Sorbitol Fact Sheet

Type of compound: Sugar Alcohol
Other names: Glucitol       

Natural Sources: Sorbitol is a naturally-occurring chemical found in the ripe berries of the mountain ash (Sorbus aucuparia) from which it gets its name.  It is also found in cherries, berries, apples, pears, plums, apricots, seaweeds, algaes, and blackstrap molasses.  It is also found in Hawthorn berries.

Commercial Source: Sorbitol is made from corn-derived glucose, either by high pressure hydrogenation or electrolytic reduction.

Sweetness: Sorbitol is about as 60% as sweet as table sugar (sucrose).

Caloric level: Sorbitol has almost the same caloric value as sugar.

Absorption: Most of Sorbitol is converted in the intestines to C02 (about 70%), the remainder being fructose.

Glycemic index:  Sorbitol is used as a sugar substitute for diabetics due to slow increase blood glucose levels.

Food  Uses:    Used  as  sweetener  in  candy  manufacturing, ' in pharmaceutical compounding as a sugar substitute for diabetics, and to  increase absorption of vitamins and other nutrients. Sorbitol is also used as a food thickener and stabilizer in frozen desserts and puddings.

Cosmetic Uses: Sorbibol is used in toothpastes (up to 30% in some brands), mouthwashes, and other oral hygiene products. Externally, it is widely used in skin creams as a substitute for glycerin (to which it is chemically and physically similar) as it helps maintain moisture.  It is also used in hairsprays, deodorants, foundation makeup, after shave lotions, and other products.

Medical Uses:  As a sweetening agent, excipient, and humectant (preserves moisture) in pharmaceutical products.

Veterinary Uses: laxative and osmotic diuretic in ruminant ketosis.

Toxicology and Side Effects: Because sorbitol produces fermentation products when being digested in the human gut, abdominal upset or cramping can result from its use, especially by individuals with functional bowel disorders.  Sorbibol can also act as a mild laxative at levels that are considerably higher than normal ingestion (approx. 50 grams or more).  Thus, overuse can result in taxation and diuresis, and in extreme cases, the symptoms that may arise from loss of fluids, e.g. electrolyte imbalance.

History of Use and Safety Assessment: Sorbitol is considered GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) by the Food and Drug Administration (PDA).   It has been used in human foods for decades, with no observed adverse effects.  It is considered an inactive ingredient by the FDA.  The World Health Organization (WHO) states that sorbitol does not represent a health hazard and it is not necessary to set daily intake limits.

Sources:

Elks, J. and Ganellin, C.R. 1990. Dictionary of Drugs. Chapman & Hall, New York

Freydberg, Nicholas and Gortner, Willis A. 1982. The Food Additives Book. Bantam Books, New York.

Martindale's Extra  Pharmacopoeia.  1941.  Pharmaceutical Press, London.

The Merck Index, 9th Ed.

Stedman's Medical Dictionary

Poisindex Toxicological Management. 1990. Micromedex Inc.

Winter,  Ruth.  1976.   A Consumer's  Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients. Crown Publishers, New York.