What are the advantages and disadvantages of xylitol? Application scope of xylitol

Xylitol is a natural plant sweetener extracted from birch and oak trees. Many people start eating xylitol chewing gum and think that xylitol is low in calories, so they eat other xylitol foods without restraint. But in fact, eating too much xylitol will also make you fat. What is the truth? What are the advantages and disadvantages of xylitol? The following is a share of answers for you!

Contents of this article

1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of xylitol?

2. Application scope of xylitol

3. What are the dangers of eating too much xylitol?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of xylitol?

Xylitol can be used as a sweetener, nutritional supplement and auxiliary therapeutic agent for diabetics: Xylitol is an intermediate in the body's carbohydrate metabolism. When there is a lack of insulin in the body to affect carbohydrate metabolism, xylitol can pass through the cell membrane and be absorbed and utilized by tissues without the need for insulin to promote it. It promotes glycogen synthesis and provides cells with nutrition and energy without causing an increase in blood sugar levels. It eliminates the "three more" symptoms of diabetics after taking it (excessive eating, drinking and urination). It is the most suitable nutritious sugar substitute for diabetic patients.

Improve liver function

Xylitol can promote glycogen synthesis and will not increase blood sugar. It can improve liver function and resist fatty liver in patients with liver disease. It has obvious therapeutic effects in treating persistent hepatitis B, chronic hepatitis B and cirrhosis. It is an ideal auxiliary drug for patients with hepatitis complications.

Anti-caries function

Xylitol's anti-caries properties are the best among all sweeteners. First, xylitol cannot be fermented and utilized by the bacteria that cause caries in the mouth, inhibiting the growth of streptococci and the production of acid. Secondly, when chewing xylitol, it can promote saliva secretion. More saliva can not only rinse the bacteria in the mouth and teeth, but also increase the concentration of alkaline amino acids and ammonia in the saliva and caries spots, while slowing down the decrease in pH value in the mouth. The acidic substances that damage the teeth are neutralized and diluted, inhibiting the adsorption of bacteria on the tooth surface, thereby reducing tooth erosion, preventing caries and reducing the production of dental plaque, and strengthening teeth.

Weight loss function

Xylitol provides energy for the human body, synthesizes glycogen, reduces the consumption of fat and protein in liver tissue, protects and repairs the liver, reduces the production of harmful ketone bodies in the human body, and does not cause worries about gaining weight due to consumption. It can be widely used in food, medicine, light industry and other fields. Compared with ordinary white sugar, xylitol has the advantage of low calories - each gram of xylitol contains only 2.4 calories, which is 40% less than most other carbohydrates. Therefore, xylitol can be used in various weight loss foods as a substitute for high-calorie white sugar.

Side effects and hazards of xylitol

Xylitol is cool in nature in terms of physical and chemical properties. Like seafood and mung beans, it is not easily broken down by gastric enzymes and directly enters the intestines. Excessive intake can irritate the gastrointestinal tract and may cause abdominal discomfort, flatulence, and bowel sounds. Moreover, since the absorption rate of xylitol in the intestine is less than 20%, it is easy to accumulate in the intestinal wall and cause osmotic diarrhea. With the Chinese physique, the upper limit of xylitol intake per day is 50 grams. There should be no problem with just chewing gum, but if you eat a lot of other xylitol foods, you need to pay attention to the dosage.

Excessive consumption of xylitol can increase blood lipids.

Xylitol, like glucose, is a carbohydrate composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Xylitol may not require insulin in the initial metabolism, but it needs insulin promotion in the later stage of metabolism. Therefore, xylitol cannot replace glucose to correct metabolic disorders, nor can it reduce blood sugar, urine sugar, and improve clinical symptoms. Clinical practice shows that xylitol cannot cure diabetes, and eating too much xylitol will increase blood triglycerides and cause coronary atherosclerosis. Therefore, diabetics should not eat too much xylitol.

