Chewing gum with sorbitol

Too much chewing gum that contains sorbitol can lead to severe weight loss and diarrhea, according to a study in the British Medical Journal, Two patients had become ill after chewing around 20 sticks of gum a day. Sorbitol is widely used in "sugar-free" foods, but is also used as a laxative. Despite warnings on packets of chewing-gum and other products containing sorbitol, many people do not realize that large amounts may cause problems.

Steve - let's understand something right off the bat. Eating up to 20 sticks daily of any gum is awful and would make most people sick. That said, sorbitol is a strong laxative and should be used in moderation. In fact, we have never advocated it as a sugar-free option because it is corn-based and very harsh.

Xylitol, while still a mild laxative, is usually well tolerated as a sugar-free option (unless corn-sensitive). Some products contain corn-free xylitol as well (such as Xylichew Gum).

The real lesson here is not to overdo it on any sweetener, whether it is real sugar or alternatives.