar alcohols -- avoid!

Lycasin is a trade name for hydrogenated glucose syrup.

I would also recommend that you generally stay away from anything that contains malt and products derived from malt, such as barley malt extract.

Some derived chemicals are:

Polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate (E 432)

Polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate (E 433)

Polyoxyethylene sorbitan monopalmitate (E 434)

Polyoxyethylene sorbitan monostearate (E 435)

Polyoxyethylene sorbitan tristearate (E436)

Sorbitan monostearate (E 491)

Sorbitan tristearate (E 492)

Sorbitan monolaurate (E 493)

Sorbitan monooleate (E 494)

Sorbitan monopalmitate (E 495(

Some fruits and vegetables contain high amounts sorbitol and/or maltitol. An internet search will tell you.

youtube.com/watch?v=K5v61Yt...(Not working as expected?)

[Hedgeree]

Thanks Helvella,

I discovered a few years back that maltitol really did not agree with me. That was the first and last time that I ate sugar free biscuits. I rarely eat biscuits anyway but thought I'd treat myself. Won't be doing that again soon 😐 stick to regular sugar biscuits.

I generally avoid processed food but if I do I read to check what's listed on the ingredients if there's any sugar alcohols I don't buy it. I also have to avoid preservatives such as potassium sorbate, again not good.

Interesting about sorbitol or maltitol being high in some vegetables. I didn't know that... 🤔

[Buddy195 Administrator]

Fascinating; thanks for sharing helvella 👍

[jgelliss]

Amazing and Tragic. Why do manufacturers use fillers that can be harmful for thyroid or for that matter any patient depended on medications??? Does everything boil down to M-O-N-E-Y????Thank you for this post Helvella .

[TiggerMe Ambassador in reply to jgelliss]

Sadly our health isn't anyone's top priority ☹️ especially when it comes to Big Pharma!!

[BB001 in reply to TiggerMe]

This isn't just big Pharma. It's business in general. Personally I put food technology in the same category as tobacco companies.

[TiggerMe Ambassador in reply to BB001]

I agree, isn't it ironic

[BB001]

Thank you helvella. You're right, it is of interest. I learnt a long time ago that I couldn't eat artificial sweeteners. I am only able to tolerate raw cane demerara sugar, and pure maple syrup. I found it interesting the different products sorbitol is a constituent of. In particular, I'm wondering about the bit at the end Some fruits and vegetables contain high amounts sorbitol and/or maltitol.. At the moment I'm having to avoid all fruits, because i haven't found one i can tolerate, whether raw or cooked. This article gives me a glimmer of hope that there might be some I'm OK with. I'm off to Google which ones!

I too have to avoid preservatives.

In a separate, fun note. Sometimes, I love the typos that crop up. Today's laugh was when it typed 'pure male syrup' instead of 'pure maple syrup'. 🤣

[helvella in reply to BB001]

From memory alone, I think pears are mostly sucrose (ordinary sugar). And apricots are relatively low in sugar and have a low glycaemic index - but I have not checked which sugars they contains. (Dried apricots can cause people horrible issues. Probably the sulphur dioxide.)

[BB001 in reply to helvella]

Some of Asda's own brand dried fruits are free of additives such as sulphur dioxide. Other shops might be the same.

[BB001 in reply to helvella]

More from that Google search

Sorbitol-free fruit and fruit with low sorbitol content: Raspberries, redcurrants, blueberries, cranberries, gooseberries, strawberries, oranges, mandarins, pineapple, bananas, figs, pomegranates, grapefruit, honeydew melon, kiwi, mango, papaya, passionfruit, quinces, watermelon and citrus fruits.

I always wondered why I have a problem with oats...

Oats contain the polyphenols sorbitol, xylitol and ursolic acid

[BB001]

A Google search of 'which foods contain sorbitol' came up with this at position one of the search results:Fruit: Apricots, apples, pears, blackberries, cranberries, dates (both fresh and dried), peaches, currants, cherries, yellow plums, plums, grapes and raisins. Dried fruit and fresh stone fruit contain the largest amounts of sorbitol. Vegetables: Aubergine, broccoli, fennel, ready-made salads, paprika and red cabbage.

Funnily enough I can tolerate broccoli, but this may just be because I avoid other sources of sorbitol and am thus below my tolerance limit.