BellaOnline Forums Food and Wine Low Carb Lactitol - The new Olestra?

Certainly some people are sensitive to sugar alcohols, just like I know people who are sensitive to sulfites and don't drink white wine, and people who are sensitive to tannins and don't drink red wine. I even have friends who are deathly allergic to peanuts and who would go into shock and die if she had even a small amount of them!

We test all of the food products we get not only amongst us, our friends and our family but also my boyfriend takes them into work and pretty much subjects his entire work to the foods too. So the reviews we do aren't just "Lisa's Opinion". <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> We do go through some due process before we decide if something is generally good or generally bad.

I'm sorry that some of you are having trouble with the Reeses! And certainly you shouldn't eat them if you are sensitive to them. But I think there's a line between saying "some people are sensitive" (which of course is why they printed a clear warning on the label) and saying that this is a product that is Overall Evil because of that. I have fed those particular peanut butter cups to over 30 people at this point and we haven't run into any trouble at all. So while some people may have issues with sugar alcohols, those things are very tasty and for many of us, they are the perfect treat, just the way they are <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I haven't yet seen the post which says "I ate five cups/bars and I'm just right as rain." You suppose someone would do that. I wonder if, in your mind, you're just thinking that every time someone has a lactitol side effect, their spidey sense brings them to this forum to complain about it.

Everyone disagrees with you, Lisa. The only person who has had a good experience with them was a person who was warned about them, so they eat fewer because they recognize the danger.

We're NOT all super-sensitive to lactitol specifically. If we are, then the sensitivity to lactitol is far too common for the product to have made it to market. We're having a normal reaction to a hyper-bloating laxative.

If the argument you're trying to make for this being a perfectly fine product is that we all should just eat fewer of them, then the serving size clearly should be changed. Irresponsible product. A responsible product wouldn't even need to have a warning label about the main ingredient, when there are perfectly acceptable alternatives.

I don't even know how you can dismiss the evidence of the huge amount of laxative ingredient. By your own admission, sugar alcohols cause gas, and lacitiol is a laxative. These are the effects we experienced. What part of this is so mysterious to you, whereas you believe that our bodies all have some kind of digestive abnormality? Why on earth would anyone have to be extra-sensitive to a double dose of this gas-causing laxative in order to have a bad experience?

I can understand wanting to stand behind your earlier review of this product, but I honestly wonder where you draw your powers of denial from.

Technosquid, I've emailed you about this privately. But the gist is that your antagonistic posting has caused those who do not agree with you to email me privately rather than "risk your wrath" by posting here publicly.

Again, if you disagree, that's fine. But this forum is about civility to all opinions. It is not about bashing people who disagree with you.

I've met foreign leaders who can't go out and say this publicly, but boy, they look at me and say, "You've got to win this, you've got to beat this 'Lisa' girl, people need to understand how bad lactitol is," things like that.

See, I can make up people, too.

Yeah I will admit my criticism of people who are clearly wrong has been rather harsh. Which is a real problem cuz that means me and lisa agree, and you know how that makes me crazy.

Even in this limited way (and by "limited" I mean I understand I'm reaching about eight people on this forum), I'm trying to do a public service by telling people to regulate their intake of lactitol products or avoid them all together. Every time someone suggests that everyone complaining has some biological anomaly, I feel like I have to clarify the overwhelming evidence that suggests otherwise. Because I know you can be a reasonable person, I�m compelled to appeal to your sense of reason. I�m really tired of repeating myself, but every time I type all this out you just reply with �stop being so mean� or �well you�re entitled to your opinion..� something to that effect. I challenge you to argue a position on your views.

As simple as I can put it:
-The serving size says 5 pieces.
-The label says excess consumption causes laxative effect.
-1 dose of the OTC laxative �lactitol� causes �laxative effect.� Super-sensitive to it, or not.
-5 pieces have 2 doses of laxative.
-Sugar alcohol causes gas/bloating.
-People on this forum are complaining of a laxative effect coupled with gas/bloating.

So, miss �natural debater,� debate for me the case that you have to be extra-sensitive to lactitol to have a laxative gas/bloating effect, OR debate for me that this is a responsible product. If you can�t make the case for either, then we are in complete agreement� which of course, would drive me crazy, but I could live with it just to hear you say you FINALLY see the truth in these facts, which has been SO apparent for SO LONG!

I do find your evidence of the 30 random people you "fed" these to quite compelling. Amazing that you know 30 people who are immune to mega-doses of laxative. Or.. wait... is it possible that they ate fewer than five? I'm sure not, otherwise you would have mentioned it. Frankly I find it amazing that a busy person like yourself finds the time or resources to feed 5 pieces of candy to 30 people and then follow up with them later about their experience, and for a single product. Now that�s dedication. Keep up the good work.

SO, to any potential purchasers, once again, if you feel that you are, for some reason, not immune to a double dose of laxative, (like all lisa�s friends,) eat these sparingly.

I'm not sure if it's been pointed out yet, but aside from the greater discomfort lactitol causes compared to other sugar alcohols, 1/2 of the carbohydrates from lactitol are absorbed into the blood stream. (though more slowly than straight sugars.) So if you truly are counting carbs, you have to account maybe 12 or 13 grams of carbs per serving. This is mentioned on the FAQ of the hershey�s sugar free website I linked in the first post. So there... another reason you should avoid it. Strange if the greater deterrent would end up being a few extra carbs and not gastro-hell.

As a semi-related side note (another Hershey lactitol product.)

