Gastrointestinal Impact of Sugar-Free Snacks: Erythritol, Allulose, Xylitol, and others

Here's a quick 1-minute video in case you prefer watching over reading :)

Most sugar-free snacks contain sweeteners like erythritol, allulose, xylitol, and others. They offer the sweetness of sugar without the calories and blood sugar spikes. 

But there’s something to keep in mind… and that’s that these sweeteners aren’t fully absorbed in your small intestine. They move to the large intestine, where they’re fermented. If you eat too much, this fermentation process can lead to some digestive issues like bloating, nausea, and diarrhea.

This is a study exploring the gastrointestinal tolerance of Allulose, for example. They concluded that the maximum level of consumption before experiencing any gastrointestinal discomfort was 0.4g per kg of body mass as a single dose and 0.9g per kg of body mass as total daily intake.

However, please note that this is very personal... Some people are not as affected, while others with special conditions like Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) should be extra careful of how much they consume

In conclusion, this doesn't mean that we should avoid these sweeteners at all costs, at least in my opinion. It just means that we probably want to be mindful of how much we consume.