Too much sugar-free gum linked to bowel problems

Reuters ^ | Jan. 11, 2008 | Staff

[jdm]

Forget about going to the gym, I'm going to start chewing one of these every day:

[Retired Chemist]

Aspertame gives me a instant headache.

[americanophile]

If sugar free gum is out...what’s left?

[I_Like_Spam]

If sugar free gum is out...what’s left?
__________________

You can always start smoking.

[pbmaltzman]

They put sorbitol, or something like it, in one type of Girl Scout cookies, and it had pretty much the same effect on me as Ex-Lax.

If someone's gotta chew gum and be obnoxious about it (open-mouthed, making noise), I can't think of a more poetic form of justice than the runs.

[zerosix]

I found that one of the mints (begins with a “V” but I forget which) gave me rampant diarrhea so stopped immediately!

[Manfred the Wonder Dawg]

15 to 20 sticks a day? Do regular people chew that much gum?

[ThePythonicCow]

also considerable unintended weight loss

I can see it now ... a big sign over the sugar-free gum display at my local store:

FDA Warning

Unintended weight loss

[TASMANIANRED]

Sorbitol has been known for years for it’s laxative effect...Just restating the obvious.

[Jaysun]

The burning bottoms aren’t so bad.

[zerosix]

Me too!!! Got massive migraines.

I heard a doctor state that "kids should never have it" and thought if it's not good for kids, then why is it acceptable for the rest of us?

[Battle Axe]

Isn’t that the same stuff that is in Airborne?

[zerosix]

Note to self: the product was “Velamint” not Valomilk which is a great candy.

[umgud]

Is this why the gay community buys so much Juicy Fruit?

[Eric in the Ozarks]

My jaw would break !

[Mr. Jeeves]

Isn’t that the same stuff that is in Airborne?

Yes. Get the Walgreens knock-off "Walborne", instead - it uses sucralose and any laxative effect is thus greatly minimized.

It doesn't take anywhere near that much sorbitol to cause serious gastro-intestinal problems in a lot of people.

[Calvin Locke]

I saw that reference in an epi of "House":

"I have to go to the bathroom all the time."

"How many packs?"

"I used to smoke two packs a day."

"No, the sugarless gum. It contains sorbitol. We use that here for a laxative."

[Hardastarboard]

sorbitol consumption can cause not only chronic diarrhoea and functional bowel complaints

WTF??? We've known this for like 25 years now? Somebody PAID for research on this?

[americanophile]

hahaha, deal.