Hershey's new product, the "1 gram sugar carb bar� (that�s it�s real name... no joke) this is listed in their FAQ -
==============================
Q: Why doesn�t Hershey indicate how many net carbs or impact carbs are in this product?
A: The FDA has yet to define and regulate the use of (these terms.) Still, some companies choose to use these buzz-words to describe their products. In an effort to ensure customers clearly understand our offering, Hershey has chosen to use '1 gram sugar carb' to communicate how this product fits into your low carb lifestyle.
==============================

No mention is given to the amount of net or impact carbs because lactitol is an inferior sugar alcohol which, unfortunately has impact on blood sugar. One would almost admire them going out of their way to call it something as silly as the "1 gram sugar carb bar" if they'd list the net carbs, and not hide behind this legal stuff. Although it�s true the bar my have 1g sugar carb (and I�m sure we all admire them for being so up-front about it,) the reason that they�re choosing not to use buzz-words is to hide the true carb impact. I just think it's bad business to market something to carb counters and then not tell them how many carbs are in it.

Anyways, back to me getting banned from this forum and this thread getting deleted so lisa can have her happy little wonderland back. Yeah, you may as well ban me. I�m not going to stop my vocal opposition as long as you (as the perceived authority figure on this forum) keep painting me as some kind of rogue with some radical point of view. I�m not some random crazy that had an uncommon experience with lactitol and decided to make hershey pay. I�m not the kook who has a peanut allergy that decided to kill jimmy carter. Lisa, I beseech you, even you must admit that lactitol has the side effects I�ve mentioned (unless of course it�s your case that the otc lactitol constipation remedy doesn�t work at all.) I wish you would come out and just admit it. I�m tired of fighting this war� this is a fictitious war! (er something�)

So ban me if you will. I imagine it will bring us both some measure of satisfaction. I�ll just pretend I�m going to be thought of as the lactitol martyr in the minds of all eight of your forum readers. I�ll just take my pertinent information to a forum not ruled by monumental ignorance.

I'm new to this site and found it by doing a search for information about those pesky sugar free hershey's. Since I found you through this topic, I couldn't resist a comment (though its clearly all been said). Here's my two cents. I have never had stomach problems, I have no food allergies etc. I drink coffee, tea, eat peanuts etc, all with no problem. In fact, I consider myself to have a steel stomach.
The first time I tried the sugar free hershey's chocolates, I ate five (the listed serving size). Within two hours, my stomach was bothering me (diarrhea, etc) so bad that I had to leave work! I thought I had food poisoning. I did not realize that it was the hershey's until the next time I had them ( only three) with a similar effect. I will never buy them again. I plan on contacting hershey's to advise them that either the product or the packaging and marketing should be changed (although hershey's is not generally known for its laxatives!) <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> I am glad that some people seem to have NO problems, but clearly it is the majority that do.

Lactitol strikes again! And technosquid died of not-surprise.

After the olestra thing broke, I'm sure I said something like, "I would give anything to hear dan rather say 'explosive diarrhea' at the top of the nightly news again." If there weren't a war and a presidential campaign going on, I'm sure it woulda happened by now. Time to get the word out, nonetheless.

I think the first place to begin might actually have to be changing lisa's review of hershey's sugar free products to say they contain lactitol, rather than splenda.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art12455.asp

It's a good thing you agreed with me, jessmouse, otherwise you'd surely have to face my wrath. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> Don't think I'm deriving any kind of glee from your gastro-nightmare, but no matter how many times it's been said, I never get sick of hearing these anti-lactitol stories. It gives me some piece of mind to think there might be an uprising brewing america, with thousands flocking to pennsylvania to burn chocolate on hershey's front lawn <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Hello Everyone,

Most of my family & friends are doing the low

carb diet. My husband has been low carb for

around eight years.

My husband ate a serving size of a low carb

product made with Lactitol. This product made

my husband sick- he had abdominal cramping,

flatulence, nausea and diarrhea after he ate

only a serving size. <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> My husband has NEVER

had anything make him sick in the 15 years we

have been married!

He is a OTR truck driver &

this wasn't a happy experience for him. <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

He said he will NEVER buy anything else made

with Lactitol in it! <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

*A Word of Caution!*
I would make sure to try only one small piece to see if it caused any type of reaction. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I guess I have a super tolerance for the sugar alcohols, because I've had 5 of the reeses cups (within a few hours) and been ok (well - probably a bit of gas, but nothing memorable).

Though my sister had just 2, got gas, and swore off them. Although, she cant eat sugar-free jelly beans or other items with the sugar-alcohols in them.

I have wondered if you can build up some tolerance for the stuff. WHich is true of fiber also. People who dont eat much fruit, or get much fiber can get bad cramps just from eating an apple.

They are delicious! But, expensive and high-calorie... and obviously upsetting for some.

I'm becoming suspicious of sugar alchohols anyway. I'm not sure if, for me at least, they're as low carb as they say they are. At the beginning of my diet I was eating one of those bars a day (sometimes two). I almost always ate the d-lite bars with maltitol. I was losing very little weight and sometimes I would gain a little of it back even though I made sure I was eating low carb. I've stopped eating them now and I've started losing more weight. I'm not sure what would cause this, but that's about the only thing I've changed to lose more weight.

My goodness!

I do want to say publicly that I have eaten a whole bag(okay maybe more) and did not suffer a thing. It is definetly a ymmv thing. Thank you Lisa for your time-love your celery soup recipe!

Squid, I think you are so anxious to get your point across (again and again) that you miss Lisa's;
she is just saying TAKE IT SLOW, see how it affects you. I'm sorry you had such a horrible reaction. I get your point but I also get Lisa's and don't think you need to be so viscious.
Well, thats it