All About Xylitol Sweetener

For more than 30 years, Xylitol sweetener has been used as an all-natural additive to enhance the flavor of popular chewing gum and candies sold worldwide. In recent years, its use as a commercial ingredient has expanded globally.

In addition, demand for the natural sweetener has increased among health-conscious consumers looking for alternatives to traditional sugar and potentially dangerous artificially manufactured sweeteners.

Xylitol sweetener was first discovered by French and German chemists in the late 1800s.

It is classified as a sugar alcohol and naturally occurs in the fibers of many fruits and vegetables, including various berries, corn husks, oats, birch trees and mushrooms.

While the sweetening agent is considered a carbohydrate, it is slowly absorbed from the digestive tract and, as a result, does not cause rapid increases in blood glucose levels.

As a result, Xylitol is considered beneficial for those who need to limit and manage sugar intake. The natural sweetener also helps facilitate weight loss because it has 40 percent fewer calories than sugar.

In addition, research has indicated that the natural sweetening agent supports dental health because sugar alcohol cannot be utilized by bacteria in the mouth to promote tooth decay and oral disease.

It is also said to help reduce plaque and inhibit existing cavities from worsening.

Because of its ability to prevent bacteria growth, the sweetener’s natural properties are also thought to help reduce ear and upper respiratory infections.

Like most sugar alcohols, it can produce a mild laxative effect at high doses; yet, has no known toxicity. Xylitol in powder form can be purchased at health food stores in bulk or packaged in individual servings for convenience. Xylitol is a "tooth friendly" non-fermentable sugar alcohol. A systematic review study on the efficacy of xylitol has indicated dental heath benefits in caries prevention, showing superior performance to other polyols (poly-alcohols). Early studies from Finland in the 1970s found that a group chewing sucrose gum had 2.92 decayed, missing, or filled teeth compared to 1.04 in the group chewing xylitol gums. In another study, researchers had mothers chew xylitol gum 3 months after delivery until their children were 2 years old. The researchers found that children in the xylitol group had "a 70% reduction in cavities." Recent research confirms a plaque-reducing effect and suggests that the compound, having some chemical properties similar to sucrose, attracts and then "starves" harmful micro-organisms, allowing the mouth to remineralise damaged teeth with less interruption. (However, this same effect also interferes with yeast micro-organisms and others, so xylitol is inappropriate for making yeast-based bread, for instance.) Possessing approximately 40% less food energy, xylitol is a low-calorie alternative to table sugar. Absorbed more slowly than sugar, it does not contribute to high blood sugar levels or the resulting hyperglycemia caused by insufficient insulin response. Xylitol has no known toxicity in humans, and people have consumed as much as 400 grams daily for long periods with no apparent ill effects. Like most sugar alcohols, it has a laxative effect because sugar alcohols are not fully broken down during digestion; albeit ten times weaker than sorbitol. The effect depends upon the individual.