# The truth about Xylitol



## sprout 1 (Oct 18, 2003)

Well, I just can't seem to get the story straight about this substance!!!
I've heard so much good stuff about it, how it prevents upper respiratory/sinus infections and cavities, is safe for diabetics, and can be used just like sugar (except for making yeast breads and hard candy). And, since it's naturally found in our bodies, and comes from veggies/tree bark and isn't toxic or carcinogenic, I figured OK!! That's great! I'll take 50 lbs!!!
But am I fooling myself- is it just as bad as nutrisweet or something!!
I saw it on a list of additives to avoid, and my elated rush of "YEAAAA I get to eat sugar and it's GOOD for me!!!!" is fading away








Maybe it's just the creepy chemical-ey name that's scaring me off,
Does anyone use Xylitol??
What do you think about it???


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## Threefold (Nov 27, 2001)

:
I wanna know too!


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## Ilovelife (Jun 6, 2004)

I'm interested, too, and also would like more info about its use in toothpastes. That's the only way we have used it, but I don't really know anything about its effectiveness, safety, etc.


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## toraji (Apr 3, 2003)

I did some research on it a while back and the only thing I could find was that like other sugar alcohols, it can cause diarrhea in large amounts. It is more comparable to sorbitol than aspartame, which is just evil nasty stuff to avoid at all costs.

The reason I don't use it right now is that I am happy with my stevia and small amounts of evaporated cane juice/honey, and also I was worried that since it works by wreaking havoc with the oral bacteria colonies, I thought it may be possible that it could do the same to the probiotic bacteria in the gut and thus be detrimental to digestion. Of course, I have no proof about this, but it just crossed my mind and since I was not super-amped on getting the xylitol anyway, then I chose to give it a miss. Plus, it is a refined product which I tend to avoid anyway.


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## sprout 1 (Oct 18, 2003)

the refined aspect is what was giving me second thoughts... but i guess it's better than white sugar, either way! I haven't read anything about it harming benificial bacteria, I know yeasts can't metabolize it, so I figured it would be ok for candida problems. And it doesn't kill kefir, so it probably can't kill bacteria in the digestive tract... I don't know... why did they have to give it such a suspicious name!


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## momto l&a (Jul 31, 2002)

We use it and love it.

Xylitol has been around for awhile.

Havent read anything bad about it.


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## User101 (Mar 3, 2002)

Oh, man, the baby uses Xylitol tooth gel. I assumed it was safe and A-OK


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## tayndrewsmama (May 25, 2004)

:


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## solara (Mar 21, 2005)

I have yet to read anything terribly bad about xylitol.
I have been having some xylitol in my diet since I was a kid: xylitol gum and toothpaste, more recently I started using it in coffee and baking.

I think it is probably better than sugar, splenda, & aspartame...
not as nutritious as honey, barley malt, agave nectar, and perhaps even maple syrup.

But I am sensative to sugars so I find it a good alternative.


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## sprout 1 (Oct 18, 2003)

we all use xylitol toothpaste, and i bake with it too. dh says it's bitter in coffee, but it makes killer banana bread! I also made a cinnamon/xylitol shaker and i put it on toast (or anything) when i'm craving a sugar fix. I've been having a really hard time coming off sugar...
(insert fiendish sugar-junkie smilie)







or







I guess!


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## kaydee (Aug 13, 2004)

I don't eat foods with xylitol in them, but I do use a toothpaste with xylitol from Tom's of Maine. Here's what Tom's has to say about it:

Quote:

Ingredient Fact Sheet: Xylitol

What is it?

Xylitol is a naturally occurring substance that can be found in plants, fruits, and vegetables and is even produced in the human body by normal metabolism. The xylitol used in our toothpaste is produced from birch tree pulp. Though there is some processing involved in extracting the ingredient from birch pulp, the end result is identical to the xylitol found naturally in plants.

What does it do?

Xylitol is a multifunctional ingredient, and has several applications in our toothpastes. For example, xylitol's cool, soothing property makes it effective for use in our Natural Anticavity Toothpaste for a Dry Mouth. It is also used as an antiplaque ingredient in our Antiplaque toothpastes, gels, and liquid gels.

