Scientists are raising concerns about sorbitol, a sweetener used in products marketed as low-calorie or diabetic friendly. Research suggests the sugar alcohol can trigger processes linked to fatty liver disease, especially when gut bacteria fail to break it down properly.

The study found that sorbitol can behave like fructose inside the body. Fructose, heavily used in soft drinks and processed foods, has already been strongly linked to metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease.