Xylitol Artificial Sweeteners

What is Xylitol we are all fully aware eating too much sugar is not good for you. Also most of us have some sort of sweet tooth. You can avoid sugar in processed foods, what if we want still want it in our home? The answer lie in artificial sweeteners.

This is one artificial sweetener getting a lot of face time. It is one of several sugar substitutes that have been approved by the FDA. It also has the approval by dentists as safe on the teeth. You don’t always see that, since sugar is one of the biggest culprits of tooth decay. So, this is a big win for people with a sweet tooth.

What is the product? It is a tree sugar very much like regular table sugar and other sugar substitutes. It is manufactured from the birch tree. Regular sugar comes from sugar cane and is processed and refined into the white crystalline substance we use today. Xylitol is also crystalline and white when it is its refined state.

Its a bulk sugar, which means that only part of it is digested and utilized by the body. For this is why its been classified as a low-calorie carbohydrate. The bulk makes it almost half as calorific as regular sugar.

How does this help xylitol your teeth?

Its used as an artificial sweetener in many sugarless gums. Some early sugarless gums contained saccharine which left a bad taste in your mouth,the prevents this happening. In fact, it is just as sweet as if you were eating gum made with sugar, only the taste lasts longer.

How is does this accrue?

Well, the substance has a molecular structure that contains five carbons. This does not react with bacteria in the mouth. The Bacteria in your mouth react with sugars to form acids that can attacks and erode enamel on teeth lead to cavities. Because this sweetener doesn’t ferment in the presence of bacteria, it helps the mouth maintain a neutral pH instead of tending towards the acidic. Eating candy and gum made with this product can reduce the amount of bad bacteria in the mouth. Your breath smells better and you have lower incidence of tooth decay. When used in combination with other tooth-preserving techniques (brushing and flossing), your mouth tends to stay healthier and you satisfy your sweet tooth.

What can you use xylitol for in your kitchen? Since it is crystalline like regular sugar you can use it in coffee, tea, lemonade and other drinks. You may not want to use it alone in your recipes but you can mix it with sugar so that you use less sugar for a healthier treat.

Want to satisfy your teeth and protect them too? Try xylitol – the sweetener that is a friend to dentist and patient alike.