It is a natural carbohydrate alcohol found in many plants, such as cones, algae and fungi. It is commercially produced from glucose (dextrose). Mannitol is a low-digestible carbohydrate that is absorbed only in the small intestine and is not metabolized.
Mannitol is a type of sugar alcohol used as a medicine.
Food
Mannitol is used in chocolate-flavored coatings for ice cream and confectionery as gum, chewing gum, butter, frozen fish, pre-cooked pasta, as sweetener, anti-caking agent, emulsifier or thickener as baby food. Mannitol is slowly absorbed and poorly metabolized in the small intestine. It provides only 1.6 kilocalories per gram. Extends shelf life.
Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals
It is used in place of sugar for diabetics. Mannitol is used in brain surgery operations, as well as in clinical situations where intracranial pressure is increased, as a medication, to reduce high pressures in eyes seen in glaucoma and to reduce increased intracranial pressure. It is used to reduce increased intraocular pressure. It is used to increase urine output.
