Xylitol: Nature's Sweet Deliverance from Sugar

[Guest guest]

Hi,i have just read about three books from three different authors that were

not selling anything,just giving the facts on xylitol as they have reserched

the product.great stuff.

pjbittner

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

While I sure would enjoy a sweetener which tastes good (I

think stevia is wretched tasting!) and also is good for me, my

warning radar is going wild after reading JoAnn's post about Xylitol.

It reads more like a promo from a company who wants to sell me the

product than it reads like valid unbiased health info.

 

Does anyone else have any thoughts on this?

 

Alobar

 

 

-

" JoAnn Guest " <angelprincessjo

" Friends " <DietaryTipsForHBP >;

<gettingwell >

Monday, June 23, 2003 3:15 PM

Xylitol: Nature's Sweet Deliverance from Sugar

 

 

Xylitol: Nature's Sweet Deliverance from Sugar JoAnn Guest Jun

23, 2003 12:56 PDT

[Guest guest]

My xylitol gum tastes exactly like regular gum! You can by the x sugar, at

a high price.

 

Also look up Mannose sugar.

 

Also Alobar posted a fine informative article that I am saving to read

later when I have more time.

 

 

Lorenzo

 

 

Alobar [alobar]

Tuesday, June 24, 2003 7:41 PM

Gettingwell

Re: Xylitol: Nature's Sweet Deliverance from

Sugar

 

 

While I sure would enjoy a sweetener which tastes good (I

think stevia is wretched tasting!) and also is good for me, my

warning radar is going wild after reading JoAnn's post about Xylitol.

It reads more like a promo from a company who wants to sell me the

product than it reads like valid unbiased health info.

 

Does anyone else have any thoughts on this?

 

Alobar

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

http://www.globalsweet.com/xylitol.asp

 

Xylitol is a natural substance derived from the xylan of birch and other

hardwood trees, berries, almond hulls and corn cobs. It was discovered

in 1891 by German chemist, Emil Fischer, and has been used as a

sweetening agent since the 1960's. Xylitol is a substance that occurs

naturally in many fruits and vegetables, and in fact, is produced in

small amounts (5-15 grams per day) in the human body during normal

metabolism. Xylitol enjoys wide acceptance in Japan, Finland, and the

Scandinavian countries. In the Soviet Union it has been used for decades

as a sweetener for diabetics, and in Germany in solutions for

intravenous feeding. Numerous clinical and field studies performed over

the past 30 years have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of xylitol

as a healthy alternative to sugar and artificial sweeteners.

 

Lookin' Good

 

Replaces Sugar

 

Looks and tastes like sugar - same texture,

same sweetness, no aftertaste

 

Use it just like sugar, and in equal quantities

 

Produces a pleasant cooling effect in the mouth

 

Safe

 

Given to babies and expectant mothers

Low in Calories

 

40% fewer calories than sugar

An Ounce of Prevention.

 

Fights cavities

 

Unlike sugar, xylitol is actually good for teeth.

 

Fights plaque by neutralizing plaque acids.

 

Stimulates remineralization of tooth enamel.

 

Xylitol specifically inhibits the growth of Streptococcus mutans, the

plaque producing bacteria most responsible for causing cavities (dental

caries).

 

Good for Diabetics

 

Very low glycemic index - minimal impact on blood sugar and insulin

levels from baseline.

 

Slow, steady release of energy.

 

Increases the absorption of B-vitamins and calcium.

 

Fights ear and sinus infections

 

Xylitol specifically inhibits the growth of Streptococcus pneumoniae

bacteria, reducing ear and sinus infections in clinical trials by 40%

 

Say what?

 

" Further delays in implementing xylitol caries prevention programs can

no longer be justified. "

 

Dr. Kauka Makinen, PhD, Institute of Preventative Dentistry,

University of Turku, Turku, Finland

 

Xylitol is recommended and used by dentists, periodontists and nearly

all other medical and dental professionals worldwide.

 

For further information about xylitol's health benefits, just call our

sales department toll free from anywhere in the United States at:

 

(800) 601-0688

 

or from outside the USA at:

 

(508) 252-5294

 

| Click here for Additional References |

 

The following information is from the

Calorie Control Council

 

Xylitol is a good-tasting bulk sweetener which is reduced in calories

and dentally safe. Approved in more than 35 countries, its sweetness and

bulk make xylitol an increasingly popular ingredient in foods,

pharmaceuticals and oral health products.

 

Discovered in 1891 by German chemist Emil Fischer, xylitol has been used

as a sweetening agent in human food since the 1960s. Xylitol is a white

crystalline powder that is odorless, with a pleasant, sweet taste. It is

gaining increasing acceptance as an alternative sweetener due to its

role in reducing the development of dental caries (cavities).

 

Xylitol occurs naturally in many fruits and vegetables and is even

produced by the human body during normal metabolism. Produced

commercially from plants such as birch and other hard wood trees and

fibrous vegetation, xylitol has the same sweetness and bulk as sucrose

with one-third fewer calories and no unpleasant aftertaste. It quickly

dissolves and produces a cooling sensation in the mouth.

 

Xylitol is currently approved for use in foods, pharmaceuticals and oral

health products in more than 35 countries. Xylitol is used in foods such

as chewing gum, gum drops and hard candy, and in pharmaceuticals and

oral health products such as throat lozenges, cough syrups, children's

chewable multivitamins, toothpastes and mouthwashes. In the United

States, xylitol is approvezd as a direct food additive for use in foods

for special dietary uses.

