Which sweetener has the risk of diarrhea? (2023)

Which sweetener gives you diarrhea?

Many people who ingest more than 40 to 80 grams of fructose per day will get diarrhea. Another offender: artificial sweeteners such as sorbitol, mannitol, and xylitol (found in sugar-free gum, candy, and medications).

Among the natural sweeteners, stevia and monkfruit extract shouldn't aggravate sensitive bowels, either, though beware for branded products like Truvia that blend these ingredients with other less digestively-friendly ones like erythritol.

“Some of the natural and artificial sweeteners in diet drinks and foods, such as aspartame, sucralose, maltitol and sorbitol, may not digest properly for some people,” explains Dr. Talabiska. Sugar substitutes can cause laxative effects, especially when paired with other triggering foods.

The worst of the worst culprits include aspartame (found in Equal and NutraSweet), sucralose (found in Splenda), and Saccharin (found in Sweet 'N Low). Many people who cut artificial sugars out of their diets report the improvement of many health problems including migraines, depression, IBS, weight gain, and more.

Many sugar-free chewing gums contain a sweetener called sorbitol. Sorbitol is a laxative which is poorly absorbed by the small intestine.

Stevia sweeteners are broken down by bacteria in the large intestine, but gastrointestinal symptoms like bloating and diarrhea haven't been reported in studies. However, some products containing stevia also include sugar alcohols like erythritol, which can cause digestive complaints if consumed in large amounts.

Stevia — in packet, drops or plant form — is a dietitian favorite. Not only does it contain zero calories, but stevia-based sweeteners are herbal as opposed to artificial. Stevia blended with a sugar alcohol called erythritol (Truvia®) works well in low-carb baked desserts, too.

Sorbitol-related digestive issues are typically resolved when someone stops consuming the ingredient. Further, if you only swallow a stick of gum every once in a while, it's not a big concern: "It should pass around the same time as other foods, in one to three days," Dr. Raj said.

Because of this alteration, Splenda passes through the gut undigested, which is what makes it "calorie-free." According to Columbia University, sucralose, as well as other artificial sweeteners, can cause bloating, gas and diarrhea. When eaten in large quantities, Splenda may have a laxative effect.

When sucrose or maltose passes through the small intestine undigested, it causes symptoms similar to those of IBS, including bloating, diarrhea, and excess gas. The symptoms typically occur immediately after eating sucrose or maltose-containing foods.

Does xylitol give you diarrhea?

Xylitol is generally well tolerated, but some people experience digestive side effects when they consume too much. The sugar alcohols can pull water into your intestine or get fermented by gut bacteria ( 28 ). This can lead to gas, bloating and diarrhea. However, your body seems to adjust very well to xylitol.

Watery diarrhea is commonly caused by a viral infection or food poisoning from eating undercooked meat or rotten foods. It can be serious if it causes dehydration. Keep an eye out for blood in the stool, and be sure to drink water and fluids with electrolytes.

Real Maple Syrup

Maple syrup may also reduce insulin resistance compared to sugar according to early research [R]. And, unlike artificial sweeteners, maple syrup may reduce the effects of harmful bacteria in the gut.

Non-caloric artificial sweeteners (NAS) have been shown to wreak havoc on the gastrointestinal microbiome generally causing “dysbiosis” or an imbalance in the bacteria in our guts. Dysbiosis can result in gas, bloating, or have more serious impacts resulting in gastrointestinal diseases or widespread inflammation.

Passing stool immediately after a meal is usually the result of the gastrocolic reflex, which is a normal bodily reaction to food entering the stomach. Almost everyone will experience the effects of the gastrocolic reflex from time to time. However, its intensity can vary from person to person.

After 2 weeks, the researchers concluded that saccharin did not impact the gut bacteria of either mice or humans. Similarly, a study that involved two 14-day exposures to sucralose and aspartame also concluded that there was no change in participants' gut microbiomes.

Some research also shows that stevia may lower blood pressure (7). This is why you need to be careful if you are also taking blood pressure medications. Some of these medications include Cozaar, Diovan, Norvasc, and Lasix. Stevia has also been associated with cancer.

Stevia is best used to sweeten beverages, desserts, and sauces, while Splenda is optimal for sweetening beverages.

Why did the FDA ban stevia?

Stevia's Rocky History With the FDA

Though widely available throughout the world, in 1991 stevia was banned in the U.S. due to early studies that suggested the sweetener may cause cancer.

Both sugar and artificial sweetener are addictive. But artificial sweeteners may be likelier to make you get hungry, eat more throughout the day and develop diabetes. Sugar is OK in limited amounts and in the context of a healthy diet.

Additionally, growing evidence indicates certain artificial sweeteners like sucralose reduce insulin sensitivity and affect the gut bacteria ( 71 , 72 ). Artificial sweeteners are generally considered safe but should be avoided by people who have phenylketonuria or are allergic to sulfonamides.

