Article: Xylitol - A Better Alternative To Sugarless Gum?
Xylitol - A Better Alternative To Sugarless Gum?
by: Dr. Janet Starr Hull, Ph.D., CN
http://www.sweetpoison.com/newsletter/
Xylitol is a naturally occurring sweetener that is found in raspberries,
strawberries, and plums, corn, endive, and mushrooms. The human
body produces xylitol in its daily metabolic processes. Xylitol
is
manufactured by extracting xylan from birch wood or corn cobs,
and
reacting it with water to produce xylose or "wood sugar."
Hydrogen
(H2) is then added to make 'Xylitol.'
Where and when was xylitol discovered?
The wood sugar xylose was first hydrogenated to produce xylitol
in
1891 by the German chemist Emil Fischer. Xylitol has been used
since
the 1960s in the Soviet Union, Germany, Switzerland and Japan
as the
preferred sweetener for diabetics. Xylitol is also used intravenously
for
patients with impaired glucose tolerance, i.e. for trauma, burns,
and in
diabetic and insulin resistance. Xylitol's dental benefits were
first
studied in Finland. In the early 1970s, researchers at Turku University
showed xylitol could prevent dental caries.
How is Xylitol different than other sweeteners?
Xylitol is a "sugar alcohol." Chemically, sucrose (sugar),
fructose,
sorbitol and glucose all have six carbon atoms in their molecules.
Xylitol has five carbon atoms in its molecule. Six carbon molecules
can
be easily digested by oral bacteria but a five-carbon molecule
has
strong chemical bonds that are very difficult for bacteria to
digest. So
when xylitol is consumed, these bacteria populations starve out
and
decline. This is one way xylitol helps prevent plaque and cavities
and
why it is a better choice for sugarless gums.
Xylitol has the same sweetness as sugar but with 40% less calories.
Xylitol's functional properties are similar to sugar; it dissolves
slower at
cold temperatures but faster than sugar above 86 degrees F.
(http://www.xylipro.com/faq.html)
So, is xylitol a better sugar-free choice for a sweetener, especially
in
chewing gum? Probably, but all in all, you are better off with
the real
thing - using no sugar or natural unprocessed sugar whenever possible.
Especially for children.
