invert sugar
Sweeteners
Is invert sugar high in polyols?
Find out whether invert sugar is high or low in polyols, see its exact rating, and check its FODMAP, salicylate, oxalate and diet compatibility all in one place.
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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
Triggers
Diets
Serving size, prep, and portion notes for invert sugar
Invert sugar is table sugar taken apart. Sucrose is a glucose molecule bonded to a fructose molecule, and heating it with acid or treating it with the enzyme invertase splits that bond, leaving a syrup of free glucose and free fructose in roughly equal measure. Confectioners use it because it resists crystallising, holds moisture and browns readily, which is why it turns up in fondant, soft centred chocolates, commercial cakes and ice cream. For anyone tracking fructose, the split is the point: sucrose and invert sugar deliver the same molecules, but invert sugar delivers the fructose already free.
Watch for
Free fructose behaves differently from bonded fructose for people with fructose malabsorption. Sucrose is absorbed with glucose alongside it, which helps fructose across the gut wall; invert sugar arrives with the bond already broken. If sugar is fine for you but honey and apples are not, invert sugar belongs on the list to test. / This row is not flagged on excess fructose, which is worth knowing rather than trusting. A syrup that is around half free fructose by composition sitting at a clean grade looks like a gap in the data rather than a finding. / It grades poorly for low fermentation SIBO protocols and pro inflammatory, both of which are really statements about a concentrated free sugar rather than about anything specific to inversion. / It hides under several names. Trimoline is a trade name, and labels may say invert syrup, inverted sugar syrup or partially inverted refiners syrup. Golden syrup is a partially inverted product too. / Honey is naturally an invert sugar, produced by bee invertase acting on nectar sucrose. If honey reliably causes symptoms and you assumed it was the fructose, invert sugar is the same proposition without the pollen.
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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.
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Get the AppFAQ
Is invert sugar high in Polyols?
Polyols: low signal for most people.
Can I still eat invert sugar if I'm sensitive to Polyols?
Usually fine in normal portions.
What else should I check?
Check Inflammation, Paleo AIP, and DASH Diet next for a fuller picture.