The problem isn't that it's sugar free, a plate of button mushrooms probably won't do much. Even a diet coke with Aspartame or Ace-K is comparatively harmless. Though technically, the latter two can make certain bowel problems slightly worse, apparently.
It's the sugar-alcohols. These:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_alcohol" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Some people can eat 'em like bread ... but many can't so much as look at 'em without soiling themselves.
Maltitol, Mannitol and Isomalt are the ones I've had not-so-good experiences with, Erythritol and Xylitol, meanwhile, I can stomach.
Most aren't even
that much better than regular sugar, many have more than half the calories. But they don't do tooth decay, and as we all know, your teeth are your best friends, to that's probably worth some diarrhea, some might say.
They are often used not so much for their sweetness (they have to pile in other sweeteners on top to reach the same effect as with sugar, often enough), but because the sugar that goes into a dish does more than make it sweet. It adds certain texture and stuff that Aspartame or Stevia won't. This can be duplicated with sugar alcohols.
