Experiments

7-day polyol pause

Do sugar alcohols (polyols) correlate with your gas, bloating, urgency, or Type 6–7 days?

Polyols like sorbitol, xylitol, maltitol, and mannitol can act like “gut chaos amplifiers” for some people - especially when you stack them (gum + protein bar + sugar-free dessert). This 7-day pause is a clean test: remove the main polyol sources, keep everything else steady, and compare your trend to the previous week.

Key takeaways

Dose and stacking matter more than a single small exposure.
Keep the rest of your routine steady so the result is interpretable.
Track a week-to-week trend, not one day.

Steps

For 7 days, avoid polyol-heavy products (sorbitol, xylitol, maltitol, mannitol).
Keep the rest of your routine steady so you can isolate the change.
Track Bristol type, urgency, and 1–3 symptoms daily.
Compare your 7-day trend to the previous 7 days before you change another variable.

Watch-outs and misinformation

Erythritol isn’t technically a polyol, but it can still bother some people; log it if you use it.
Don’t run multiple eliminations at once (polyols + lactose + gluten) unless a clinician told you to - it’s hard to interpret.
If you’re using “sugar-free” products for medical reasons, discuss changes with your clinician.

Safety notes

Seek care for blood, black/tarry stool, severe pain, fever, vomiting, faintness, dehydration, or unexplained weight loss.
Persistent diarrhea or worsening symptoms deserve medical evaluation instead of extended self-experiments.

What to track

Any sweetener exposure (product + portion) and whether it includes polyols
Bristol type + urgency counts
Gas/bloating/pain (0–10)
Confounders: caffeine timing, alcohol, new meds/supplements, sleep, stress

How StoolSense helps

Tag sugar-free products so you can spot “stacking” patterns over a week.

Track stool type and urgency consistently (photos optional, blur if you prefer).

Compare baseline week vs pause week before you change another category.

At a glance

What counts as a “polyol exposure”

Common sources include:

Sugar-free gum and mints
Protein bars and “keto” snacks
Diet desserts
Some supplements and drink mixes

If you’re unsure, log the product name and check later. The goal is to find repeat patterns, not to be perfect.

Tips for a clean test

Watch for hidden sources: gum, mints, protein bars, “keto” snacks, sugar-free syrups.
Don’t change caffeine timing, fiber supplements, or alcohol habits in the same week.

Reading the result

If urgency/gas/bloating calms down during the pause, you’ve got a useful lever.
If nothing changes, move on - try caffeine timing, lactose pause, or a gentler fiber ramp instead of escalating eliminations.

FAQs

What is the hypothesis for a polyol pause? +

Reducing sugar alcohol exposure (sorbitol, xylitol, maltitol, etc.) may reduce gas, bloating, urgency, or Type 6–7 days for some people.

What should I track during the 7-day polyol pause? +

Track stool type (Bristol), urgency counts, and 1–3 symptoms (gas/bloating/pain). Log any sweetener exposure you do have and note confounders like caffeine, alcohol, meds/supplements, sleep, and stress.

When should I stop and seek care? +

Stop and seek care for blood or black stool, severe pain, fever, vomiting, faintness, dehydration, or unexplained weight loss. If symptoms are persistent or worsening, get clinical help rather than extending self-experiments.