Calorie Content of Sugar-Coated Tablets

Abstract

<h3>To the Editor:—</h3> Quite frequently the question is posed by members of the medical profession as to the caloric content of a sugar-coated tablet. This question is understandable, since certain types of tablet coatings have been advertised to be noncaloric, with the inference that a sugar coating might be harmful. For this reason, some concern is created in the minds of physicians as to the caloric content of standard sugar coatings. We should like to point out that the amount of sugar in the coating of a tablet is negligible. For example, the amount of sugar present in an enteric-coated 5-grain (0.325-gm.) aspirin tablet (usually much larger than most coated tablets) is 175 mg., which would represent a caloric content of 0.7 calories. Even with multiple daily dosage, it is difficult to imagine any pathological condition in which this amount of sucrose would be contraindicated.