Xylitol: sugar good for teeth

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I find it tastes nice in drinks, unlike Stevia which is repulsive. N

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THIS SUGAR IS GOOD FOR TEETH, SINUSES AND DIABETICS Posted By: HeraldApThursday, 10 November 2005, 6:47 p.m.

 

What if you learned of a special type of sugar that helped prevent cavities? Well, that is what xylitol is. Xylitol is actually found in the human body in small amounts and is a type of wood sugar that can now be processed into granules. Not only does xylitol taste like sugar, but it has a huge number of beneficial qualities. 1) actually inhibits the growth of bacteria in the mouth 2) it is more slowly converted in the body, normalizing blood sugar levels. Making it a great choice for diabetics 3) When added to nasal washes or sprays, xylitol helps clean the sinuses better than saline and makes it very difficult for bacteria to attach to the wall of the sinuses. Xylitol has been found to actually reduce middle ear infections and conditions related to the sinuses 4) because of how xylitol is processed in the body, it actually converts into fewer carbohydrates and calories than sugar A quick search at www.altavista.com for xylitol will lead to a number of products containing xylitol. It can be chewed as a gum to reduce cavities, it is available as granules and sweetens just like sugar and also is made as a spray for cleaning the sinuses. It also makes it very hard for bacteria to adhere to the sinus wall, thereby reducing allergies and sinus problems. Xylitol: Our Sweet Salvation? by Sherill Sellman The SPECTRUM Vol. 4 No. 8; February 2003, p.23 -- www.thespectrumnews.org (SNIP) Xylitol To The Rescue! During World War II, Finland was suffering from an acute sugar shortage. With no domestic supply of sugar, the Finns searched for an alternative. It was then that the Finnish scientists rediscovered xylitol, a low-calorie sugar made from birch bark. It had, in fact, been known to the world of organic chemistry since it was first manufactured in 1891 by a German chemist. By 1930, xylitol had been purified, but it wasn't until World War II that the sugar shortages forced researchers to look at alternative sweeteners. It was only when xylitol was stabilized that it became a viable sweetener in foods. It was also during this time that researchers discovered xylitol's insulin-independent nature. (It metabolizes in the body without using insulin.) By the 1960s, xylitol was being used in Germany, Switzerland, the Soviet Union, and Japan as a preferred sweetener in diabetic diets and as an energy source for infusion therapy in patients with impaired glucose tolerance and insulin resistance. Since then, many other countries, including Italy and China, have been producing xylitol for use in their domestic markets-and with remarkable health benefits. It has been relatively unknown in the U.S.A. and Australia, primarily because cheap supplies of cane sugar made the more expensive xylitol less economically. viable. Xylitol is a natural substance found in fibrous vegetables and fruit, as well as in corn cobs and various hardwood trees like birch. It is a natural, intermediate product which regularly occurs in the glucose metabolism of man and other animals, as well as in the metabolism of several plants and micro-organisms. Xylitol is produced naturally in our bodies; in fact, we make up to 15 grams daily during normal metabolism. Although xylitol tastes and looks exactly like sugar, that is where the similarities end. Xylitol is really sugar's mirror image. While sugar wreaks havoc on the body, xylitol heals and repairs. It also builds immunity, protects against chronic degenerative disease, and has anti-aging benefits. Xylitol is considered a five-carbon sugar, which means it is an antimicrobial, preventing the growth of bacteria. While sugar is acid-forming, xylitol is alkaline enhancing. All other forms of sugar, including sorbitol, another popular alternative sweetener, are six-carbon sugars, which feed dangerous bacteria and fungi. Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1963, xylitol has no known toxic levels. The only discomfort that some sensitive people may notice initially when. taking large amounts is mild diarrhea or slight cramping. Since the body makes xylitol daily, as well as the enzymes to break it down, any discomfort usually disappears within a few days as the body's enzymatic activity adjusts to a higher intake. Xylitol has 40% fewer calories and 75% fewer carbohydrates than sugar and is slowly absorbed and metabolised, resulting in very negligible changes in insulin. About one-third of the xylitol that is consumed is absorbed in the liver. The other two-thirds travels to the intestinal tract, where it is broken down by gut bacteria into short-chain fatty acids. Xylitol looks, feels, and tastes exactly like sugar, and leaves no unpleasant aftertaste. It is available in many forms. In its crystalline form, it can replace sugar in cooking, baking, or as a sweetener for beverages. It is also included as an ingredient in chewing gum, mints, and nasal spray. (SNIP) To learn more about how xylitol can help prevent calories, normalize blood sugar levels, improve allergies and promote healthy sinuses and reduce middle ear conditions, click below. It also tastes like sugar and can be used as a sugar substitute that realizes fewer carbohydrates and calories when converted in the body when compared to regular table sugar. I think it's great to finally learn of a sweetened gum that I can chew that isn't artificially sweetened with some of the bad-rap artificial sweeteners, and that I can chew sweetened gum that actually FIGHTS cavities. Also believe this is an excellent nasal wash, which makes it hard for bacteria to attach to sinuses. For allergy and sinus sufferers, this is a better choice than saline washes.

Xylitol, Our Sweet Salvation