Lactitol

Studies in people

• Concern

  Diarrhea from sugar substitutes²

  In people, eating lactitol caused diarrhea, and adding fiber called PHGG to it reduced that diarrhea.

• Benefit

  Gut bacteria balance³

  In people, eating lactitol raised helpful gut bacteria and changed stool acids, with few stomach complaints.

• Benefit

  Gut bacteria in older adults⁴

  In older people taking NSAIDs, lactitol with a probiotic raised helpful gut bacteria levels.

• Concern

  Tummy upset from sweeteners⁵

  In people, lactitol caused loose stools once the amount eaten got large enough.

• Benefit

  Gut bacteria in older adults⁶

  In older people, lactitol with a probiotic raised helpful gut bacteria and made stools more frequent.

• Concern

  Gut symptoms after eating⁸

  In healthy adults, lactitol in chocolate led to more gas, bloating and looser stools than regular chocolate.

• No harm found

  Calcium levels in the body⁹

  In people, taking lactitol daily for a month did not change the calcium levels in their blood or urine.

• Open question

  Blood sugar after eating¹⁰

  In people, non-sugar chocolate with lactitol had a very minor effect on blood sugar and insulin versus regular chocolate.

• Concern

  Gut symptoms from sweeteners¹¹

  Eating milk chocolate with lactitol gave people more gas, stomach rumbling, cramps and loose stools than regular chocolate.

• Open question

  Blood sugar response¹²

  Lactitol caused a much smaller rise in blood sugar and insulin than glucose did in healthy men.

• Benefit

  Tooth decay¹⁴

  In children, lactitol in sweets kept plaque from reaching the acid level that starts tooth decay.

Animal and lab studies only

• Concern

  Cell division slowdown¹⁷

  In lab studies, lactitol did not damage DNA, but it slowed how often cells divided.

• Benefit

  Tooth enamel breakdown¹⁸

  In lab studies, lactitol barely let mouth bacteria make acid, so tooth enamel broke down far less than with sugar.

Study type not stated

• Benefit

  Appetite and fullness signals¹⁵

  In rats, lactitol raised a gut hormone tied to feeling full and slowed weight gain; in people the effect was weaker.

How it’s made and used

• Calorie value of sugar⁷

  People absorbed and used about half the calories from lactitol, a sugar the body does not absorb whole.

• Energy from food¹³

  Lactitol gave the body less usable energy than sugar, and people produced more hydrogen gas.

• How the gut breaks down sweeteners¹⁶

  Human gut samples broke down lactitol far more slowly than regular sugars like lactose.

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least one finding in people. When most findings in people point one way, the page leans that way (“Mostly”), and every finding is still shown. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.

Expert panels that weigh all the research. Shown for context: the signal at the top does not count them.

• UN and WHO food additive experts (JECFA), 1983

  No daily limit needed (“ADI not specified”, JECFA’s term for very low toxicity).