Why Xylitol Totally Deserves Being Included in Your Diet

We all know that regular sugar consumption isn’t healthy. It destroys our oral health, makes us gain weight and is addictive. Today there are plenty of various sugar substitutes but not all of them are healthy. Many of them are chemically synthesized and bring zero health benefits. Some of them are just as unhealthy as regular sugar, even if they contain no calories.

If you are looking for a sweetener, you should consider natural options like honey, stevia, licorice root, maple syrup, and xylitol. Xylitol is often contained in chewing gums to give them that sweet taste we like without harming our teeth as regular sugar does. However, xylitol isn’t just a sugar-free chemical sweetener just for a taste. It has numerous benefits for your health.

Where Does Xylitol Come From?

Xylitol can be found in many plants like fruits, vegetables, mushrooms and bark of some trees. This is why it is considered a natural sweetener. It is taken from wood sugar as the result of a hydrolytic chemical reaction but not created from chemicals artificially. This makes it completely safe for you and even good for your health.

Cutting sugar from your diet for the benefit of healthier alternatives will decrease your risks of having related problems. For people with a “sweet tooth,” it can be a really difficult challenge to overcome. Xylitol will help them avoid consuming sugar while allowing them to eat their favorite home-made sweets without harming their health.

Let’s look at what happens to your body when you consume xylitol instead of sugar.

Weight loss

Xylitol provides a wonderful opportunity to lose weight for people who don’t want to remove sweets from their diet. It’s a low-calorie product with a low glycemic index that will also be good for people who suffer from diabetes mellitus. 

Improved bowel movements

Xylitol stimulates your gastrointestinal function and helps maintain proper defecation. If you don’t have problems with your stools, xylitol will prevent it. If you have constipation, this natural sweetener will help your body get rid of fecal masses due to its laxative effect.

Healthy teeth and gums

Not only does xylitol not harm our teeth as regular sugar does, it actually treats them. Bacteria feed on it just the way it does with sugar but it kills them. After eating xylitol, they lose the ability to digest sucrose and die. This prevents you from having cavities and severe gum disease. Xylitol is contained in many oral hygiene products and isn’t only for taste.

Prevent ear infection

It was proven that such a simple thing as chewing a gum containing xylitol every day can prevent ear infection in children. It can’t work against already existing infection but is a good and tasty way to prevent it. 

Attention! Regardless of how many benefits xylitol may have for human health, never feed your pets with products that contain xylitol. This especially concerns dogs whose blood contains little sucrose. Xylitol may cause acute hypoglycemia and even death. In general, feeding your pets with products from your own menu is a bad idea, especially if it’s sweets with sugar or xylitol.