XYLITOL

Our recent article on alternative sweeteners has prompted some comment and questions on the sweetener xylitol. If you haven’t heard of it, you’ve probably ingested it. Xylitol is used in chewing gum, breath mints, toothpaste and mouthwash. It’s also found in products labeled organic and natural. So why didn’t I have it listed as one of my favorite alternatives?

Though mainly on my hunch, I did not take to xylitol with the zeal of most. Products that require any significant processing leave me cautious. Honey is from bees and evaporated cane juice is simply just that. These are simple methods of “processing” I actually understand. There are quite a few steps in making xylitol-a sugar alcohol and it begins to sound quite scientific. According to the site XylitolForYou.com, it was discovered in 1891 by the German chemist Emil Fischer. Hmm, I wonder if the chemist was out in his garden?

In the United States most xylitol is now corn derived, though originally it was made using birch trees. That brings up the issue of genetically modified corn. If that is a concern for you, you’d want to consider what source is used for the making of xylitol. Personally, I am not a fan of any genetically modified crops.

There is now a fast and growing concern regarding dogs being poisoned by xylitol. Obviously their consumption of it is accidental as they don’t normally chew gum however, it's revealed something pretty scary for pet owners. According to The Animal Poison Control Center xylitol rapidly reduces a dog’s blood sugar level and can result in seizures and has been linked to liver failure in some dogs.

I can hear you now, “that’s in a dog, not in a human”. Remember a few years ago when dogs were dying because melamine was in their food? Do you want melamine in your chewing gum? I’m just asking.

Some people will argue “Xylitol is produced in our bodies anyway, of course it’s natural”. Hormones are also produced in our bodies but I still don’t want them added to my food. For more information on health concerns visit Natural News.

Rebecca Wood is the author of The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia and winner of the Julia Child (IACP) Award. I’ll share with you her thoughts on xylitol penned some ten years ago:

“A byproduct of the plywood industry, xylitol is extracted from birch cellulose by an energy-intensive chemical process. This non-caloric sweetener may also be made from other hardwood chips, almond shells, pecan shells, cornstalks, or corncobs. Pound for pound, xylitol costs about ten times as much as white sugar but its sweetening power is far greater.
Xylitol is used in sugarfree gum, candy, and jam. In animal studies, it is linked to cancer, urinary kidney stones n bladder inflammation. Not recommended.”

There’s a reminder to me, if you have a hunch to avoid an ingredient, it’s best to follow it even if you don’t have the information to justify it at the moment. Then do your research and decide if you want to continue avoiding it or introduce it into your personal food chain.

When making choices for my family I choose to stick with the least altered ingredients. I know this information on a zero-calorie sweetener makes it hard when looking for ways to cut calories. There just seems to be no easy way out of my Dad’s advice regarding sweets, “enjoy everything in moderation”.