Xylitol rounds out the flavor of our "mintier" toothpastes, such as our Spearmint, Wintermint and Peppermint flavors. Xylitol helps bring consistency to these mint flavors that can vary slightly depending on the particular conditions of a given season's mint harvest.

Finally, xylitol adds a touch of natural sweetness to our children's liquid gel toothpaste.

What are the alternatives?

Although there are other flavor, antiplaque, and soothing ingredients that could impart some of the same benefits, we have chosen to use xylitol in several of our oral care products because of its natural source.

What are the risks?

Xylitol has no known toxicity or carcinogenicity. It is listed by the US Food and Drug Administration as an ingredient that is Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS). It has a long history of use in food dating back to the 1960's and is included in such products as chewing gum, syrup, toothpastes, mouthwashes, and pharmaceuticals.
So, according to them, it is processed, but not synthetic....


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## newmainer (Dec 30, 2003)

NewMainer's DH here...my dad's been touting Xylitol for many months now, and I've been searching for stuff on it off and on. Here's some of what I've found...

It's not clear to me whether Xylitol is broken down by enzymatic action or bacterial action in the large intestine. I've seen both referenced, though the more in-depth study was one I read this morning stating the latter (here's the link ). If this is so, and bacteria are doing the molecular shuffling I reference below, then even the resource hit on the body seems like it would be pretty minimal as mineral and vitamin stores aren't being used up in making and maintaining enzymes.

Xylitol is a 5 carbon sugar alcohol, other sugars such as sucrose, glucose, dextrose, etc are all 6 carbon sugars. 5 carbon sugars cannot be broken down by oral bacteria or digestive function. As such, they do not seem to affect the pH of the digestive process, cause fermentation, etc or any other digestive issues. In fact, they pass intact to the large intestine, where Xylitol at least is broken down into short-chain saturated fatty acids. These are the molecules most easily burned by the body into energy and CO2. This is where Xylitol's caloric weight comes from despite the fact that it plays no part in the digestive process (unlike refined sugars which wreak havoc on digestions). Additionally, there is no blood sugar or insulin response with Xylitol since it is metabolized directly into fatty acids by enzyme or bacterial action.

Since Xylitol has been around for over 100 years as a food additive especially in Europe, Japan, and the former USSR as a sugar substitute for diabetics. There's lots of toxicology research on it online; google for "xylitol toxicology" (here's a link to some get ready for some dry reading). I've browsed some of these studies looking for anything glaring and haven't found it. Toraji referenced Xylitol's potential to cause diarrhea. This is usually a temporary (couple of days) situation until the large intestine bacterial colony growth compensates. I don't know what, if any negative effects this would have, though seems pretty insigificant if all that bacteria does is convert Xylitol into short chain fatty acids.

As for the name, it is a derivative of Xylan, which it is made from, and the fact that it is an alcohol gives the 'tol.' So while very synthetic sounding, it's more a case of poor marketing over poor chemistry =)

The one disadvantage I can readily see with the stuff is its cost, which seems to be about $7 per pound.


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## prana (Sep 27, 2004)

e


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## tayndrewsmama (May 25, 2004)

prana, can you post the link to this info please? I don't think you can just copy this info and post it. I believe it's not allowed under the copyright law. Thanks!


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## momto l&a (Jul 31, 2002)

Considering our bodies make xylitol, it must be safe for long term use.


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## prana (Sep 27, 2004)

e


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## prana (Sep 27, 2004)

e


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## prana (Sep 27, 2004)

e


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## tayndrewsmama (May 25, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *prana*
tayndrewsmama~








Thanks for the heads up on the copyright laws! Sorry I didn't post links sooner.

Hey, no problem. I was hoping you wouldn't take offense to my post. I just didn't want to see any trouble comin' your way. And, BTW, nice list!!!


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## momto l&a (Jul 31, 2002)

Quote:

It is frustrating that some people go around telling others that there is no known side effects to a product that has formed tumors in rats.
There are no know side affects for humans from what I have read.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...&dopt=Abstract

Quote:

Considering apples contain arsenic, we shouldn't worry about arsenic in water.
Ummm humans dont produce apples, humans do however make xylitol.

