Lactitol

Template:Chembox E numberTemplate:Chembox MeltingPt

Lactitol

Names
IUPAC name 4-O-α-D-Galactopyranosyl-D-glucitol
Other names Lactitol Lacty
Identifiers
CAS Number	585-86-4 Y
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image
ChEBI	CHEBI:75323 N
ChemSpider	138481 Y
ECHA InfoCard
KEGG	D08266 Y
PubChem CID	157355
UNII	L2B0WJF7ZY Y
InChI InChI=1S/C12H24O11/c13-1-4(16)7(18)11(5(17)2-14)23-12-10(21)9(20)8(19)6(3-15)22-12/h4-21H,1-3H2/t4-,5+,6+,7+,8-,9-,10+,11+,12-/m0/s1 Y Key: VQHSOMBJVWLPSR-JVCRWLNRSA-N Y InChI=1/C12H24O11/c13-1-4(16)7(18)11(5(17)2-14)23-12-10(21)9(20)8(19)6(3-15)22-12/h4-21H,1-3H2/t4-,5+,6+,7+,8-,9-,10+,11+,12-/m0/s1 Key: VQHSOMBJVWLPSR-JVCRWLNRBY
SMILES O([C@@H]([C@H](O)[C@@H](O)CO)[C@H](O)CO)[C@@H]1O[C@@H]([C@H](O)[C@H](O)[C@H]1O)CO
Properties
Chemical formula	C12H24O11
Molar mass	344.31 g·mol−1
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
N verify (what is YN ?)
Infobox references

WikiDoc Resources for Lactitol
Articles
Most recent articles on Lactitol Most cited articles on Lactitol Review articles on Lactitol Articles on Lactitol in N Eng J Med, Lancet, BMJ
Media
Powerpoint slides on Lactitol Images of Lactitol Photos of Lactitol Podcasts & MP3s on Lactitol Videos on Lactitol
Evidence Based Medicine
Cochrane Collaboration on Lactitol Bandolier on Lactitol TRIP on Lactitol
Clinical Trials
Ongoing Trials on Lactitol at Clinical Trials.gov Trial results on Lactitol Clinical Trials on Lactitol at Google
Guidelines / Policies / Govt
US National Guidelines Clearinghouse on Lactitol NICE Guidance on Lactitol NHS PRODIGY Guidance FDA on Lactitol CDC on Lactitol
Books
Books on Lactitol
News
Lactitol in the news Be alerted to news on Lactitol News trends on Lactitol
Commentary
Blogs on Lactitol
Definitions
Definitions of Lactitol
Patient Resources / Community
Patient resources on Lactitol Discussion groups on Lactitol Patient Handouts on Lactitol Directions to Hospitals Treating Lactitol Risk calculators and risk factors for Lactitol
Healthcare Provider Resources
Symptoms of Lactitol Causes & Risk Factors for Lactitol Diagnostic studies for Lactitol Treatment of Lactitol
Continuing Medical Education (CME)
CME Programs on Lactitol
International
Lactitol en Espanol Lactitol en Francais
Business
Lactitol in the Marketplace Patents on Lactitol
Experimental / Informatics
List of terms related to Lactitol

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Overview

Lactitol is a sugar alcohol used as a replacement bulk sweetener for low calorie foods with approximately 40% of the sweetness of sugar. It is also used medically as a laxative. Lactitol is produced by two manufacturers, Danisco and Purac Biochem.

Applications

Lactitol is used in a variety of low food energy or low fat foods. High stability makes it popular for baking. It is used in sugar-free candies, cookies (biscuits), chocolate, and ice cream. Lactitol also promotes colon health as a prebiotic. Because of poor absorption, lactitol only has 2.4 Calories (9 kilojoules) per gram, compared to 4 Calories (17 kJ) per gram for typical carbohydrates.

Lactitol is listed as an excipient in some prescription drugs, such as Adderall.

Lactitol is a laxative and is used to prevent or treat constipation, e.g. under the trade name Importal.

Lactitol in combination with Ispaghula husk is an approved combination for idiopathic constipation as a laxative and is used to prevent or treat constipation.

Safety and health

Lactitol, erythritol, sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol, and maltitol are all sugar alcohols. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classifies sugar alcohols as "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS). They are approved as food additives, and are recognized as not contributing to tooth decay or causing increases in blood glucose. Lactitol is also approved for use in foods in most countries around the world.

Like most other sugar alcohols (with the exception of erythritol), lactitol can cause cramping, flatulence, and diarrhea in some individuals. This is because humans lack a suitable beta-galactosidase in the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract, and a majority of ingested lactitol reaches the large intestine, where it then becomes fermentable to gut microbes (prebiotic) and can pull water into the gut by osmosis. In a human study with sweetened chocolate, consumption of 5 g per day or less resulted in no GI changes, and 10 g per day caused few changes. Those with other health conditions should consult their GP or dietician prior to consumption.