Gas, abdominal bloating and pain, and diarrhea are common symptoms of fructose or sorbitol intolerance.

You should not use sorbitol if you are allergic to it. A laxative may be habit forming and should be used only until your bowel habits return to normal. Never share sorbitol with another person, especially someone with a history of eating disorder. Keep the medication in a place where others cannot get to it.

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.

Good bacteria in the gut ensure a smooth digestion process, which can be replaced by bad bacteria due to the accumulation of sucralose in the GI tract. This condition may increase the level of water and nitrogen gas in the colon, which in turn may lead to diarrhea.

What stops diarrhea fast? Diarrhea can be stopped quickly with OTC medicines such as loperamide (Imodium) and Pepto-Bismol (bismuth subsalicylate).

The bottom line

Glucose and fructose are simple sugars, or monosaccharides. Your body can absorb them more easily than the disaccharide sucrose, which must be broken down first. Added fructose may have the most negative health effects, but experts agree that you should limit your intake of all types of added sugar.

What are the signs of fructose intolerance?

After ingesting fructose, individuals with hereditary fructose intolerance may experience nausea, bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). Affected infants may fail to grow and gain weight at the expected rate (failure to thrive).

Experience from the Finnish Turku Sugar Studies [4, 20] also indicated that xylitol-associated diarrhea can be prevented by simultaneous administration of bulky food.

Diarrhea is a well-known common erythritol side effect, although less so than with xylitol. Especially when consumed in excess, unabsorbed erythritol can attract water from the intestinal wall and cause diarrhea. The likelihood of diarrhea appears to be even greater when erythritol is consumed along with fructose.

Which of these fare better for your health? Xylitol and Stevia are both low GI natural sugar substitutes, low in calories. However, that is where the similarities end between the two. Xylitol, unlike Stevia, has proven health benefits, making it far superior to all other natural sugar alternatives.

Viral or bacterial infections and parasitic infections can affect digestion and cause foul-smelling stool or diarrhea. These include: Salmonella: This is a bacterial infection that can cause foul-smelling diarrhea. Giardiasis: Giardia is a protozoa-type parasite that can cause diarrhea with foul stool.

Cyclospora infection (cyclosporiasis) causes watery, and sometimes explosive, diarrhea. The one-celled parasite that causes cyclospora infection can enter your body when you ingest contaminated food or water. Fresh produce is the culprit in many cases of cyclospora infection.

Why Do I Have Diarrhea When I'm Not Sick?: Causes of diarrhea that are not due to acute illness include eating certain foods, food allergies and intolerances, some medications, caffeine intake, laxative use, alcohol use, digestive problems and diseases (celiac disease, irritable bowel syndrome [IBS], Crohn's disease, ...

Stevia may have antioxidant properties, but research shows that the mogrosides in monk fruit extract have much more powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

When taken by mouth: Certain chemicals in stevia, including stevioside and rebaudioside A, are likely safe when used as a food sweetener. Side effects might include bloating, nausea, dizziness, and numbness.

Sweeteners like fruit juice, honey, molasses and maple syrup contain natural sugar and have some nutritional benefits. “Fruit has fiber, vitamins and antioxidants,” says Ziesel. “Even raw honey and maple syrup can contain antioxidants and minerals like iron, zinc, calcium and potassium.”

What are the best and worst sweeteners?

Dates, honey maple syrup, and coconut sugar are your best sugar alternatives. The occasional use of stevia and monk fruit are also good options. The worst sweeteners include artificial sweeteners like sucralose, saccharin and aspartame, high fructose corn syrup, agave, and brown rice syrup.

While stevia is certainly not side effect-free, Dr. Mullin explains that it doesn't have the known deleterious effect on the gut microbiome, and it's certainly a better choice for diabetics than synthetic sweeteners, like aspartame.

PURE MAPLE SYRUP

It's easy on the liver because of its low glycemic index score, and also has the potential to reduce inflammation in the body. We all know about inflammation and its harmful effects on the body and this bonus makes pure maple syrup one of my top picks as a sugar substitute.

Xylitol: Xylitol, also known as birch sugar, is a small molecule that seems less likely to cause bloating, gas and diarrhea (International Journal of Dentistry, online Oct.

When eaten in large amounts, sugar alcohols can have a laxative effect, causing bloating, intestinal gas and diarrhea. Product labels may carry a warning about this potential laxative effect.

Dumping syndrome is a condition in which food, especially food high in sugar, moves from your stomach into your small bowel too quickly after you eat. Sometimes called rapid gastric emptying, dumping syndrome most often occurs as a result of surgery on your stomach or esophagus.

Good bacteria in the gut ensure a smooth digestion process, which can be replaced by bad bacteria due to the accumulation of sucralose in the GI tract. This condition may increase the level of water and nitrogen gas in the colon, which in turn may lead to diarrhea.