Isomalt sweets and tummy symptoms in young children
What it found
Eating 25 g of isomalt sweets led to more stomach-ache, tummy rumbling and watery poo in children aged 6 to 9 compared with regular sugar sweets.
Most symptoms were mild, and the children liked the sweets just as much.
What they found
Studies in people
Tummy symptoms increased
More children reported stomach-ache and tummy rumbling after eating the isomalt sweets than after the regular sugar sweets. Most of these feelings were described as only a little worse than normal.
Watery poo
Children had 44 bowel movements with watery poo after eating isomalt sweets, compared with only 5 after regular sugar sweets. This means isomalt acted as a laxative for some children.
Wind and fullness
The number of children who felt bloated or had extra wind was about the same whether they ate isomalt sweets or regular sugar sweets.
Children liked both sweets
The children ate the isomalt sweets just as eagerly as the regular sugar ones. When offered a choice for the second test day, 97 % of the children asked for either type again.
A few sensitive children
Most children did not have many symptoms on both days they ate isomalt. However, three children said their stomach-ache was considerably worse than normal on both isomalt days.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that 25 g of isomalt sweets caused a laxative effect and mild tummy symptoms in children, but most children handled this amount well.
- They note that a small number of children appear more sensitive to isomalt than others.
- They recommend that children eat no more than 25 g of isomalt sweets per day to limit tummy problems.
How it was done
Sugar-free sweets made with isomalt are often marketed to children because they do not cause tooth decay. Scientists wanted to find out if eating these sweets causes tummy problems in young children, since little was known about how their bodies handle isomalt.
Sixty-seven children aged 6 to 9 years ate 25 g of hard-boiled sweets on two separate occasions. On one occasion the sweets contained regular sugar, and on the other they contained isomalt. The children did not know which sweet they were eating, and researchers checked for tummy symptoms over the next 24 hours each time.
What it can’t tell you
- This trial only tested a single 25 g portion of sweets, so it cannot show what happens when children eat larger amounts or eat them every day over a long period.
- The study lasted only a few weeks, so it cannot show whether children get used to isomalt over time.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- The University of Salford, UK
The paper
- Title
- The comparative gastrointestinal response of young children to the ingestion of 25 g sweets containing sucrose or isomalt
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Storey DM, Lee A, Zumbé A (2002). The comparative gastrointestinal response of young children to the ingestion of 25 g sweets containing sucrose or isomalt. The British journal of nutrition. doi:10.1079/BJNBJN2001513Free full textPubMed 12064338DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error