Good and Sweet
Health Benefits of Low-cal Xylitol
by C.J. Puotinen
Taste For Life Magazine, March 2006
The average American consumes half a cup of sugar every day.
That's a lot, especially if you're at risk for diabetes, insulin resistance,
syndrome X, obesity, candida-related yeast infections, tooth decay, or other
health problems involving too much sweet stuff. No wonder artificial sweeteners
are such big business.
Most artificial sweeteners have their own disadvantages,
however. Some leave an unpleasant aftertaste, others are difficult to use in
cooking or baking, and many appear to have adverse side effects.
Wouldn't it be great to find a sweetener that actually looked
and tasted like sugar and could be substituted in recipes without having to
adjust other ingredients? Now, imagine that this product is actually good for
you.
Try Xylitol
Impossible? On the contrary, say those who love xylitol
(pronounced ZY-li-tol). This sweetener enjoys almost as many medical claims as
it does reports of good taste, reduced calories, and low glycemic rating. Among
other things, this sugar-free sweetener has been shown to help
In addition, xylitol has been used intravenously to treat
impaired glucose tolerance resulting from diabetes, trauma injuries, or severe
burns.
More than 35 countries, including the United States, have
approved xylitol for use in throat lozenges, cough syrups, toothpastes,
mouthwashes, nasal rinses, chewing gum, candies, and as a granular sugar
substitute.
A Little History
Xylitol was discovered in the late nineteenth century by German
and French chemists, but it wasn't produced commercially until World War II,
when Finland experienced a serious sugar shortage. The Finns extracted D-xylose
from hardwoods such as birch and beech and converted this "wood sugar"
to xylitol. After the war, dentists noticed significant changes in the mouths of
children whose only sweetener had been xylitol: Their teeth were unusually
strong and free from cavities.
This discovery spawned an interest in xylitol. Most xylitol
products originated in Finland, and that country was the first to officially
endorse its use. Between 1971 and 1999, Finnish scientists published over 200
medical studies of xylitol's effects; now an estimated 1,500 studies are in
print.
...And Chemistry
Xylitol is the alcohol form of xylose, which occurs naturally in
hardwoods as well as in straw, corncobs, fruits, vegetables, cereal grains,
mushrooms, and some seaweeds. Xylitol connoisseurs point out that its flavor
depends on the raw material used to produce it. Most xylitol is made from
inexpensive (and probably genetically modified) corncobs, but some brands sold
in natural foods markets are made from hardwoods and are even certified organic.
Because it has the same sweetness as sugar, xylitol can replace
sugar in cooking and baking. It dissolves more slowly than sugar at cold
temperatures and faster than sugar at warmer temperatures.
As unfamiliar as xylitol is to most Americans, it's familiar to
our bodies - humans produce about 15 grams of xylitol a day. This helps explain
why most people tolerate small doses very well. With a variety of
xylitol-sweetened products available, it's easy to try it yourself.
Studies show that daily doses of 4 to 12 grams of xylitol are
effective for improving and maintaining health. Mints and chewing gums labeled
"all xylitol" (meaning that xylitol is the only sweetener listed)
contain about 1 gram of xylitol per piece. Some researchers recommend 7 to 20
grams per day for the prevention of dental cavities or ear infections, divided
into several doses of xylitol-sweetened candy or chewing gum. Other studies find
that smaller amounts, 5 to 10 grams per day, work will. For best results,
xylitol gum should be chewed immediately after eating.
Health Benefits
For those with recurring sinus problems, xylitol nasal washes or
rinses prevent bacteria from adhering to nasal tissue and mucous membranes of
upper respiratory passages, thus preventing infection. This same mechanism helps
prevent ear infections.
According to John Peldyak, DMD, who has written extensively
about xylitol, the next breakthroughs in xylitol research are likely to occur in
sports nutrition. "Already," he says, "there is a steady rumble
of rumors about xylitol gaining favor among bodybuilders...Because xylitol is
efficiently and steadily converted to glucose (energy) and glycogen (storage),
it may be particularly useful when coupled with other carbohydrates for recovery
after heavy exercise."
Safety Reports
Xylitol has been tested extensively for safety. In 1963, the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved xylitol as a dietary supplement
and nutritional sweetener. Since then, it has become one of the world's
most-studied food substances. The only side-effect reported in humans is that
large amounts, such as 30 to 40 grams taken all at once, can produce intestinal
gas and diarrhea. There are no well-known drug interactions with xylitol.
Natural Health Hut
