Benefits of Xylitol

People who suffer from diabetes or who have other blood sugar disorders must avoid too much sugar. There are others who are trying to ween off of sugar and are in search of a healthier alternative. One such alternative is xylitol, an all natural sugar substitute.

History

• Xylitol has been around since the early 1800s when it was used as a sweetener when there were sugar outages around World War II. Over the course of time, it was studied by researchers and found to have insulin independent characteristics and also aid in dental treatment. This is what ultimately led to xylitol being used in chewing gum in the mid 1970s. Since then, this has been the sweetener of choice of many chewing gum companies.

Function

• Xylitol reduces tooth decay. Chewing xylitol gum right after meals helps eliminate the bacteria that causes tooth decay. In addition to gum, you can find other products such as toothpaste and mints which contain xylitol (see Resources).

Benefits

• In addition to saving the teeth from destruction, xylitol can also be used as a sugar alternative to add to coffee, tea, cereal and baked goods. It does not spike the blood sugar and it is low in calories. Xylitol also helps to stimulate saliva production. People who suffer from dry mouth conditions can suck on xylitol mints or chew gum made with xylitol to get relief.

Features

• Xylitol is safe, convenient, effective and most of all, natural. It is produced from fruits, berries, corn and the bark of hard woods. The body itself even produces it from other foods through energy pathways.

Potential

• With so many health related issues going around these days, xylitol shows promise as being a viable substitute for sugar in a lot, if not all, sugar-based products in the future, including candy bars, protein powders, cookies and diet soda.