a sugar alcohol human body metabolises slowly.can be obtained by reduction of glucose, changing aldehyde group to hydroxyl group
1, Sorbitol, also known as glucitol, is a sugar alcohol that the human body metabolises slowly. It can be obtained by reduction of glucose, changing the aldehyde group to a hydroxyl group.
2, It may be listed under the inactive ingredients listed for some foods and products. Sorbitol is referred to as a nutritive sweetener because it provides dietary energy: 2.6 kilocalories (11 kilojoules) per gram versus the average 4 kilocalories (17 kilojoules) for carbohydrates. It is often used in diet foods (including diet drinks and ice cream), mints, cough syrups, and sugar-free chewing gum.
3,Health care, food, and cosmetic uses
Sorbitol often is used in modern cosmetics as a humectant and thickener.[citation needed] Sorbitol often is used in mouthwash and toothpaste. Some transparent gels can be made only with sorbitol, as it has a refractive index sufficiently high for transparent formulations.
Sorbitol is used as a cryoprotectant additive (mixed with sucrose and sodium polyphosphates) in the manufacture of surimi, a highly refined fish paste most commonly produced from Alaska (or walleye) pollock (Theragra chalcogramma).[citation needed] It is also used as a humectant in some cigarettes.[9]
Sorbitol sometimes is used as a sweetener and humectant in cookies and other foods that are not identified as "dietary" items.