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sorbitol

sorbitol

1 4.5
A sweet sugar alcohol used to sweeten foods and keep them moist
  • noun
  • /ˈsɔːrbɪtɔl/
  • Specialized
: sorbitol
  • SUGAR IS NEXT, SORBITOL, GELATIN REDUCED DOWN, THEY THROW SOME MINERALS IN HERE, WHICH ARE NOT GONNA BE ABSORBED BECAUSE OF THE GRAINS HOLD THAT.
  • sorbitol sweetener
  • fructose-sorbitol

So if you're eating tons of the sweetener, sorbitol in some people, that can cause black urine.

Examples

  • Now my husband, who was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes a year ago, buys all this diabetic stuff, and it's all sweetened with sorbitol.

    Blog text (5)
  • Sorbitol is a "sugar alcohol"; it is made by the reduction of glucose, converting the aldehyde group of glucose to a hydroxyl group.

    Blog text (5)
  • So if you're eating tons of the sweetener, sorbitol in some people, that can cause black urine.

  • According to the CDC (2002), food additives such as sorbitol and fructose can also cause acute diarrhea.

    Academic text (2004)
  • They should have used stevia or sorbitol instead of sugar, non-gluten spelt flour (which also should not be bromated), and coconut/extra-virgin.

    Blog text (20)
  • Sorbitol is commonly used as a sorbitol substitute in sugar-free products like candies and gums.

  • Many diet drinks contain sorbitol as a low-calorie sweetener instead of regular sugar.

  • Sorbitol, found in many fruits, is often added to food products to retain moisture.

Synonyms

xylitol
vssorbitol
  • Specialized
2 6.5

A sweet sugar substitute used in food and dental care to help prevent tooth decay

is a broader sweet alcohol used also as a humectant and stabilizer

Surface Forms

sorbitol singular
sorbitols plural

Morphology

sorbitol = sorbit (opaque) = sorbit + ol

The suffix '-ol' is a technical chemical marker for alcohols and the base 'sorbit' is not a common standalone English word, so the meaning is not predictable for an average learner.

Etymology

Sorbitol comes from sorb-, from the Latin name 'Sorbus' for the rowan tree where the sweet sugar was first found. The ending -ol means 'alcohol', so sorbitol is the 'alcohol' form of that sugar, which fits its use as a sweetener and to keep foods and medicines moist.