And about the rats that had tumors, they where fed *excess* amounts of xylitol. I also believe that was a single study. That study may have been also put out by sugar companies.

Even Stevia fed in large amounts to rats lowers their sperm production.

What it boils down to is moderation.


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## Threefold (Nov 27, 2001)

thank you prana for the links. SO frustrating as toothpaste has either sorbitol, malitol (sp?), xylitol, or saccharin!








I thought xylitol was not highly refined







: , there was an ad a while ago for tooth wipes with xylitol on mdc.


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## prana (Sep 27, 2004)

e


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## Threefold (Nov 27, 2001)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *prana*
Dentists and the American Medical Association have both approved its use, but they also approve fluoridated water and other products we choose to avoid.

yup, they sure did.

OT but what toothpaste do you use?


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## prana (Sep 27, 2004)

e


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## Threefold (Nov 27, 2001)

no problem! BBs is one I've found, but we don't really like it







I think Weleda is okay too. Thanks!


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## Goddess3_2005 (Oct 20, 2004)

FWIW, my dad is a natourpathic doc and he says its safe.


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## 4cornersmamma (Aug 29, 2004)

Just for the record, our bodies create many substances, that doesn't mean that those substances are safe to eat.

I know absolutely nothing about Xylitol but I thought I should point out the above fact.


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## amymomof4 (May 25, 2005)

Some things to think about...

refined sugar is definitely bad for our health, organic sugars in limited quantities are probably okay.

I have been pregnant and breasfeeding for the last eight years...I am finally done...whew! But by teeth have paid the price. I have always taken good care of my teeth but my dentist says I am on the verge of periodontal disease and that pregnancy can encourage this especially multiple pregnancy's back to back. Well, back to the topic...I have been studying xylitol. According to the masses xylitol is safe. It definitely helps prevent dental caries and periodontal disease, by creating an alkaline atmosphere in the mouth and bacteria can't use xylitol as food to grow. Using it as a mouth wash and chewing xylitol gum after eating eliminates the ability for the bacteria to grow and proliferate in the oral cavity. As far as the safety for ingestion, if you agree with the masses then this is also safe. I understand peoples anxiety over killing our friendly gut bacteria...I too was concerned about this, I could not find anything written regarding this subject, but considering that the majority of diet is not xylitol (xylitol does not kill bacteria it just does not act as a food) and we ingest plenty of other carbohydrates to act as food for bacteria, I am going to deduct that our healthy gut bacteria is fine.

sorry, I can be long-winded...

Xylitol has an amazing taste. It has absolutely no aftertaste (as does stevia and all artificial sweeteners...in my humble opinion). I love it in my morning with my organic coffee and milk. (I convincing myself that this is safer than sugar)

I am concerned with over use of xylitol as a food additive, I really don't think there is enough long term research regarding ingestion of large amounts. Although they have been using it in Finland for many years. I also am concerned over the production of it...it comes from a natural source although as far as I could see it is made by a chemical hydrogenation process. Now, there are no studies that I could find that show this type of hydrogenation as dangerous, but I certainly know that hydrogenation of fat is completely dangerous...ie trans fat acids.

I have heard that research is being done to make xylitol from corn via fermentation...I think...

If anyone knows alot about xylitol, I would love to hear from you


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## gettinghealthy (Jan 5, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *prana*
This is what happens when dogs eat xylitol

"XYLITOL is a sweetener found in certain sugar-free chewing gums and candies. Dogs that ingest large amounts of these can develop a sudden drop in blood sugar, which can cause depression, loss of coordination and seizures. Symptoms develop rapidly, usually within 30 minutes of ingestion. This is a medical emergency and the pet should be taken to a veterinarian."

gums."[/B]


maybe I am part dog or just one out of the thousand xylitol users that gets very bad diarrhea. I have been trying to figure out what is wrong with my health and I am not ruling this substance out. I was diagnosed hypoglycemic when I was working with the doctors' tests. My parents are xylitol fanatics and have no adverse reactions. So... I kept xylitol around as well as unrefined sugar and honey. I would use the xylitol sparingly and tried to strike a balance of the 2 sweeteners. I have been doing much better until today and I am suspecting the increased use of xylitol since my sugar ran out 4 days ago.

