Mannitol ndi osmotic diuretic yomwe imalowa m'thupi mwa anthu ndipo imapezeka mwachilengedwe, monga shuga kapena mowa wa shuga, mu zipatso ndi ndiwo zamasamba. Mannitol imakweza plasma osmolality, zomwe zimapangitsa kuti madzi aziyenda bwino kuchokera ku minofu, kuphatikizapo ubongo ndi cerebrospinal fluid, kulowa mkati mwa madzimadzi ndi plasma. Zotsatira zake, edema yaubongo, kuthamanga kwamphamvu kwa intracranial, ndi kuchuluka kwamadzimadzi muubongo ndi kupanikizika kumatha kuchepetsedwa. Mannitol itha kugwiritsidwanso ntchito polimbikitsa diuresis isanayambike kulephera kwa aimpso kosasinthika; kulimbikitsa mkodzo excretion wa poizoni zinthu; monga Antiglaucoma wothandizira; komanso ngati chithandizo cha matenda aimpso.