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Xylitol
Xylitol
Xylitol
What is it:
Xylitol is a naturally occurring sugar alcohol that is commonly used as a sugar substitute. It is naturally occurring in some fruits and vegetables and is produced commercially from the bark of birch trees and other plant materials such as corn cobs and sugar cane bagasse. Making xylitol involves extracting the xylan, a component of the plant material, which is then hydrolyzed and fermented to produce xylose. The xylose is then hydrogenated to create xylitol. Xylitol similar in sweetness to sugar, but has 40% fewer calories. It is sold under various brand names and used in many low-calorie or low-carbohydrate packaged foods, and is also commonly used in chewing gums.
Rating:
Xylitol has been studied in human and animal studies to have potential health benefits, such as positive effects on metabolic parameters, oral health, bone density, and collagen production. As a sugar alcohol, it can cause gastrointestinal distress when consumed in high amounts for some people but is generally better tolerated than other sugar alcohols. Commercial xylitol is a fairly processed sweetener and it may be derived from GMO corn.
Resources:
- Production of xylitol through fermentation
- Xylitol may have beneficial effects on metabolic parameters in diabetic rats (animal study)
- Xylitol may have beneficial effects on metabolic parameters in obese rats (animal study)
- Xylitol may help prevent dental caries (systematic review and meta-analysis)
- Xylitol has beneficial effect on oral microbiome (randomized, double-blind, cross-over study)
- Xylitol increases bone volume and mineral content in rats (animal study)
- Xylitol increases collagen synthesis in rats (animal study)
- Longterm consumption of xylitol has no negative health effects (observational study)
How we rate ingredients
Health is like a bank account, certain ingredients make a deposit into your health bank, meaning they add to
your health. Certain ingredients withdraw from your health bank. We want health promoting ingredients in our diet. To keep things simple, we rate ingredients on a green, yellow, red scale:
Clean
It is naturally occurring in food and has no harmful effects on the body. It is real food. It is health promoting.
Caution
It goes into one or more of the below categories
- It is not naturally occurring in food but doesn’t have data showing it has a harmful effect on the body (additives like Gellan Gum)
- It is naturally occurring but can have some harmful effects on the body (added sugars, oils, gums etc.)
We Avoid
It is known to have a harmful effect on the body (ex. All food colorings, Natural Flavors, MSG, Potassium bromate, aspartame, artificial flavors)
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