Excuse me for not going into too much detail but I am amazed that others don't ANY problem with this stuff. I will say that my symtoms do mimmick anziety/depression as well as loss of energy.


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## HRC121799 (Aug 8, 2003)

We have it in our toothpaste and in gum, and that's it. I'd rather use honey and organic sugar that seems more natural to me.


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## Bia (Oct 21, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *newmainer*
NewMainer's DH here...my dad's been touting Xylitol for many months now, and I've been searching for stuff on it off and on. Here's some of what I've found...

It's not clear to me whether Xylitol is broken down by enzymatic action or bacterial action in the large intestine. I've seen both referenced, though the more in-depth study was one I read this morning stating the latter (here's the link ). If this is so, and bacteria are doing the molecular shuffling I reference below, then even the resource hit on the body seems like it would be pretty minimal as mineral and vitamin stores aren't being used up in making and maintaining enzymes.

Xylitol is a 5 carbon sugar alcohol, other sugars such as sucrose, glucose, dextrose, etc are all 6 carbon sugars. 5 carbon sugars cannot be broken down by oral bacteria or digestive function. As such, they do not seem to affect the pH of the digestive process, cause fermentation, etc or any other digestive issues. In fact, they pass intact to the large intestine, where Xylitol at least is broken down into short-chain saturated fatty acids. These are the molecules most easily burned by the body into energy and CO2. This is where Xylitol's caloric weight comes from despite the fact that it plays no part in the digestive process (unlike refined sugars which wreak havoc on digestions). Additionally, there is no blood sugar or insulin response with Xylitol since it is metabolized directly into fatty acids by enzyme or bacterial action.

Since Xylitol has been around for over 100 years as a food additive especially in Europe, Japan, and the former USSR as a sugar substitute for diabetics. There's lots of toxicology research on it online; google for "xylitol toxicology" (here's a link to some get ready for some dry reading). I've browsed some of these studies looking for anything glaring and haven't found it. Toraji referenced Xylitol's potential to cause diarrhea. This is usually a temporary (couple of days) situation until the large intestine bacterial colony growth compensates. I don't know what, if any negative effects this would have, though seems pretty insigificant if all that bacteria does is convert Xylitol into short chain fatty acids.

As for the name, it is a derivative of Xylan, which it is made from, and the fact that it is an alcohol gives the 'tol.' So while very synthetic sounding, it's more a case of poor marketing over poor chemistry =)

The one disadvantage I can readily see with the stuff is its cost, which seems to be about $7 per pound.

great info, thank you for those links.


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## Leilalu (May 29, 2004)

I don't personally see hwo mass quantities of anything refined can pssibly be good for you. I mean, paper comes from trees, and is broken down by chemical process right?We wouldn't eat that. I know, silly example off the top of my head...
I just don't see how, given the facts, one cna still be in favor of taking a refined sugar for health benefits.


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## Bia (Oct 21, 2004)

I don't think anyone is talking about mass quantities, though. (?)


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## nonconformnmom (May 24, 2005)

I chew xylitol gum for 5 minutes after most meals or snacks. I do it for the dental benefits (I HATE chewing gum and I am counting the minutes for the 5 minutes to be up). The research I did before taking this action informed me that xylitol only works for dental benefit if it is used 4-5 times a day, in small quantities. Chewing a xylitol gum for 5 minutes 3-4 times a day is sufficient. I do not think I will go the route of actually using xylitol as a sweetener in foods or drinks. Like many products that are used for health benefits (herbs, supplements, etc.) it pays to know how much and when its use will yield the greatest benefit, without going overboard on quantity.

I particularly make the effort to chew the gum after brushing my teeth before bed, as that gives the bacteria the longest time to develop the environment that inhibits tooth decay.


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## BabyDakota (Jan 5, 2006)

I would like to recommend my favorite alternative sweetner. Organic Agave Nectar. It is low glycemic and tastes great. It is only available in liquid, which is fine by me. I see it at my store for $9.99 for a bottle. It is made by the Raw Choice, so those of you who shop online or can not find it in you local healthfood store should check it out. It retails the same online as in stores (unless the stores are ripping you off).
Agave is from a cactus which is also used to make Tequila!

www.therawchoice.com


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