sucrose
Sweeteners
Is sucrose high in polyols?
Is sucrose 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 sucrose 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 sucrose contains
FODMAPs
Histamine & Amines
Plant compounds
Irritants
Additives
Allergens
Diet fit
Where sucrose fits
Therapeutic diets
Lifestyle diets
Religious diets
What to know about sucrose
Sucrose is table sugar described by its chemistry: one glucose molecule bonded to one fructose molecule. Because that pairing is balanced, sucrose is not an excess-fructose food, and it grades low FODMAP at ordinary serves. It carries no gluten, no lactose, no histamine, no salicylates and no oxalate, so as a food chemical it is one of the quietest things in the pantry. The interesting part is the enzyme. Sucrose has to be cut in half before you can absorb it, by sucrase-isomaltase in the brush border of the small intestine. When that enzyme runs short the sugar travels on to bacteria that ferment it, and the result looks exactly like IBS: gas, distension, urgency and watery stools an hour or two after anything sweet or starchy. Beyond that, sucrose rates borderline on low-fermentation SIBO plans and pro-inflammatory as a refined carbohydrate.
Watch for
- Congenital sucrase-isomaltase deficiency (CSID) is the one true sucrose intolerance.It affects roughly 0.2 percent of people of European descent and is far more common in Alaska Native and Greenlandic Inuit populations, and it is routinely misdiagnosed as IBS with diarrhoea. It is confirmed with a duodenal disaccharidase assay, a sucrose breath test or genetic testing, and enzyme replacement exists.
- Sucrase activity can also drop temporarily after gastroenteritis, coeliac disease or other injury to the small-bowel lining, so a sugar intolerance that appears suddenly in adulthood is not necessarily inherited and often improves as the mucosa heals.
- Rated borderline on low-fermentation SIBO protocols.Sucrose is normally absorbed high in the small intestine, but with bacterial overgrowth it gets fermented before you ever get to it, which is why sweet foods can feel worse than the FODMAP grade suggests.
- Pro-inflammatory as a refined carbohydrate, and only a moderate fit for DASH and Mediterranean patterns.That is a metabolic argument rather than a sensitivity one, and it applies to the quantity rather than to any trigger compound.
- Reacting to apples, pears, mango and honey while tolerating table sugar points to excess fructose, not sucrose.Sucrose delivers its fructose in a one to one ratio with glucose, which is precisely why it does not behave like free fructose.
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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 sucrose high in Polyols?
Polyols: low signal for most people.
Can I still eat sucrose if I'm sensitive to Polyols?
Usually fine in normal portions.
What else should I check?
Check AIP, Specific Carbohydrate, and Paleo next for a fuller picture.