Wrigley sugarfree gums contains Sorbitol which is a laxative – is this bad for you?
Some of our brands of chewing gum do contain a very small amount of sorbitol and, several years ago, clinical research reported that large quantities of sorbitol can cause mild diarrhoea in particularly sensitive individuals. Although the ingestion of sorbitol is no problem for most people, there are a few individuals who are especially sensitive to it, just as some people are sensitive to fish, strawberries, and many other foods and must therefore watch their daily intake carefully. However, sorbitol is found naturally in many foods, including pears, plums, cherries, dates, apricots, peaches and apples. Studies indicate that most people can consume up to 40 grams of sorbitol without experiencing a laxative effect and a stick of Wrigley sugarfree gum contains just 1.32 grams. Thus, for most individuals, it would be necessary to consume over 30 sticks of ORBIT daily to provoke a laxative reaction.
