Overview
About Artificial sweeteners
Artificial sweeteners as a category (aspartame, sucralose, saccharin, acesulfame K) carry no histamine, no lactose, no gluten and no salicylate load, so the usual food-chemistry suspects are not the reason they upset people.
The gut is. The category rates moderate on FODMAPs and moderate for SIBO, mostly because "sugar-free" products blend these intense sweeteners with sugar alcohols, and it is the sugar alcohol that ferments and pulls water into the bowel. If sugar-free gum, protein bars or diet drinks give you bloating and loose stools, read the label before you blame the sweetener on the front.
Sensitivities
How Artificial sweeteners scores
Watch for
What trips people up
- Rated moderate on FODMAPs and moderate for SIBO as a category, so sugar-free products are a common source of unexplained bloating and urgency
- The intense sweeteners themselves are not polyols, but they are routinely bulked out with sorbitol, xylitol, maltitol or erythritol, which are, so check the ingredients list rather than the sweetener name
- Graded pro-inflammatory and outside both the DASH and Mediterranean patterns, which is a diet-fit note rather than a sensitivity trigger
- Not permitted on paleo or AIP eating
Diet fit
Where it fits
Swap ideas
More alternatives
FAQ
Common questions about Artificial sweeteners
Are artificial sweeteners low FODMAP?
The intense sweeteners themselves are not FODMAPs: aspartame, sucralose, saccharin and acesulfame K are used in milligram amounts and are not fermentable carbohydrates. The category still rates moderate here because so many sugar-free foods pair them with sugar alcohols, which are polyols and are genuine FODMAPs. Judge the product, not the sweetener.
What is the difference between artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols?
Artificial sweeteners are intense sweeteners, hundreds of times sweeter than sugar, so a pinch does the job. Sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, xylitol, maltitol and erythritol are bulk sweeteners used gram for gram like sugar, and because they are poorly absorbed they ferment in the large bowel. They sit in separate columns for a reason: the sugar alcohols are the higher FODMAP class.
Why do sugar-free sweets and gum cause bloating?
Almost always the polyol, not the artificial sweetener. Sorbitol and maltitol reach the colon largely undigested, draw in water and get fermented by gut bacteria, which produces gas, cramping and loose stools. Some sugar-free gums carry a laxative-effect warning on the pack for exactly this reason.
References
Read the background
Ratings reflect the Triggerbites ingredient database and may vary with portion size and preparation.