Common “sugar-free” sweetener sorbitol linked to liver disease, new research finds – NaturalNews.com

• Sorbitol is metabolized into fructose in the liver, directly linking its consumption to the harmful metabolic pathways that cause fatty liver disease and metabolic dysfunction, similar to regular sugar.
• The negative health impact of sorbitol depends heavily on an individual’s gut microbiome. Specific beneficial bacteria can break down sorbitol before it reaches the liver; without these bacteria, sorbitol passes directly to the liver to be converted into fat.
• The system can be overwhelmed by high levels of sorbitol from two sources: excessive consumption of “sugar-free” diet products and the body’s internal production of sorbitol from high glucose intake.
• This research challenges the foundation of “diet” culture, revealing that sorbitol and other sugar substitutes are not harmless alternatives and may exacerbate metabolic issues, particularly for those with diabetes who use them as a “safe” option.
• The findings suggest that there is no simple, guilt-free sugar substitute, and the best path to health is a diet focused on whole, unprocessed foods rather than relying on laboratory-created sweeteners.

In a finding that challenges the very foundation of modern diet culture, groundbreaking research from Washington University in St. Louis has revealed that sorbitol, a popular sugar alcohol used in countless “sugar-free” and “diet” products, is not the harmless substitute it was long believed to be.

The study, published in the prestigious journal Science Signaling, provides compelling evidence that sorbitol can be metabolized into fructose in the liver, directly linking its consumption to the same harmful pathways that cause fatty liver disease and metabolic dysfunction. This discovery, led by renowned researcher Gary Patti, forces a sobering reevaluation of the artificial and alternative sweeteners millions consume daily in an effort to live healthier lives.

For decades, the public health war has been waged against refined sugar. In response, a multi-billion-dollar industry emerged, offering a plethora of synthetic and sugar-derived alternatives promising the joy of sweetness without the caloric cost. Products laden with aspartame, sucralose and sugar alcohols like sorbitol became dietary staples for those managing weight and diabetes, trusted as safe havens in a sugary food landscape. This new research, however, suggests that this trust may have been dangerously misplaced, revealing that the detour away from sugar may lead to the same problematic destination: liver damage.

The core of the discovery lies in sorbitol’s metabolic journey. Sorbitol is chemically very similar to fructose, the sugar already infamous for its role in driving fatty liver disease, which affects a staggering 30% of adults globally. The research team found that sorbitol is essentially “one transformation away from fructose” inside the body. Through experiments on zebrafish, a common model for human metabolic studies, Patti’s team demonstrated that sorbitol consumed in diet products or produced naturally within the body can travel to the liver and be converted into a fructose derivative.

According to BrightU.AI‘s Enoch, the liver processes fructose in a way that uniquely promotes the creation of new fat, a process known as de novo lipogenesis. When this process is chronically activated, it leads to a buildup of fat in liver cells, resulting in steatotic liver disease, formerly known as fatty liver disease. This condition is a direct precursor to Type 2 diabetes and serious cardiovascular complications.

The gut’s crucial role as gatekeeper

The story of sorbitol, however, is not complete without considering the gut microbiome—the vast ecosystem of bacteria living in our intestines. The research identifies a crucial line of defense: specific bacterial strains, notably from the Aeromonas genus, that can break down sorbitol into a harmless byproduct before it ever reaches the liver. An individual’s susceptibility to sorbitol’s negative effects appears to hinge dramatically on whether they possess these beneficial bacteria.

This creates a precarious biological scenario. If a person lacks sufficient levels of these sorbitol-degrading bacteria, the sugar alcohol passes undigested from the gut into the portal vein, which carries it directly to the liver. There, it is transformed into fructose and contributes to unhealthy fat production. The health of one’s gut microbiome becomes a primary determinant of whether a “sugar-free” sweetener acts as a harmless additive or a hepatotoxin.

Even for individuals with a robust population of helpful gut bacteria, the research indicates there is a tipping point. The bacteria can effectively manage sorbitol when it is present in modest amounts, such as the small quantities naturally found in stone fruits like peaches and plums. The modern food environment, however, creates an entirely different scenario.

Problems arise through two main avenues. One is the excessive consumption of dietary sorbitol itself, found in sugar-free candies, gums and even some protein bars and high consumption of glucose. And when large amounts of glucose are present in the gut—a common result of a high-carbohydrate diet—the body’s own enzymes can convert that glucose into sorbitol internally. This one-two punch of external and internal sorbitol can overwhelm the gut’s bacterial cleanup crew, allowing significant amounts to slip through to the liver.

No easy answers in a sweetened world

The implications of this research are profound for public health. It suggests that the search for a simple, guilt-free sugar substitute is fraught with biological complexity. For the diabetic community and others who have relied on sorbitol as a “safe” alternative, these findings are particularly alarming. The very products marketed to help manage their condition may be exacerbating underlying metabolic issues, particularly liver health.

The situation is further complicated by the ubiquity of these sweeteners. As Patti himself discovered, avoiding them is a significant challenge; even health-focused products like his preferred protein bar were loaded with sorbitol. This highlights how deeply embedded these substances are in the processed food supply, making informed consumer choice difficult.

The scientific conclusion is becoming increasingly clear: there is no free lunch in the world of sweeteners. The body’s intricate metabolic pathways have a way of turning supposed shortcuts into dead ends that compromise health. The promise of sweetness without consequence, a cornerstone of the diet industry, is being systematically dismantled by rigorous, independent science. As this body of evidence grows, it points toward a more complicated, but ultimately more truthful, prescription for health: a diet focused on whole, unprocessed foods, where the sweetest options are those provided by nature, not by a laboratory.

Watch and learn about artificial sweeteners that claim to be sugar-free.

This video is from the Daily Videos channel on Brighteon.com.

Sources include: 

MedicalXpress.com

Source.WashU.edu

MirageNews.com

BrightU.ai

Brighteon.com