Benefits of Xylitol

I don't like to use any artificial sweeteners or chemicals in my food. Stevia can be somewhat limiting, so I started using Xylitol. I really like it! I came across an article about it and thought I'd post some useful benefits of it.

Did you know Xylitol...

• Is a natural sweetener and sugar substitute that is extracted from plants such as fruits, berries, vegetables and oats. It originated in Finland where it was extracted from birch trees and is still widely used in Finland today.

• has a very low glycemic index of 7 whereas sugar has a glycemic index of 100. This means that xylitol is metabolized slowly and does not cause a glucose levels to rise rapidly.

• can actually help prevent weakening of the bones and improve bone density.

• increases white blood which helps fight many types of bacteria.

• Xylitol can help prevent candida (sugar which actually promotes candida and yeast problems.)
• helps to prevent bacteria in your ears and nose. It helps stop bacteria that grows in the tubes that connect your ear and nose together. Xylitol can even be used in a saline solution for nasal irrigation.(Xylitol is actually used in the product Xlear which I've used for several years as a nasal rinse. It works fabulously!)
  
• helps prevent tooth decay.
• hormonal imbalance restoring, and blood sugar stabilization for diabetic patients, lowering their insulin levels.
• It equals the sweetness of sugar
• It has 40 fewer calories than sugar
• can be substituted one for one with sugar; however, it has a drying characteristic so the recipe may need adjustment of its liquid levels.

The only xylitol side effect is when it is taken at doses exceeding 20 to 40 grams or more. This may cause diarrhoea, but not in everyone. Additionally, the unique feature of xylitol is that if you reduce the dose and gradually build up again, the body is able to adapt and eliminate the diarrhoea effect until doses of 200 grams or more are taken.

WARNING

Xylitol is considered very toxic to dogs and ferrets, among others. This is, in part, due to the fast-acting nature of xylitol. A dog who is suffering from xylitol poisoning can be in critical condition well within an hour of when the dog eats sugar-free gum, breath mints or candy. This gives the owner of a dog who experiencing xylitol toxicity a very small window of time to take the action that's required to save a dog's life.