According to the test results of Kera vegetable candy samples conducted by the National Institute of Food Safety and Hygiene (Ministry of Health), the product contains Sorbitol - an artificial sweetener with a content of 33.4g/100g. So is this amount of sorbitol worth worrying about?
Dr. Nguyen Hong Vu, PhD in Mobile Biology in Medicine, has an analysis article:
Sorbitol is a type of carbohydrate (a substance that contains carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms). Because it contains the OH- (hydroxyl group) in the molecular, sorbitol belongs to the "sugar" group, also known as polyol. Although sweet but unlike normal sugar (such as glucose, fructose, sucrose, etc.), sorbitol is not easily broken down by enzymes in the body, so we rarely absorb this sugar. Therefore, in addition to the effect of creating sweeteners, it also has the effect of "treating constipation" through the following mechanisms:
- Because of the nature of alcohol, sorbitol has the ability to absorb water (therefore it is also used as a moisturizer for food). When it reaches the large intestine, its "watering" effect helps soften stools.
- Sorbitol will be fermented by bacteria in the large intestine, creating gas and short-chain fatty acids, which can lead to bloating, stimulate bowel movements and sometimes cause diarrhea when over-stimulated.
According to the results of previous studies, for adults, consuming a relatively small amount (5-20 g) per day can cause digestive symptoms such as bloating, flatulence and abdominal pain. Higher doses (20-50 g) can cause diarrhea. Therefore, it is used as the main ingredient of some drugs to help cyst!
For the reason of the "risk" of consuming sorbitol in excess, most food regulators in countries have regulations on product labeling:
- The US FDA requires food products containing sorbitol to be clearly marked on the product label, and there must be a warning line "excess consumption may have a laxative effect".
- The EU requires foods containing sorbitol to be labelled with information about sorbitol levels and warnings similar to the FDA if the product contains more than 10 grams of sorbitol per 100 grams of product.
Therefore, with the amount of sorbitol being 33.4g/100g in KERA vegetable candy, which is about 1g of sorbitol in each candy vien (3.2g), consuming about 20 candy vien per day can be uncomfortable for some people who are sensitive to sorbitol.
Meanwhile, the manufacturer's product labels or advertisements do not mention this ingredient and do not warn that the maximum daily use is a "production" that cannot be ignored.
Some quotes from the trio "Quang Linh Vlog, Hang Du Muc & Miss Thuy Tien" in the Kera vegetable candy advertising programs emphasized that helping to treat constipation become "more reasonable" when their products were discovered to contain Sorbitol. Thoughting that fiber plays a major role in Kera candy, it turned out that "anonymous" Sorbitol was the effective ingredient of the "anti-constriction" Kera product.
However, using sorbitol to fight constipation should only be a "temporary" method because if you use sorbitol or any laxative too often, the body can become dependent on them to maintain normal bowel function.
This can lead to chronic constipation or reduce the intestines' natural ability to excrete waste. In addition, its side effects can cause problems with dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, intestinal damage, and reduced bowel movements.
