TOLERANCE AND BREATH HYDROGEN EXCRETION FOLLOWING INGESTION OF MALTITOL INCORPORATED AT 2 LEVELS INTO MILK CHOCOLATE CONSUMED BY HEALTHY-YOUNG ADULTS WITH AND WITHOUT FASTING

Little is known about the gastrointestinal effects of ingesting maltit ol in chocolate. This study was designed to determine whether it leads to increased gastrointestinal symptomatology and if that symptomatolo gy is dose related. It was also designed to discover whether breath hy drogen excretion in response to maltitol is dose related. In a double- blind, crossover study, 20 healthy volunteers aged 18-24 y ingested 10 0 g chocolate containing 40 g sucrose, 10 g sucrose plus 30 g maltitol or 40 g maltitol after fasting (abstinence from food and liquids from 2200 h on the night before chocolate consumption) and not fasting. Th ere was no difference in symptomatology between fasting and nonfasting periods, and consumption order had no effect on symptomatology. Relat ive to ingestion of sucrose, 30 g maltitol caused no significant diffe rence in symptoms, but 40 g resulted in more mild borborygmi (P < 0.05 ) and mild flatulence (P < 0.01) but not moderate or severe symptoms. Neither 30 nor 40 g maltitol caused significantly greater laxation tha n sucrose ingestion (P > 0.05). In a separate study, 10 healthy volunt eers aged 18-24 y ate the same test products before breath Hp testing; 40 g maltitol in chocolate caused a greater total breath H-2, excreti on compared with 30 g maltitol (P < 0.05) or sucrose (P < 0.01). Total breath hydrogen excretion was also greater with 30 g maltitol compare d with sucrose (P < 0.05). This dose-related response was consistent w ith the lower symptomatology after ingestion of 30 vs. 40 g maltitol. We have shown that 30 g maltitol in chocolate causes no significant sy mptomatology in young adults; however, 40 g caused mild borborygmi and flatus but no increased laxation. An increased breath H, response ind icates colonic fermentation of this polyol.