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Sugar free products may have dangers Editor's note: March is National Nutrition Month and is a nutrition education and information campaign sponsored annually by the American Dietetic Association. The campaign is designed to focus attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits. by Nathan Nava Dietetic Intern  Have you ever seen some of those ‘sugar free’ products that just don’t seem like they should be sugar free, like peanut butter cups, peppermint patties, and cookies? Doesn’t it just seem too good to be true? Well, in some respects, it is just that.   Many of these products contain what are called sugar alcohols. You might see them on an ingredient list with the name sorbitol, mannitol, or maltitol. They are in the class of food additives known as sugar substitutes. They do have some marked advantages over sugar, such as about half the amount of calories, and they don’t make your blood sugar or insulin levels rise as much as sugar.   However, there are some things you should beware of before getting too excited over these products. If you have diabetes especially, you need to be careful because that “sugar free” claim isn’t entirely true at all. What this means is that there are no added sugars. The loophole is that sugar alcohols are considered substitutes. It is important to consider the total carbohydrate content of these foods. They all still contain some carbohydrate in them, and therefore will still cause a raise in blood sugars.   Another point of concern is the tendency for sugar alcohols to have a laxative effect when eaten in large quantities. Because they pass quickly through the digestive system, they can cause some discomfort and diarrhea. It is a good idea to talk to your doctor or dietitian about the benefits and risks using these products can have.   For information, check out the American Dietetic Association at http://www.eatright.org, or the American Dental Hygienists Association at http://www.adha.org. Sources: Sugar Alcohols and Sugar Substitutes 2002, http://www.adha.org/CE_courses/course7/sugar.htm; Polyols: Sweet Benefits 2004, http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/nutrition_1035_ENU_HTML.htm; Sugar Alcohols: New Drink or Food Additive? April 26, 2004, http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/home_4383_ENU_HTML.htm.     Friday, March 24, 2006 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Island papers at 849-1778, ext. 201.