Health benefits and concerns

Diarrhoea

Some foods contain sugars that are absorbed slowly, such as fructose in fruit juice or sorbitol in dietetic confectionery. Through a process called osmosis, these unabsorbed sugars hold onto water in the intestines, sometimes leading to diarrhoea. By reading labels, people with chronic non-infectious diarrhoea can easily avoid fruit juice, fructose, and sorbitol to see if this eliminates the problem.

Immune function

Nearly all forms of sugar (including honey) interfere with the ability of white blood cells to destroy bacteria. In one study, when healthy volunteers consumed a large amount (100g) of refined sugar, their white blood cells’ ability to destroy bacteria was impaired for at least 5 hours. The importance of these effects in the prevention of infections in humans remains unclear. Nevertheless, many doctors recommend a reduced intake of sugar for prevention and treatment of infections (e.g., colds, flu, bronchitis, and urinary tract infections). Unlike other sweeteners, stevia has been reported to possess anti-viral activity.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

Preliminary evidence suggests that some people with IBS have greater trouble than healthy people absorbing the sugars lactose (as found in milk), fructose (as found in high concentration in fruit juice and dried fruit), and sorbitol (as found in some dietetic candy). In this report, restricting intake of these sugars led to reduction of symptoms in 40% of people with IBS symptoms. Therefore, when attempting to uncover food sensitivities, people with IBS should consider the possibility that fruit juice and dried fruit might trigger symptoms.

Retinopathy

Animal studies suggest that dietary fructose may contribute to the development of retinopathy (damage to the eye’s retina). Although such an association has not been demonstrated in humans, some doctors advise their diabetic patients to avoid foods containing added fructose or high-fructose corn syrup. On the other hand, the fructose that occurs naturally in some fruits has not been found to be harmful.

Urinary tract infection (UTI)

In one study, when healthy volunteers consumed a large amount (100g) of refined sugar, their white blood cells’ ability to destroy bacteria was impaired for at least 5 hours. For this reason, many doctors recommend a reduced intake of sugar for prevention of UTI recurrences.

Health benefits and concerns for sweeteners
Many health benefits and concerns associated with this food are applicable to other sweeteners. Read about health benefits and concerns for sweeteners for a full description.