Many people have complained of getting gas when chewing sugarless gum, and a new study uncovered the cause and found a solution.
Researchers at the University of California-Davis (UCD) discovered that a single ingredient used in the product, found naturally in certain fruits, is behind the terrible bloating: sorbitol.
Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol that is slowly absorbed by the body and, when consumed at high levels, causes cramps and diarrhea. Some people experience symptoms with small doses.
If sorbitol cannot be broken down naturally as it is digested, it passes through the small intestine and into the colon for fermentation, which is a process in which bacteria break down carbohydrates into fatty acids and gases.
The team also discovered that a drug used to treat Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis could be used as a remedy for those suffering from sorbitol intolerance.
Researchers linked sorbitol in sugar-free foods, such as gum, mints, candy and some fruits, to increased gas, diarrhea, bloating and other abdominal problems.
The researchers found, by feeding mice antibiotics and foods high in saturated fat, that the amount of oxygen used by intestinal cells decreased the number of clostridia that break down sorbitol. They believe the drug mesalazine, used to treat Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, could be the key to eliminating the embarrassing side effects of sorbitol intolerance.
Sorbitol is used in many chewing gums, mints, and candies, and is also found naturally in fruits such as apricots, apples, pears, and avocados.
Researchers wanted to know how to restore the intestine’s ability to break down sorbitol and eliminate the annoying side effects of intolerance, such as gas, diarrhea and bloating.
They used mice to analyze which gut bacteria contained the genes needed to break down sorbitol.
Initial tests revealed that feeding the mice antibiotics and foods high in saturated fat reduced the amount of oxygen used by the cells lining the intestine.
More clinical tests are needed to determine whether mesalazine can be used to treat humans because mice can tolerate much higher levels of sorbitol than humans.
More oxygen stored in the intestine decreases the number of gut microbes in the body, clostridia, a bacteria that breaks down sorbitol.
The researchers began the experiment by feeding the mice an intestinal bacteria called anaerostipes caccae, which It works as a probiotic and produces butyrate.
Butyrate is a fatty acid produced by eating high-fiber foods such as whole grains (oats and brown rice), legumes (beans, lentils, and chickpeas), fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.
The oily, colorless liquid also causes the cells lining the intestine to use more oxygen, restoring clostridia to normal levels.
The researchers found that taking these measures protected the mice from sorbitol-induced diarrhea, even after the bacteria produced by butyrate had left the mouse’s digestive system.
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“This discovery is crucial, given the frequent use of sorbitol and similar sugar alcohols in the production of high-fat ketogenic diet foods,” said Jee-Yon Lee, lead author of the study and assistant project scientist at UC. Davis Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology.
Lee added: “It also highlights the importance of oxygen consumption by the epithelial lining of the intestines to maintain a healthy balance of intestinal bacteria, especially Clostridia, for proper digestion of certain sugars.”
About 35 to 70 percent of adults experience gas and bloating after ingesting more than 10 grams of sorbitol, according to Diagnosis of food intolerancea gastroenterology group based in Switzerland.
It also found that up to 70 percent of people who experience irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are also sensitive to even low amounts of sorbitol.
Researchers suggested that the drug mesalazine, which is used to treat ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease and other inflammatory bowel diseases, reduces redness and swelling in the intestine.
Mesalazine works similarly to butyrate by restoring low oxygen levels to the intestine, which could help people eliminate the side effects of gas.
Although the experiments were successful, the researchers said that mice can tolerate much higher levels of sorbitol than humans, so further clinical testing is essential to determine whether mesalazine can be used to treat humans.
“Our study provides a completely new starting point for approaches to diagnose, prevent and treat sorbitol intolerance,” said Andreas Bäumler, senior author of the study and professor and vice chair of research in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology at UC Davis.