Foods containing xylitol are becoming increasingly common. Reporters casually visited several supermarkets and saw a dazzling array of xylitol-containing products, including biscuits, candies, milk powder, saqima, and xylitol powder for cooking. The word "xylitol" is even prominently featured on the packaging of chewing gum. In one supermarket, a store manager confidently told reporters: "Xylitol can completely replace sugar. It won't make you gain weight, and diabetics can eat it without worry. Is this really true?"
Can xylitol also make you gain weight? Nutritionist Song Xin stated: 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 plaque, and has a certain effect in preventing cavities.
Therefore, many friends start by eating xylitol gum, and in their minds, they believe that xylitol has low calories, so they don't moderate their intake of other xylitol-containing foods. But in reality, eating too much xylitol can also lead to weight gain. Moreover, from a physicochemical perspective, 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, potentially causing abdominal discomfort, bloating, and bowel sounds. Due to the absorption rate of xylitol in the intestine being less than 20%, it can easily accumulate on the intestinal wall, easily causing osmotic diarrhea. In European and American countries, foods containing xylitol are required to have a consumer warning on their labels stating "Excessive consumption may cause diarrhea." However, such labels are rarely seen on foods sold in the domestic market. A well-known chewing 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 constitution, 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 analysis: Excessive consumption can increase blood lipids
Due to impaired insulin secretion function, diabetic patients cannot consume too much sugar; even a small amount 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 in their dietary choices. This has also created a money-making opportunity for many businesses, leading to a large production of sugar-free foods. Consequently, more and more "suitable" foods for diabetic patients have appeared, such as extra-dry beer, pumpkin juice drinks, sugar-free milk powder, sugar-free biscuits, sugar-free oatmeal, sugar-free chewing gum, sugar-free candies, etc.
Nutritionists say that for diabetic patients who cannot consume refined sugars, using xylitol as a sweetener 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 normal people are lower than that of glucose and sucrose. However, if diabetic patients consume too much, it can 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: It can repair cavities
Xylitol has a certain effect in preventing cavities, but it is impossible to repair them. The principle of xylitol gum is that chewing it stimulates saliva secretion. More saliva can rinse bacteria from the oral cavity and teeth, reducing the acidic substances that damage teeth, thereby preventing cavities. The principle of a cavity is that the tooth structure is destroyed, the tooth decalcifies, and rots. Misconception 2: The higher the content, the better the cavity-prevention effect
Generally speaking, the more xylitol in chewing gum, the better the preventive effect. However, according to experts, numerous foreign clinical trials have shown that the amount of xylitol in chewing gum does not affect the cavity-prevention effect. For example, a two-year clinical trial conducted by Canderman in Canada showed that no difference in cavity-prevention effect between sugar-free gums with 15% and 65% xylitol content. Therefore, when consumers choose cavity-prevention 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 with an appearance similar to sucrose. It is the sweetest sweetener among sugar alcohols, has a cool taste, a sweetness equivalent to sucrose, and a calorie 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 sugar alcohol. Because xylitol can only be slowly absorbed or partially utilized. Its low calorie content is a major feature: 2.4 calories per gram, 40% less than other carbohydrates.