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HWN Suggests

And Now Xylitol

Unfortunately, xylitol seems to have very similar effects on platelets and on cardiovascular events as erythritol. I find the data presented in the paper pretty convincing. At any rate, I would regard these studies as reason enough to avoid both of these compounds as sweeteners, and I would extend the caution to the other sugar alcohols as well (maltitol, mannitol, sorbitol, etc.) We really need to understand more about these things, and ditching the sugar-free gummy candies and the like seems like a prudent move. It is true that xylitol is a naturally occurring substance. However, manufactured xylitol is another matter entirely. Food manufacturers produce it using the industrialized process…

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  Sweetener used in chewing gum and jam linked to strokes and heart attacks

High blood levels of xylitol associated with higher risk of major cardiovascular events, in largest study of its kind.

 Xylitol: Not as Sweet As It’s Cracked Up to Be

It is true that xylitol is a naturally occurring substance. However, manufactured xylitol is another matter entirely. Food manufacturers produce it using the industrialized process of sugar hydrogenation. In order to hydrogenate anything, a catalyst is needed. In this case, Raney nickel is used which is a powdered nickel-aluminum alloy. This poses the risk of heavy metal residue and contamination. Nickel, by the way, is a recognized carcinogen and aluminum is associated with the development of dementia.

Articles of Interest

People think this is healthy, but it was just linked to increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and death

You might believe artificial sweeteners like xylitol are a healthy substitute for sugar, but new research could be concerning.

A sweet tale: the son who reinvented sugar to help diabetic dad

Larragoiti has patented a fermentation-based process to turn wasted corn cobs from Mexico’s 27.5m-tonne annual crop into xylitol. It is thereby solving a second problem: what to do with all that agricultural waste that otherwise might be burned, adding greenhouse gases to the overladen atmosphere.

Check Your Labels: Xylitol’s A Common Ingredient That’s Toxic To Dogs

Foods that are too sugary are unhealthy for both people and dogs, so it might seem like sugar-free foods would be a better option as a treat for your pup. But a lot of sugar-free products contain an ingredient called xylitol that’s toxic to dogs.

Chew On This: Some Gum May Ward Off Ear Infections

Giving children xylitol in gum, syrup or lozenges twice a day reduces the risk of ear infections by 25 percent. The finding come from an analysis by the Cochrane Collaboration, an independent group that combs the medical evidence to figure out what works and what doesn't.

FDA Warns Sweetener Xylitol Can Kill or Poison Dogs

Warning comes after surge in canine deaths and severe illnesses from ingredient

Health benefits of xylitol

Xylitol is a sugar alcohol that is commonly used as a sweetener. It can be found naturally or artificially prepared mainly from plant materials chemically or by fermentation of hemicelluloses from agricultural biomass by yeast or bacteria strains. This polyol has a significant antiplaque effect on teeth surface and can reduce the gingival inflammation; it is being used as a preventive agent for dental caries due to decreasing the growth levels of pathogenic Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sangui at the very early stages.

Paws Off Xylitol; It's Dangerous for Dogs

In people, xylitol does not stimulate the release of insulin from the pancreas. However, it’s different in canines: When dogs eat something containing xylitol, the xylitol is more quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, and may result in a potent release of insulin from the pancreas. This rapid release of insulin may result in a rapid and profound decrease in the level of blood sugar (hypoglycemia), an effect that can occur within 10 to 60 minutes of eating the xylitol.

Stealth xylitol poisonings on the rise

A lower-calorie sugar substitute with a low glycemic index, xylitol’s been on veterinarians’ radar for years because of its toxicity to dogs. But lately, it’s getting trickier to spot. “We’re seeing it show up in all sorts of products,” Brutlag told NEWStat. “Products that aren’t even edible.” Products like deodorant, face gels, hair care products, and baby wipes. Baby wipes? Yes, baby wipes.

The Science on Cavity-Crushing Xylitol Has Been In For Decades. Why Hasn’t Big Oral Health Noticed?

Did you know that xylitol has been put to work by dental professionals and in chewing gums and mints in Europe for nearly 3 decades?

What is Xylitol?

Xylitol has a chemical structure similar to sugar, but has fewer calories; while sugar has about 4 calories per gram, xylitol has just 2.4. Although it’s lower in calories, xylitol is equal to the sweetness of sugar. This makes xylitol unique because most sugar alcohols are not as sweet as sugar.

Xylitol in preventing dental caries: A systematic review and meta-analyses

This systematic review was found to be supporting in favors of xylitol when compared with other caries preventive strategies. Xylitol was found to be an effective strategy as self-applied caries preventive agent or as OTC sweetener...

Xylitol’s Health Benefits beyond Dental Health: A Comprehensive Review

The dental health benefits of xylitol are well established. Here, we have highlighted that xylitol also has other potential health benefits...

Resources

Xylitol.org

Xylitol is found widely in nature, most of the fruits and vegetables that we eat on a daily basis have small amounts of xylitol. For commercial purposes xylitol comes from two sources: corncobs or trees. Even though the end resulting product is the same, the process to extract it from these two sources is not.