Harvard Health Publishing– The next time you pop a stick of sugar-free chewing gum in your mouth, take a look at the list of ingredients: Chances are you’ll see an ingredient called xylitol. This sugar alcohol that tastes as sweet sugar but has fewer calories and negligible effects on blood sugar levels and insulin.
What is xylitol?
A naturally occurring sugar alcohol found (in trace amounts) in many fruits and vegetables, xylitol can be processed from certain trees or from a plant fiber called xylan.
It tastes about as sweet as regular sugar, but with only about half the calories per serving. Store-bought xylitol is a white, crystalline powder that can be used as a one-to-one replacement for sugar in recipes …
Xylitol in everyday products
Many sugar-free products contain xylitol, including sugar-free candy, gum, baked goods, mints, cough syrup, chewable vitamins, some nut butters, ice cream, and oral hygiene products like toothpaste and mouthwash. You can also buy xylitol in bulk at most grocery stores or online retailers to use in cooking and baking.
Possible side effects
Most people can add xylitol to their diets without noticing any side effects. But some people may experience digestive problems like gas, bloating, and diarrhea if they consume too much too quickly.
If you notice uncomfortable digestive problems, cut back your xylitol intake and reintroduce it slowly. And if you have other digestive issues, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), you may want to avoid sugar alcohols entirely.
Additionally, an observational study published in the June issue of European Heart Journal found that high levels of xylitol were associated with greater risk of heart attack or stroke in adults years later. While more research is needed (the study was small, and observational versus experimental), it’s best to keep your consumption of xylitol in check.
Keep xylitol away from your dog
Xylitol is highly toxic to dogs, causing dangerously low blood sugar, liver failure, and even death. Keep sugar-free products out of your dog’s reach, and always check the ingredient label on ice cream and peanut butter before offering it to your pup … READ MORE.
Joyce Meyer reveals what happens when you stop eating xylitol
I decided yesterday, I was tired, I’ve been working a little more than I like too lately. I was real tired. You know, sometimes when you’re real tired you wanna do something you shouldn’t do. Anybody ever noticed that? And so, I decided that I wanted dessert and I wanted a lot of it.
And to maintain my size, I have to be, you know, pretty strict. And so I decided I was gonna eat dessert and not eat food. I didn’t tell you, I didn’t tell you ’cause I knew you wouldn’t like it.
So, I got a cookie and I put all this icing on it. Then I had a little ice cream. It was a little bowl of ice cream but put chocolate sauce on that. And I ate that dessert and didn’t eat any food, and I got so nervous.
It just, the sugar just made me nervous, and I felt terrible after that. Well, how many people are stressed out all the time, just because they have a lousy diet?
“I quit eating the mints … “
I was having stomach problems: every single morning I was being sick to my stomach. Not like throwing up sick, but just nauseated, and just, blech.
So, I’ve learned that if you ask God, he will tell you some things. And so, I was asking God to give me a word of knowledge, “Show me what’s wrong”. And I had these, I have a little bit of irritable bowel syndrome and so I looked on the internet to see what irritated it.
And the number one thing on the list was xylitol. And I had these mints that I ate, probably a package and a half of every day, and the number one ingredient was xylitol. So, I quit eating the mints and I quit having the stomach problem … source.
