Sorbitol is a natural sweetener that can be found in some fruits (apple, pear, plums, cherry, peach) or in the sorbs berry. It is a sugar-alcohol or a polyol, industrially prepared from glucose hydrogenation; it can substitute sugar and very slightly increases blood glycaemia and insulinemia after ingestion. The glycemic response after 50g sorbitol ingestion is evaluated to be approximately 10% of the response to the same amount of glucose.

One of the reasons for this, is that sorbitol is not glucose alone and is only 30% absorbed in the small intestine, where it goes through the intestinal mucosa into the blood. The remainder is further fermented in the colon. Through internal metabolism, sorbitol can be partly converted to glucose, which would explain the results of the glycemic measurements after ingestion: a very low increase.

In terms of limits in the use of sorbitol in specific diabetic diets, only a physician with access to a patient’s full medical history can advise on this.  Please take advice from your physician.