SHEET /m/sorbitol · PubChem CID 5780 · CAS 50-70-4 · REV 2026.07
Sorbitol
from sourceC6H14O6 · 182.17 g/mol
D-glucitol · G-ol · Glc-ol · Sorbilande
What is Sorbitol?
The sugar alcohol in sugar-free gum and diet candy. It is poorly absorbed, which is why the label warns that excess may have a laxative effect. Found in sugar free gum. from source
Fig. 1 · 2D structure RDKit
C([C@H]([C@H]([C@@H]([C@H](CO)O)O)O)O)OWhere you'll find it
Curated by MoleculeFinder from source
The dose makes the poison inferred
A reported rat oral LD50 for Sorbitol is 15,900 mg/kg, the dose lethal to half the animals tested. Scaled by body mass alone:
“The dose makes the poison” is a cross-species estimate shown as neutral science, not a threshold anyone should act on. Real toxicity depends on the person, not body mass alone.
Signature properties
Toxicity & hazards
Toxicity · LD50
15,900 mg/kg · very low toxicity · LD50 rat oral from source
The dose lens above scales this to a body weight.
4 more reported values
- 17,800 mg/kgLD50 · oral · mouse
- 7,100 mg/kgLD50 · iv · rat
- 9,480 mg/kgLD50 · iv · mouse
- 29,600 mg/kgLD50 · other · rat
Keep roaming
Where Sorbitol leads
Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol about sixty percent as sweet as sugar, common in sugar-free gum and candy. The body absorbs it slowly, which is why too much has a famous laxative effect.