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Xylitol - Decay-Preventive Sweetener
Monday, January 10, 2011 at 12:48PM What is xylitol?
Xylitol is a natural sugar alcohol that helps prevents cavities. It is equal in sweetness and volume to sugar and the granular form can be used in many of the ways that sugar is used, including to sweeten cereals and hot beverages and for baking (except when sugar is needed for yeast to rise).
- How does xylitol prevent cavities?
Xylitol inhibits the growth of the bacteria that cause cavities. It does this because these bacteria (Streptococcus mutans) cannot utilize xylitol to grow. - Over time with xylitol use, the quality of the bacteria in the mouth changes and fewer and fewer decay-causing bacteria survive on tooth surfaces.
- Less plaque forms and the level of acids attacking the tooth surface is lowered.
Studies show that dental decayis passed from parents to their newborn children, thus beginning the growth of these decay-producing bacteria in the child. Regular use of xylitol by mothers has been demonstrated to significantly reduce this bacterial transmission, resulting in fewer cavities for the child.
What products contain xylitol and how do I find them?
Xylitol is found most often in chewing gum and mints.
You must look at the list of ingredients to know if a product contains xylitol. Generally, for the amount of xylitol to be strong enought to stop decay, it must be listed as the first ingredient.
How often must I use xylitol for it to be effective?
Enjoy a Xylitol every couple of hours and you'll stop tooth decay plus sweeten you breath!
Xylitol gum or mints used 3-5 times daily, for a total intake of 5 grams, is considered optimal. Because frequency and duration of exposure is important, gum should be chewed for approximately 5 minutes and mints should be allowed to dissolve.
Has xylitol been evaluated for safety?
Xylitol has been approved for safety by a number of agencies, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the World Health Organization’s Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives and the European Union’s Scientific Committee for Food.
But Dogs cannot digest Xylitol-it can make dogs sick.
Xylitol has been shown to have decay-preventive qualities, especially for people at moderate to high risk for decay, when used as part of an overall strategy for decay reduction that also includes a healthy diet and good home care. California Dental Association