FacebookA healthy diet is the key to long-term wellness, but a diet that is “healthy” for one individual may not be for another. Some people have trouble digesting even objectively nutritious foods which requires them to exclude certain things – even whole food groups – from their diet. This is often the case with people who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Irritable bowel syndrome is often described as a digestive disorder, though it is technically a collection of symptoms. Individuals with IBS often suffer from abdominal pain, cramping, bloating, and changes in bowel movements such as diarrhea, constipation, or both. Many find that limiting consumption of certain foods helps mitigate symptoms.
The foods in question are those that contain FODMAPs - fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols. By avoiding certain foods in these categories, IBS sufferers can enjoy more regular digestion, improved nutrient absorption, and relief from uncomfortable digestive symptoms.
If you’re considering making the switch to a low FODMAP diet, start by learning the basics about the food groups included in this acronym. Here we’ll dive into the details of one category of FODMAPs: polyols.
An In-Depth Look at Polyols
The term polyol is used interchangeably with sugar alcohol. Sugar alcohols are low-calorie sweeteners that occur naturally in some plants but can also be produced synthetically. They generally have between 30% and 100% the sweetness of table sugar but few to no calories.
While sugar substitutes can be a good way to reduce the calorie content of your diet, sugar alcohols may not be the best option. They don’t have the same impact on blood sugar levels as regular sugar, but they cause digestive upset in some people – especially people with IBS.
The two polyols of greatest concern for low FODMAP dieters are sorbitol and mannitol. While some people are better able to absorb sugar alcohols, most people will experience some degree of digestive upset if they consume more than 10 to 20 grams at a time. For individuals with IBS, the threshold may be much lower than that.
What Foods Contain Polyols?
Naturally occurring polyols are largely found in stone fruit while synthetic polyols are frequently used in sugar-free candy and gum as well as low-calorie and carb-free foods. Certain vegetables also contain notable amounts of naturally occurring polyols.
There are seven types of polyols: erythritol, sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, maltitol, lactitol, and isomalt. Erythritol and xylitol are the least irritating to the gut while sorbitol, mannitol, and lactitol are the most likely to cause digestive upset. Xylitol is found in berries, yeast, seaweed, and certain types of mushrooms while erythritol is found in certain fermented foods like soy sauce and miso.
Foods that contain significant amounts of sorbitol and mannitol include:
- Apples
- Avocado
- Apricots
- Blackberries
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Cherries
- Corn
- Lychee
- Nectarines
- Mushrooms
- Peaches
- Pears
- Plums
- Prunes
- Sauerkraut
- Sweet potatoes
If you’re following a low FODMAP diet, these are the foods you want to be wary of when it comes to polyols. Polyols are typically named on the ingredients lists of packaged foods, so it’s easy enough to identify them. If you don’t want to scan through the entire list of ingredients, look for a warning on the label that states, “Excess consumption may have a laxative effect.” This warning is required for foods that contain sorbitol and mannitol.
Some foods are sweetened with a combination of sugar and low-calorie sweeteners like polyols – especially low- or reduced-calorie foods. Table sugar is considered a low FODMAP food because it doesn’t contain significant amounts of fructose (a monosaccharide), but just because you see sugar on the label doesn’t mean the product doesn’t also contain polyols.
Do They Provide Any Health Benefits?
The body digests and absorbs polyols in a similar way to fructose. As they move through the small intestine, polyols attract water through the process of osmosis. This can lead to abdominal pain and motility issues like diarrhea. Any polyols that aren’t absorbed in the small intestine move on to the large intestine where they’re fermented by gut bacteria in a process that produces gas.
While sorbitol and mannitol are well-known for triggering digestive upset in IBS sufferers, some polyols are more efficiently absorbed by the small intestine and, as a result, better tolerated. Erythritol, for example, is less likely to cause digestive upset when consumed in small to moderate amounts.
The key thing to remember is that polyols are not essential nutrients. Most of their benefits relate to the fact that they’re lower in calories than sugar and less likely to significantly impact blood sugar levels.
Polyols are less readily converted into acids by bacteria in the mouth, so they don’t promote tooth decay like regular sugar. Because they’re not as sweet as sugar, however, polyols are often used in combination with low-calorie sugar substitutes like aspartame, stevia, and sucralose.
Polyols and a Low FODMAP Diet
Polyols have the potential to cause digestive issues in anyone who consumes them in excess. For individuals with IBS, however, even small amounts of sorbitol or mannitol can be problematic. Learn how to read food labels so you can identify polyols in packaged foods and be mindful of which whole foods contain naturally occurring polyols.
If you’re following a low FODMAP diet for IBS or other digestive concerns, remember that polyols are only one piece of the puzzle.
