Overview
About Sorbitol
Sorbitol (E420) is graded E for polyols and D on FODMAPs overall, and it is one of only two polyols that FODMAP guidance names individually rather than lumping into a group.
The part most people miss is that sorbitol is not only an additive. It occurs naturally in stone fruit and pome fruit: prunes, plums, apples, pears, cherries, peaches and apricots all carry it, which is precisely why prunes have their laxative reputation. Cutting sugar-free gum and mints therefore does not necessarily cut your sorbitol load. On the chemical triggers sorbitol is quiet, graded A for histamine, histamine liberation, tyramine, sulfite, nickel, glutamates, gluten and lactose. The problem is osmotic and fermentative, not immune, and it is graded E for low fermentation SIBO protocols.
Sensitivities
How Sorbitol scores
Watch for
What trips people up
- Polyols E, the top of the scale. Sorbitol is absorbed slowly and incompletely in the small intestine, so it pulls water into the gut and then ferments in the colon. Bloating, wind, cramping and loose stools a few hours after the dose are the classic pattern
- Fruit counts. Prunes, apples, pears, cherries, plums, apricots, peaches and blackberries all contain sorbitol naturally, so a week with no sugar-free products can still be a high-sorbitol week
- It stacks with fructose. A food that carries sorbitol and excess fructose together, like an apple or a pear, is a harder test than sugar-free gum, and reacting to one does not tell you which of the two did it
- Low fermentation SIBO E, so sorbitol is a poor fit if you are working through a low fermentation protocol rather than a standard low FODMAP one
- It travels with its relatives. Sorbitol appears on panels beside maltitol, mannitol, isomalt and lactitol in the same sugar-free products, so logging one name alone can badly undercount the polyol dose you actually took
Diet fit
Where it fits
Swap ideas
More alternatives
FAQ
Common questions about Sorbitol
Is sorbitol low FODMAP?
No. Sorbitol is graded E for polyols and D on FODMAPs overall. It sits in the polyol arm of the FODMAP acronym and is one of the two polyols usually singled out by name in FODMAP guidance, so it is normally excluded outright during an elimination phase rather than portion-limited.
Why do prunes work as a laxative?
Prunes are naturally rich in sorbitol, and sorbitol is absorbed poorly in the small intestine. What is not absorbed holds water in the bowel osmotically and is then fermented by gut bacteria. Fibre and the phenolic compounds in prunes add to the effect, but the sorbitol is the reason a few prunes act faster and harder than an equivalent amount of most other fruit.
How much sorbitol does it take to cause symptoms?
There is no universal threshold. Absorption is poor in almost everyone and the effect scales with dose, so the same person may be fine with a small amount and clearly not fine with double it. People with IBS tend to react to smaller quantities than people without. That is why logging the dose alongside the reaction is far more useful than hunting for a fixed cut-off.
Is sorbitol the same as erythritol or maltitol?
All three are sugar alcohols, but they behave differently and are graded differently. Sorbitol and maltitol are both polyols E and both carry a high overall FODMAP grade. Erythritol is also polyols E, yet it is graded A on FODMAPs overall because most of it is absorbed in the small intestine and excreted unchanged rather than reaching the colon to ferment. Sharing the sugar-alcohol label does not mean sharing the gut effect.
References
Read the background
Ratings reflect the Triggerbites ingredient database and may vary with portion size and preparation.