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date sugar
Sweeteners
Is date sugar high in polyols?
Is date sugar high or low in polyols? See its exact rating, how much counts as a portion, and its FODMAP, salicylate, oxalate and diet compatibility in one place.
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Compare date sugar across criteria
Sensitivity notes
Why polyols food checker matters
Polyols (sugar alcohols) are found naturally in some fruits and vegetables, and are used as artificial sweeteners. They're poorly absorbed and can cause digestive symptoms, especially in IBS sufferers.
- Avoid sugar-free products with sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, maltitol
- Stone fruits are naturally high in polyols
- Cooking doesn't reduce polyol content
- Avocado portion size matters - small amounts may be fine
- Cauliflower and mushrooms are common triggers
Sensitivities
What date sugar contains
FODMAPs
Histamine & Amines
Plant compounds
Irritants
Additives
Allergens
Diet fit
Where date sugar fits
Therapeutic diets
Lifestyle diets
Religious diets
What to know about date sugar
Date sugar is not really a sugar at all. It is whole dried dates milled into a powder, skin and fibre included, which is why it never dissolves and why it behaves so differently in baking from anything refined. That whole fruit origin is also where the trigger story comes from: date sugar grades high on excess fructose and high FODMAP overall, so a fructose malabsorber gets the bloating and osmotic looseness of eating dates, because that is exactly what they are eating. On every other axis it is remarkably quiet. Histamine, salicylate, oxalate, sulfite, nickel, glutamate, gluten and lactose all grade clean, so if your reaction to a bake is skin or head symptoms rather than gut symptoms, date sugar is unlikely to be the culprit.
Watch for
- Excess fructose grades at the top of the scale, the main reason date sugar causes bloating, wind and osmotic diarrhoea in people with fructose malabsorption
- High FODMAP as a whole, so the mental model of a spoonful of sweetener is wrong.A spoonful is a serving of dried fruit
- Sold as unrefined and whole food, but it is still around two thirds sugar by weight and grades pro inflammatory, with a poor fit for DASH and Mediterranean eating patterns
- It does not dissolve, so drinks turn gritty and syrups fail.People compensate by using more, which quietly raises the fructose dose
- Clean on histamine, salicylate, oxalate, sulfite, nickel and gluten, so it is a reasonable sweetener choice for those sensitivities specifically
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Polyols Guide
Everything you need to know about polyols sensitivity and smart food choices.
Polyols (sugar alcohols) are found naturally in some fruits and vegetables, and are used as artificial sweeteners. They're poorly absorbed and can cause digestive symptoms, especially in IBS sufferers.
Sensitivity varies widely. What triggers one person may be fine for another. Track your reactions to find your personal threshold.
These foods are generally well-tolerated for Polyols sensitivity:
View all safe options
These foods have moderate levels and may be tolerated in small amounts:
These foods are high in polyols and may trigger symptoms:
View full list
If you're sensitive to Polyols, consider these strategies:
- 1Avoid sugar-free products with sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, maltitol
- 2Stone fruits are naturally high in polyols
- 3Cooking doesn't reduce polyol content
- 4Avocado portion size matters - small amounts may be fine
- 5Cauliflower and mushrooms are common triggers
Pro tip: Keep a food diary to track your reactions. The Triggerbites app makes this easy with automatic pattern detection.
Want personalized tracking?
Download Triggerbites to log meals, track symptoms, and discover your unique triggers.
Get the AppFAQ
Is date sugar high in Polyols?
Polyols: low signal for most people.
Can I still eat date sugar if I'm sensitive to Polyols?
Usually fine in normal portions.
What else should I check?
Check Fructose, Specific Carbohydrate, and Whole30 next for a fuller picture.