Therapy for Sorbitol Intolerance

Sorbitol Intolerance is not curable. The therapy is to avoid sorbitol-containing foods.

Elimination phase

After diagnosis, the individual should avoid sorbitol-containing foods as much as possible for about two weeks. Under such a strict diet the symptoms usually improve very quickly.

Test phase

Once the symptoms have completely subsided, the individual can gradually incorporate sorbitol-containing foods into their diet. At first, only small doses should be consumed and then slowly increased, in order to test the personal tolerance threshold.

Occasionally, one hears warnings against the complete elimination of dietary sorbitol for longer periods of time. This could, the argument goes, lead to the body no longer forming the necessary transport enzyme and thus the symptoms would continue to increase. However, these warnings lack a scientific basis. With that said, it is important and correct to eat well in spite of the absence of sorbitol and, for example, not to completely remove fruit from the diet. There is no reason to avoid other fruit varieties, just because stone fruits are sorbitol-rich.

For indiidualswho also suffer from Hereditary Fructose Intolerance, sorbitol must be avoided.

Sorbitol-containing foods include:

  • Stone fruits, such as cherries, plums, apricots and peaches
  • Oher fruits such as pears and apples
  • Dried fruits (In dried fruits, the sorbitol content per 100 grams of fruit is much higher than in fresh fruit)
  • Many diet and light products
  • Most chewing gums - even chewing gums, on which another sweetener such as xylitol is advertised. Pure xylitol chewing gums are available in our shop.
  • Many lozenges and sweets advertised as "sugar-free". The sweets offered by us, of course, not: sorbitol-free peppermint sweets and sorbitol-free blackberry sweets.
  • Many bread varieties, especially ready-made bread from the supermarket: Here, sorbitol is often called "E 420" in the list of ingredients.
  • Sorbitol does not have to be declared for breads purchased from the baker! Here you have to ask.

The use of sorbitol-containing toothpaste is usually harmless since the toothpaste is not swallowed. The amount of sorbitol absorbed by the oral mucosa is, in addition, very small, and does not enter the colon.

All Frusano products are sorbitol-free.

Please see also:

What is Sorbitol Intolerance?

Symptoms of Sorbitol Intolerance

Diagnosing Sorbitol Intolerance