Application range of xylitol

1. Xylitol does not require insulin to be involved in the metabolism in the body, nor does it increase blood sugar levels. It can also eliminate the three polyurias of diabetics (polyuria, polyuria, and polyphagia). Therefore, it is a safe sweetener, nutritional supplement, and auxiliary therapeutic agent for diabetics.

2. Edible xylitol will not cause tooth decay and can be used as a sweetener for foods such as chewing gum, chocolate, and hard candy.

3. Due to its unique function, it can be used as a sweetener for low-sugar foods when mixed with other sugars and alcohols.

4. Xylitol has a refreshing taste and is more effective after freezing. It can be used in refreshing cold drinks, desserts, milk, coffee and other industries. It can also be used in health drinks, throat moisturizing medicines, cough syrups and other aspects.

5. For the sake of health, it can be used as a substitute for sucrose at home to prevent diabetes and obesity caused by excessive consumption of sucrose.

6. Xylitol is a polyol that can be used as a moisturizing agent in cosmetics without irritating human skin. For example: facial cleansers, beauty creams, lotions, etc.

7. Xylitol is hygroscopic and has anti-caries functions, and liquid xylitol has a good sweet taste, so it can replace glycerin as a flavoring agent for tobacco, anti-caries toothpaste, mouthwash, antifreeze moisturizer, etc.

8. Liquid xylitol can be used in the manufacture of battery plates. It has stable performance, is easy to operate, has low cost, and is better than glycerol.

What are the dangers of taking too much xylitol?

Nutritionist Song Xin said: Xylitol is a natural plant sweetener extracted from plants such as birch and oak. Since xylitol is not easily fermented by microorganisms to produce acidic substances, it can reduce the production of caries bacteria and dental plaque, and has a certain effect on preventing caries.

Therefore, many friends start by eating xylitol chewing gum. They think that xylitol has low calories, so they eat other xylitol foods without restraint. But in fact, eating too much xylitol will also make you fat. In terms of physical and chemical properties, xylitol is cool. It is not broken down by gastric enzymes and enters the intestines directly. Eating too much will cause certain stimulation to the gastrointestinal tract, which may cause abdominal discomfort, flatulence, and bowel sounds. Since the absorption rate of xylitol in the intestine is less than 20%, it is easy to accumulate in the intestinal wall and cause osmotic diarrhea. In Europe and the United States, foods containing xylitol will be marked on the label with consumer tips such as "excessive intake may cause diarrhea". However, such labels are rarely seen in foods sold in the domestic market. A well-known chewing gum manufacturer stated that the "xylitol content in its xylitol chewing gum is low and not enough to cause diarrhea", so such labels are "unnecessary". Despite this, nutritionists still remind that with the Chinese physique, the total amount of xylitol intake per day should not exceed 50 grams. There should be no problem with just chewing gum, but if you eat a lot of other xylitol foods, you need to be careful about the amount.

Excessive consumption will increase blood lipids

Diabetic patients cannot consume too much sugar due to the disorder of insulin secretion in their bodies. Even a small amount of sugar may cause adverse consequences. At present, there are about 30 million diabetic patients in my country, which means that about 30 million families should carefully choose their diet. This also makes many businesses seize the opportunity to make money and produce sugar-free foods in large quantities. As a result, more and more foods "suitable" for diabetic patients have appeared, such as super dry beer, pumpkin juice drinks, sugar-free milk powder, sugar-free biscuits, sugar-free cereals, sugar-free chewing gum, sugar-free candies, etc.

Nutritionists say that since diabetic patients cannot eat refined sugars, using xylitol as a condiment is a good choice. However, it should be noted that xylitol, like glucose, is composed of three substances: carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, and can release heat energy after oxidation in the human body. In the early stages of xylitol metabolism, insulin may not be required, but in the later stages of metabolism, insulin is required to promote it.

After eating xylitol, the increase in blood sugar in normal people is lower than that of glucose and sucrose. However, if diabetic patients take too much xylitol, it will cause side effects, such as increased triglycerides in the blood and coronary atherosclerosis. Therefore, diabetic patients should not eat too much xylitol. Especially for those who suffer from hypoglycemia induced by insulin, xylitol is forbidden.