Maltitol
The question

Is Maltitol safe in chewing gum?

CautionChewing gum

A sugar alcohol used in sugar-free chocolate and candy. It has a lower blood-sugar impact than sugar, but is poorly absorbed, so it causes mild-to-moderate gas, bloating and looser stools at typical serving sizes.

What the research flags

  • In a randomized controlled trial, 35 g of maltitol produced significantly more flatulence, borborygmi, bloating and discomfort than a sugar (dextrose) control, along with more frequent and softer stools during the first 24 hours; the effects were mild and transient, and maltitol did lower the postprandial blood-glucose and insulin response (Respondek et al., Eur J Clin Nutr)
  • Maltitol is a poorly digested polyol; polyols that escape small-intestine absorption are fermented by colonic bacteria, producing gas and osmotic GI symptoms that scale with dose (general polyol-maldigestion mechanism reviewed in Fernandez-Banares, Nutrients 2022)

Regulatory
IARC Class: NL

Other chewing gum ingredients on file

Sources & references

  1. [1]
    Peer-reviewedPubMed / NCBI — pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · ref 24642779
  2. [2]
    Peer-reviewedPubMed / NCBI — pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · ref 35565890

Research disclaimer: Ratings reflect peer-reviewed research and regulatory assessments available at the time of publication, not the dose or formulation of any specific chewing gum product. This is not medical advice.