# Why on earth would anyone eat these? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 20, 2016, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-on-earth-would-anyone-eat-these/760411 "2016-07-20T11:23:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-on-earth-would-anyone-eat-these/760411/1 "2016-07-20T11:23:12Z")
This might belong in IMHO but it involves a food-like substance so I’m putting it here. On another board, someone asked for revenge ideas on a workplace lunch thief. The usual extreme hot sauce and Ex-Lax ideas were put forth but someone chimed in saying those show evidence of revenge as no one eats a burrito with two tablespoons of ghost pepper sauce or packs laxative chocolate in their lunch. Instead he recommended a sandwich-bag portion of [Haribo Sugar-free Gummy Bears](https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B002GZPI0Y/ref=pe_98180_200650900_em_1p_4_ti). If more than a few are eaten at once, explosive diarrhea results (read the reviews). A little research revealed that [sugar alcohol](http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/01/whats-in-those-haribo-gummy-bears/283162/) is the culprit. Apparently it’s tasty but we can’t digest it (hence the low-cal). Our intestinal flora can digest it just fine though leading to intestinal distress. My God, it’s almost as bad as do it yourself fugu. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-on-earth-would-anyone-eat-these/760411/2 "2016-07-20T12:21:45Z")
It all depends on the on the person. Some do have problems with sugar alcohol; others do not. My wife can’t eat it, but it never bothers me. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-on-earth-would-anyone-eat-these/760411/3 "2016-07-20T13:03:52Z")
I can eat it with no problem (though I would never eat gummy bears or gummy anything else)but all the bags of sugarless candy I’ve seen contain the warning. I think they say something along the lines of “may have a laxative affect if consumed in large quantities”. At work I keep a jar of candy on my desk. It’s there for people to enjoy but there are a few swine who have no problem stopping by my desk seven or eight times a day. Maybe I’ll start putting the sugar free variety in the jar. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-on-earth-would-anyone-eat-these/760411/4 "2016-07-20T14:13:21Z")
I love, love, love [escolar sushi](http://www.thekitchn.com/use-caution-when-eating-escola-66602)but it gives me hideous diarrhea. Still, every year or so I’ll try a piece just to see if I can handle it. No, I cannot. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-on-earth-would-anyone-eat-these/760411/5 "2016-07-20T16:17:16Z")
Sugar-free candy doesn’t give me diarrhea. It just gives me so much gas I’m practically flying around the room. ---
**Author:** ![Lok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e8c25b/32.png) [@Lok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lok)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-on-earth-would-anyone-eat-these/760411/6 "2016-07-20T16:41:36Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > It all depends on the on the person. Some do have problems with sugar alcohol; others do not. My wife can’t eat it, but it never bothers me. This. Sugar alcohol used as a sweetener is one of the things that makes being diabetic bearable. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-on-earth-would-anyone-eat-these/760411/7 "2016-07-20T18:09:49Z")
Gummy Bears to Watery Bears: Thanks sugar alcohols! Yeah… lots o’ sugar-free candy has sugar alcohols. Good times. . ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-on-earth-would-anyone-eat-these/760411/8 "2016-07-20T18:21:03Z")
If you’re talking xylitol, there’s also the added problem that [it can kill your dog](http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/xylitol.asp). I mean, yeah, there’s a lot of typical things we eat that are harmful to dogs, but this one is a little more under-the-radar than things like cocoa/chocolate and whatnot. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2016, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-on-earth-would-anyone-eat-these/760411/9 "2016-07-23T17:37:53Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I love, love, love [escolar sushi](http://www.thekitchn.com/use-caution-when-eating-escola-66602)but it gives me hideous diarrhea. > > Still, every year or so I’ll try a piece just to see if I can handle it. No, I cannot. I just tired it for the first time last night. Delicious, and so far, none of that embarrassing explosive, orange diarrhea.