Hi Debra,

I am glad you are doing fine and that the website is helping you to cope with the withdrawal. Just hang in there...it will get better. I have hardly any withdrawals anymore..just a few seconds a day I still think of my old habit.

Re. Malitol

Malitol is a member of a family of bulk sweeteners known as polyols or sugar alcohols. It has a pleasant sweet taste - remarkably similar to sucrose. Malitol is about 90% as sweet as sugar, non-cariogenic, and significantly reduced in calories. Malitol is especially useful in the production of sweets, including sugarless hard candies, chewing gum, chocolates, baked goods and ice cream." --Calorie Control Council"Useful in the Diets of People with Diabetes - Control of blood glucose, lipids and weight are the three major goals of diabetes management today. Malitol is slowly absorbed. Therefore, when malitol is used, the rise in blood glucose and the insulin response associated with the ingestion of glucose is significantly reduced. The reduced caloric value of malitol (2.1 calories per gram versus 4.0 for sugar) is consistent with the objective of weight control. Products sweetened with malitol in place of sugar may be useful in providing a wider variety of reduced-calorie and sugar-free choices to people with diabetes.

Just be aware that too much may give you an upset stomach and diarrhea.

Mischa