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If you find you're suffering bouts of diarrha or abdominal cramps while consuming products with artificial sweeteners, check the label. If the product contains mannitol, it's possible it is causing the problem.
Stop using the product containing mannitol for a few days and see if the problems subside. Thereafter, minimize your use of products containing mannitol to avoid the laxative effect.
Note: Not everyone will experience a problem with mannitol.
If your problems do not subside when stopping the use of the products with mannitol, be sure to seek assistance from your physician to determine its cause.
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Mannitol is a nutritive sweetener (compared to non-nutritive sweeteners such as aspartame and saccharin that provide no nutrients or calories), stabilizer, humectant and bulking agent in foods and supplements.
It can be derived from the manna plant or from seaweed. However, for commercial use, it is manufactured via a catalytic hydrogenation process.
Mannitol is one of several carbohydrates classified as a sugar alcohol or polyol. Xylitol and sorbitol are examples of other sugar alcohols. The chemical structure of mannitol allows it to be absorbed more slowly by the body than regular sugars. Therefore, it has a smaller impact on blood insulin levels, making it and other sugar alcohols useful for diabetic foods.
On the other hand, because it is absorbed slowly, excessive consumption may have a laxative effect, similar to certain high fiber foods. Because of this, products containing mannitol must include a laxative warning on the label if the mannitol content in a serving exceeds 20g.
Mannitol does not promote tooth decay.
It is approximately 72% as sweet as sugar (sucrose) and is reported to have a cool, sweet taste.
Other than the laxative properties of mannitol in high doses, no other side effects are known.
According to the FDA in a report issued in November 1999, "Sugar Alcohols: Though not technically considered artificial sweeteners, sugar alcohols are slightly lower in calories than sugar and do not promote tooth decay or cause a sudden increase in blood glucose. They include sorbitol, xylitol, lactitol, mannitol, and maltitol and are used mainly to sweeten sugar-free candies, cookies, and chewing gums. FDA classifies some of these sweeteners as "generally recognized as safe" and others as approved food additives."
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