Alternative Sweetener Sorbitol Drives Hidden Liver Fat Buildup

Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health

Briana Mercola

Alternative Health, Health & Fitness

4.6 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 15 January 2026

⏱️ 8 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Sorbitol, a common sugar alcohol in sugar-free and "diet" products, drives liver fat buildup even when your gut bacteria are healthy, making it a hidden contributor to fatty liver disease
When your microbiome is weakened from antibiotics, stress, or ultraprocessed foods, sorbitol slips through your gut unchanged and reaches your liver, where it triggers rapid fat production
Sorbitol is converted into fructose inside your liver, bypassing normal metabolic controls and overwhelming your ability to process sugar safely
Strengthening your gut bacteria, eliminating vegetable oils and alcohol, and increasing choline-rich foods help protect your liver from sorbitol-driven damage
Simple daily steps — removing sorbitol-containing products, restoring gut balance, supporting vitamin D metabolism, and using whole-food carbs — give you direct control over your liver health

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Are sugar-free snacks quietly loading your liver with fat even when your gut feels fine?
0:06.4	Welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular wisdom.
0:09.0	Stay informed with quick, easy-to-listen summaries of our latest articles, perfect for when you're on the go.
0:14.4	No reading required.
0:15.7	Subscribe for free at Mercola.com for the latest health insights.
0:19.4	Hello, and welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular wisdom.
0:23.3	I'm Ethan Foster.
0:25.1	Today we're looking at sorbitol, a common sugar, alcohol,
0:28.6	and diet products that can push your liver toward fat storage fast,
0:33.3	especially when your gut bacteria are off balance.
0:36.3	I'm Ilariske. You see sorbitol in sugar-free gum, flavored waters, low-calorie snacks, and many diabetic-friendly
0:44.3	foods.
0:45.3	Research shows it can bypass normal safeguards and drive liver fat, inflammation, and metabolic stress.
0:52.3	We'll explain how that happens and what steps let you take control.
0:57.3	Let's start with the mechanics.
0:58.9	When you consume sorbitol, your gut and liver share the workload.
1:02.9	Under healthy conditions, certain gut bacteria break sorbitol down before it reaches your bloodstream.
1:08.8	But if your microbiome is depleted from antibiotics, ultra-processed foods, or stress,
1:15.1	sorbitol slips through unchanged.
1:17.3	That's where your liver gets overloaded.
1:20.0	Inside the liver, sorbitol is converted into fructose.
1:23.8	Fructose skips typical metabolic breaks,
	...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in 26 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Briana Mercola, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Briana Mercola and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.