SUGAR SUBSTITUTES

Sugar substitutes have become even more popular with food manufacturers since the FDA mandated that added sugars be listed on
food packages. To get around this mandate, many manufacturers have turned to substitutes such as sugar alcohols that are FODMAPs, such as  erythritol, xylitol, and sorbitol,
and claim that these are naturally occurring substances and are harmless. The amount of erythritol in natural fruit is extremely small and was never meant to be consumed in such large quantities as it is now in many foods. The gut bacteria never evolved to be inundated with
these sugar alcohols to this extent. This is why many people experience bloating, gas and diarrhea from sugar alcohols.

Modified starches such as tapioca starch, and maltodextrin are very high glycemic indexes at over 135,  while simple glucose is 100.

Nonnutritive sweeteners such as allulose and saccharin are also being touted as harmless. These, too cause significant damage
to the gut bacteria in many people.

Prebiotic fibers such as inulin, artichoke, and chicory root sound really healthy. Unfortunately the food manufacturers
have exploited something which in nature in small amounts is helpful to the gut bacteria but certainly not in the amounts and frequency that are being used in food products today.