The Miracle of Xylitol

The Spry tooth gel I use for my kids' dental care


A cool chart I found via Google


One of the xylitol products I use in baking

Gerritt had another dental check up & tooth cleaning this week. His teeth were in excellent shape, & I felt so grateful to have discovered xylitol about a year ago. I've decided to go a Google search on the topic in order to share xylitol's benefits with others.
Xylitol is a naturally occurring sugar alcohol sweetener used a sugar substitute. It is found in fibers of many fruits & vegetables. Strawberries, raspberries & yellow plums are examples of xylitol-containing fruits while corn, mushrooms, lettuce & endive are some of the xylitol-containing vegetables.
Xylitol is a "tooth-friendly" sugar. It has a dental plaque-reducing effect by attracting & then "starving" harmful micro-organisms, allowing the mouth to remineralize damaged teeth. The same effect also interferes with yeast, so xylitol should not be used for making yeast-based breads. Xylitol is specific in its inhibition of Mutans Streptococci, bacteria that are significant contributors to tooth decay. Xylitol also inhibits the growth of Streptococcus pneumoniae as well as the attachment of Haemophilus influenzae on the nasopharyngeal cells, making xylitol nose spray a very marketable product.
Saliva containing xylitol is more alkaline than saliva containing other sugar products. When saliva is alkaline (its pH is > 7), calcium & phosphate salts in saliva start to precipitate into those parts of enamel where they are lacking (the remineralization process).
Xylitol is safe for pregnant & nursing women, & its regular use reduces the probability of transmitting the Streptococcus mutans bacteria from mother to child during the first 2 years of life by as much as 80%. Although it may seem like a good idea to use xylitol to care for your dog's teeth, it should never be done as xylitol is toxic to dogs, causing severe hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) & resulting seizures & death.
Xylitol may be used for cooking & baking. Xylitol doesn't break down with heat & has the same sweetness as sugar (simply use the same amount - 1 part of xylitol for 1 part of sugar). One teaspoon (5 grams) of xylitol contains 9.6 calories, as compared to one teaspoon of sugar, which contains 15 calories. Xylitol has a lower impact on a person's blood sugar (compared to that of regular sugar) with a glycemic index of 13 (glucose has a glycemic index of 100!). Xylitol consumption can result in temporary gastrointestinal side effects such as bloating & diarrhea, however, adaptation occurs with regular intake.
Xylitol is used around the world, mainly as a sweetener in chewing gums & pastilles, as well as in oral hygiene products such as toothpaste, fluoride tablets & mouthwashes. I even found a recipe for an inexpensive homemade mouthwash that may be a good addition to one's oral care routine:

Add 1 teaspoon of pure xylitol, 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt & 1/4 teaspoon of calcium lactate. Put these ingredients in a glass & cover with hot water. Stir to dissolve the powders. Then, wait until it's a comfortable temperature. Rinse & gargle with the mixture. Take your time. The longer the exposure to your teeth & gums, the better. If possible, try to do this a few times a day.

Xylitol is all natural, relatively inexpensive, easily accessible & holds much promise in preventing dental decay. It is truly a miracle product!