I don' t understand what sugar alcohol is...help please!

I've noticed on many sugar free items at the grocery store, the sugar grams are zero, but there are quite a few grams of sugar alcohol.  What is this?  Will it make me dump?  I'm afraid to eat any product with this in it.  Thanks for your help! Julie

   http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/nutrition/a,messageboar d/action,replies/board_id,5389/cat_id,4989/topic_id,3395038/ The dietician Danielle wrote this response to me just a few days ago.  It was really helpful.

her reply is the fourth one down. I know sugar alcohols can make some people dump.  Some people are not bothered by it.

Thanks Kim - I'm still a rookie at doing re-posts! -Danielle

Julie, Sugar alcohols are substances that are not as sweet as sugar but are used in wide variety of sugar-free products in conjunction with artificial sweeteners such as Nutrasweet or Splenda.  These substances are not completely absorbed into the bloodstream from the small intestine and therefore result in a smaller increase in the blood sugar level. This is why they are used by diabetics and those people trying to cut calories.  However, eating too much of any of these (Mannitol, Xylitol, Sorbitol & anything ending in 'TOL') causes bloating, gas and diarrhea.  Many people can tolerate smaller amounts of sugar alcohols, but some people experience these symptoms from eating a single serving.  My suggestion is to use foods with sugar alcohols sparingly.  For example, if you want to try a piece of sugar-free candy sweetened with say Mannitol, have 1 piece and see how you react.  I've had patients decide to eat the whole bag of this type of candy since it is sugar-free and end up in the bathroom for hours!  No fun.  Everyone has a different tolerance level for sugar alcohols and you will need to experiment to see where your tolerance level is (could be 1 piece of candy or 10 pieces). Hope this helps clarify sugar alcohols for you. Melania Behrens, MA, RD eNutritionCare.com