Xylitol: Sweet Salvation
Xylitol: Sweet Salvation
Xylitol is a sugar substitute derived from the bark of birch trees. It was
first discovered during the second world war by a German scientist.
The discovery was later picked up by the Finnish people who nearly
perished from lack of sugar during the war and were grateful to be
saved by xylitol.
Pure xylitol is a white crystalline substance that looks and tastes exactly
like sugar. And here's the sweet deal: it has far lesser calories!
Although xylitol has been used in foods since the 1960s, it has only
surfaced in recent years in supermarkets in drugstores as a popular
ingredient in mouthwashes, toothpastes, and chewing gums.
Over 25 years of testing in widely different conditions confirm that xylitol
is the best sweetener for teeth. Xylitol use significantly reduces tooth
decay. It prevents tooth decay because normal bacteria in the mouth
cannot break it down--it only gets broken down in the intestines.
There are also studies that suggest that habitual use of xylitol can lower
ear and other infections. Studies confirm that xylitol's effect is long-
lasting and possibly permanent since no strain of bacteria is able to
break it up in the mouth.