Xylitol (chemical: pentanpentol) belongs to the group of sugar alcohols, which also includes sorbitol or lactitol, for example. It is used primarily in the food industry as a sugar substitute. The substance is particularly popular here because it is said to have an anticariogenic effect.
Xylitol, in contrast to ordinary household sugar (sucrose), therefore has no harmful effect on our teeth, but is even said to be able to have a positive effect on our dental health.
Properties
Xylitol is similar in taste to regular household sugar and also has almost the same sweetening power. When consumed, it provides a cooling effect on the tongue as it removes heat from the environment when it comes into contact with saliva.
Similar to sorbitol, the calorie content of xylitol is also lower than that of normal household sugar. While one gram of sucrose contains about 4 calories, xylitol contains only 2.4 calories per gram. Because the sugar substitute can be metabolized in the body with less insulin than sucrose, it is often used in products for diabetics.
Xylitol inhibits the development of tooth decay
In Finland, the caries-reducing effect of xylitol was discovered in the 1970s. Several studies demonstrated a significant reduction in tooth decay as a result of ingestion. This effect is presumably due to the fact that the bacteria responsible for the development of caries cannot metabolize xylitol and therefore die off.
In addition, xylitol is said to stimulate saliva production and promote the remineralization of tooth substance. Its use is also said to make teeth smoother – making it harder for proteins to attach to the tooth surface. In addition, regular use of the sugar substitute is also said to make it easier to remove plaque and tartar.
For optimal dental care, a xylitol amount of between five and ten grams per day is said to be taken. This amount can be ingested through powders, candies or chewing gum, for example.
Side effects of xylitol
Whether xylitol can have harmful side effects is not yet known. For claims such as that xylitol is carcinogenic, there is no evidence so far.
When taking it, however, it should be noted that xylitol can have a laxative effect at doses exceeding 0.5 grams per kilogram of body weight.
Unlike sorbitol, however, the organism becomes accustomed to a higher amount of xylitol over time: thus, if taken regularly, the laxative effect no longer occurs in the long term. Nevertheless, foods containing more than ten percent of the sugar substitute must be labeled with the words ‘may have a laxative effect if consumed in excess’.
Even though xylitol has so far been considered harmless to human health, serious side effects have occurred in animal experiments: For example, a sharp drop in blood sugar levels, severe liver damage and coagulation disorders occurred in dogs.
Xylitol sources
Various fruits and vegetables serve as natural sources of xylitol. For example, it is found in cauliflower as well as strawberries, raspberries and plums. Since the sugar substitute is also present in larger quantities in the bark of the birch tree, it is also known as birch sugar.
Xylitol is also produced in our bodies – so the sugar alcohol is not a substance foreign to the body. It is produced by the body during the breakdown of carbohydrates.
Today, industrial extraction is mainly carried out from harvested corn cobs. Since extraction is complex, the sugar substitute is significantly more expensive than ordinary household sugar. Xylitol can be purchased in the form of powder or as an ingredient in chewing gum, lozenges, mouth sprays or toothpaste.
Use
Xylitol is becoming increasingly popular in the kitchen for cooking and baking, as it replaces sugar almost equally, but has only half the amount of calories. Meanwhile, there are many products, such as chocolate, to buy in which it is used instead of sucrose to sweeten. In foods, the additive xylitol is labeled with the number E967.
The sugar substitute is also used in chewing gum and candies for dental care. Care should always be taken to buy only products that have been sweetened with xylitol and not with other sugar substitutes. However, this is often not the case with chewing gums in particular.