Sorbitol
Sorbitol is a sugar
alcohol the body uses slowly. It is a
sweetener used in diet foods. It is called a nutritive sweetener because it has four
calories in every
gram, just like table sugar and starch.
Sorbitol is also produced by the body. Too much sorbitol in cells can cause damage. Diabetic retinopathy and neuropathy may be related to too much sorbitol in the cells of the eyes and nerves.
from the NIH's Diabetes dictionary