 

Benefits of Xylitol

 

Xylitol:

.. Good Taste with No Unpleasant Aftertaste

 

.. Helps Reduce the Development of Dental Caries

.. Reduces Plaque Formation

.. Increases Salivary Flow to Aid in the Repair of Damaged Tooth Enamel

.. Provides One-Third Fewer Calories than Sugar - about 2.4 Calories per

Gram

.. May Be Useful as an Alternative to Sugar for People with Diabetes on

the Advice of their Health Care Providers

 

Reduces New Caries Formation

 

In clinical and field tests, the consumption of xylitol between meals

was associated with significantly reduced new caries formation, even

when participants were already practicing good oral hygiene. Results

clearly establish that use of xylitol sweetened foods provides

additional help in the battle against tooth decay. It also inhibits the

growth of S. mutans, the primary bacterium associated with dental

caries. The usefulness of polyols, including xylitol, as alternatives to

sugars and as part of a comprehensive program including proper dental

hygiene has been recognized by the American Dental Association. The

FDA has approved the use of a " does not promote tooth decay " health

claim in labeling for sugar-free foods that contain xylitol or other

polyols.

 

In a two-year study conducted at the Ylivieska Health Center in Finland,

children aged 11-12 who consumed 7 to 10g of xylitol daily in chewing

gum showed a 30 to 60% reduction in new dental caries development

compared to the control group not chewing gum.

 

The possible long-term caries-preventing effects of xylitol have been

studied as a follow-up to the Ylivieska study. Re-examination of the

subjects 2 or 3 years after discontinuation of the use of xylitol

revealed a continued reduction in caries increment in the post-use years

of about 55%. In teeth erupting during the first year of the use of

xylitol chewing gum, the long-term caries preventative effect was over

70%. The results suggest that the value of xylitol may be highest during

periods of high dental activity such as eruption of new teeth.

 

A 40-month (1989-93) cohort study on the relationship between the use of

chewing gum and dental caries was performed with 4th grade students in

Belize, Central America. Nine treatment groups were included: control

group (no gum); four xylitol groups (range of xylitol consumption

4.3-9.0g/day); two xylitol/sorbitol groups (total polyol consumption

8.0/9.7g/day); one sorbitol group (9.0g/day); and one sucrose group

(9.0g/day). Compared with the no-gum group, sucrose gum usage resulted

in a marginal increase in caries rate (relative risk 1.20). Sorbitol gum

reduced the caries rate (relative risk 0.74). The four xylitol gums were

most effective in reducing caries rates (relative risks from 0.48-0.27).

The most effective gum was a 100% xylitol pellet gum (relative risk

0.27). The xylitol/sorbitol gums were less effective than xylitol, but

reduced the caries rates significantly compared to the no-gum or

sorbitol gum groups. The results suggest that systemic usage of

polyol-based chewing gum reduces caries rates in young subjects, with

xylitol gums being most effective.

 

A three-year clinical dentifrice caries study was conducted with 2,630

children initially aged 8-10 years in the San Jose, Costa Rica

metropolitan area. The study evaluated the efficacy of a 0.243% sodium

fluoride/silica/10% xylitol dentifrice when compared to a 0.243% sodium

fluoride/silica dentifrice which contained no xylitol. After the

three-year period, subjects using the xylitol-containing dentifrice had

a statistically significant reduction in decayed and filled dental

surfaces (12.3% reduction; P<0.001). The study supports earlier work

which suggests that xylitol and fluoride act synergistically to increase

the efficacy of oral hygiene products.

 

Reduces Plaque Growth

 

Recent studies at the Dental Schools of Michigan and Indiana

Universities have tested the effect of xylitol/sorbitol blends in

chewing gum and mints on plaque. They showed a significant decrease in

plaque accumulation.

 

Stimulates Salivary Flow

 

The sweetness and pleasant cooling effect of xylitol-sweetened products

(such as mints and chewing gum) create an increase in salivary flow.

Saliva helps with cleaning and protecting teeth from decay.

 

Use in the Diets of People With Diabetes

 

Control of blood glucose, lipids and weight are the three major goals of

diabetes management today. Xylitol is slowly absorbed. Therefore, when

xylitol is used, the rise in blood glucose and insulin response

associated with the ingestion of glucose is significantly reduced. The

reduced caloric value (2.4 calories per gram versus 4.0 for sugar) of

xylitol is consistent with the objective of weight control.

 

Safety

 

In 1986, the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology

(FASEB) was commissioned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

to review all relevant data concerning xylitol and other polyols. The

FASEB report's scientific conclusions indicate that the use of xylitol

in humans is safe. The report also affirms xylitol's acceptability as an

approved food additive for use in foods for special dietary uses.

 

In 1996, the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), a

prestigious scientific advisory body to the World Health Organization

and the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations,

confirmed that adverse findings in animal studies conducted in the 1970s

are " not relevant to the toxicological evaluation of these substances

(e.g., xylitol) in humans. " JECFA has allocated an Acceptable Daily

Intake (ADI) of " not specified " for xylitol. ADI, expressed in terms of

body weight, is the amount of a food additive that can be taken daily in

the diet over a lifetime without risk. An ADI of " not specified " is the

safest category in which JECFA can place a food additive. The Scientific

Committee for Food of the European Union (EU) also determined xylitol

" acceptable " for dietary uses.

 

Multiple Sweetener Approach

 

Blending xylitol with other polyols (e.g., sorbitol) and high-intensity

sweeteners offers additional taste and functional possibilities.

 

Ylivieska Follow-up Study

 

In 1987, a follow-up study on the effect of xylitol chewing gum on

dental caries re-examined the possible long-term preventative effects.

 

Belize Chewing Gum Study

 

A 40-month cohort study which demonstrated the impact of chewing gum

sweeteners on dental caries.