Nowadays, more and more foods contain xylitol. Reporters casually visited several supermarkets and saw a dazzling array of xylitol-containing products, including biscuits, candies, milk powder, saghim (a traditional fried pastry), and xylitol powder for cooking. The word "xylitol" is even prominently featured on the packaging of chewing gum. In one supermarket, a store owner assured the reporter with great confidence: "Xylitol can completely replace sugar. It won't make you gain weight, and diabetics can eat it without worry. Is that really the case?"
Xylitol can also make you gain weight? Nutritionist Song Xin said: "Xylitol is a natural plant-based sweetener extracted from plants such as birch and oak trees. Because xylitol is not easily fermented by microorganisms to produce acidic substances, it can reduce the production of cariogenic bacteria and dental plaque, and has a certain effect on preventing cavities."
So many friends start by eating xylitol gum, and psychologically, they believe that xylitol has low calories, so they don't moderate their intake of other xylitol foods. But in reality, eating too much xylitol can also lead to weight gain. Moreover, in terms of its physicochemical properties, xylitol is considered cooling. It is not broken down by gastric enzymes and goes directly into the intestine. Eating too much can irritate the gastrointestinal tract, possibly causing abdominal discomfort, bloating, and bowel sounds. Due to an absorption rate of less than 20% in the intestines, xylitol can easily accumulate on the intestinal wall, easily causing osmotic diarrhea. In European and American countries, foods containing xylitol will have a consumer warning on the label stating "Excessive consumption may lead to diarrhea." However, such labels are rarely seen on foods sold in the domestic market. A well-known gum manufacturer stated that the xylitol content in its xylitol gum is "too low to cause diarrhea," so such a label is "unnecessary." Nevertheless, nutritionists still remind people that for the Chinese physique, the total daily intake of xylitol should not exceed 50 grams. Chewing gum alone should be fine, but if you consume a large amount of other xylitol foods, you need to pay attention to the dosage. Expert interpretation: Excessive consumption can increase blood lipids.
Due to the disorder of insulin secretion function in the body, diabetic patients cannot consume too much sugar, and even a small amount of sugar can cause adverse consequences. Currently, there are about 30 million diabetic patients in China, which means that about 30 million families need to be cautious about their dietary choices. This has also created a money-making opportunity for many businesses, which have mass-produced a large number of sugar-free foods. Consequently, more and more "suitable" foods for diabetics have appeared, such as super-dry beer, pumpkin juice drinks, sugar-free milk powder, sugar-free biscuits, sugar-free oatmeal, sugar-free gum, sugar-free candies, etc.
A nutritionist said that for diabetic patients who cannot eat refined sugars, using xylitol as a seasoning is a good choice. However, it should be noted that xylitol, like glucose, is composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, and can release heat energy after being oxidized in the human body. In the initial stage of metabolism, xylitol may not require insulin participation, but in the later stage, it requires insulin to promote it.
After consuming xylitol, the magnitude and speed of blood sugar elevation in healthy people are lower than that of glucose and sucrose. However, if diabetic patients consume too much, it will have side effects, causing an increase in blood triglycerides and leading to coronary atherosclerosis. Therefore, diabetic patients should not eat too much xylitol. Especially for those who have insulin-induced hypoglycemia, xylitol is strictly prohibited. Expert Correction: Xylitol can completely replace sugar. Wrong! Misconception 1: Repairs cavities.
Xylitol has a certain effect on preventing cavities, but it is impossible to repair them. The principle of xylitol gum is that when people chew it, it stimulates saliva secretion. More saliva can wash away bacteria from the teeth, reducing the acidic substances that damage teeth, thereby preventing cavities. The principle of cavities is that the tooth structure is destroyed, the teeth decalcify, and decay. Misconception 2: The higher the content, the better the cavity prevention effect.
Generally speaking, the more xylitol in gum, the better the preventive effect. However, according to experts, many foreign clinical trials have shown that the amount of xylitol in gum does not affect the cavity prevention effect. For example, a two-year clinical trial conducted by Kandleman in Canada showed that sugar-free gums with 15% and 65% xylitol had no difference in cavity prevention effect. Therefore, when consumers choose dental care gum, the xylitol content should not be the main factor. Misconception 3: It can completely replace sugar.
Xylitol, like glucose and sucrose, is a carbohydrate composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen elements. In the initial stage of metabolism, xylitol may not require insulin, but in the later stage, it needs insulin to promote it. Therefore, xylitol cannot correct the disorder of sugar metabolism in diabetic patients, nor can it lower blood sugar, urine sugar, or improve clinical symptoms. Diabetic patients should not eat too much xylitol. Keyword: Xylitol.
Xylitol is a sweet substance with nutritional value and is also a normal intermediate in human carbohydrate metabolism. A healthy person, even without eating any food containing xylitol, has 0.03-0.06 mg/100 mg of xylitol in their blood. In nature, xylitol is widely found in various fruits and vegetables, but the content is very low. Commercial xylitol is made from agricultural products such as corn cobs and bagasse through deep processing, and is a natural and healthy sweetener.
Xylitol is a white crystal, similar in appearance to sucrose, and is the sweetest sweetener among polyols. It has a cool taste, its sweetness is equivalent to sucrose, and its calories are equivalent to glucose. It is a sweetener of the future and a substitute for sucrose and glucose. The appearance and taste of xylitol are very similar to sucrose. In terms of food grade, xylitol has a broad and narrow sense. Broadly, it is a carbohydrate; narrowly, it is a polyol. Because xylitol can only be slowly absorbed or partially utilized. Low calorie is one of its main features: 2.4 calories per gram, 40% less than other carbohydrates.