The name should’ve tipped me off.
Xylitol.
It doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue like “meadowlark” or “chamomile” or “cottonwood.” Not particularly authentic-sounding, that xylitol.
But my box of xylitol sweetener said “natural” all over it. And each individual packet told me “safer than sugar.” Not to mention, the brand I had is made right here in good old Colorado. Where even the car exhaust takes itself to be recycled.
So I pulled out a packet. One tiny packet. And I put it in my cup of coffee, completely oblivious to the nightmare that was about to ensue.
To save you the gory details, let me just give you a few key concepts and you can put it all together:
- half a cup of coffee
- crippling stomach cramps
- an hour in the bathroom
- severe dehydration
- post traumatic sweetener disorder
It wasn’t until later that I noticed a warning, tucked right at the very end of the paragraphs talking about how healthful and natural xylitol is, that said:
So, xylitol is known to cause stomach problems and diarrhea if used in large amounts. There are plenty of studies that confirm this, but it’s always worded in ways that make it seem like you’d have to eat your weight in xylitol to be affected.
And, you know, even ingesting too much water can kill you. So just because I had a severe reaction after just a teensy tinesy bit doesn’t mean it’s not natural, really. Right?
And just because the FDA had to issue a warning stating that it can kill your dog (or ferret) … that doesn’t mean it’s not natural, either. (Remember chocolate and dogs?)
But, of course, I couldn’t leave well enough alone. I had to research. I had to talk to chemists. I had to break the spell that xylitol is apparently putting over so much of the natural foods industry.
Here’s what I found out.
Xylitol: Does This Sound Natural?
My initial Google search for “xylitol” and “safe” took me straight to this Natural News article that states:
Xylitol is a processed sugar. After being hydrogenated and having toxic chemicals added to xylan from corn or other plant material, and then removed, you get xylitol.
I love Natural News with all my heart, but sometimes they can be a little bit over the top. A little bit sensational. Kind of a drama queen.
Given the huge rash of xylitol ads I’ve seen recently, along with what I can only assume is a push by the Xylitol Overlords to “health bloggers” to promote their “all-natural, insulin-regulating, super-sweetener” by way of 5000 blog posts in a month, I had to look into it more.
Maybe, just this once, Natural News was wrong.
My Chat With The People’s Chemist, Shane Ellison
So I reached out The People’s Chemist Shane Ellison, author of Over-the-Counter Natural Cures. He also happens to have a master’s degree in organic chemistry. He knows what he’s talking about. Big words. Fatty acid chains. Things like that.
I trust him.
First question, “Can you tell me a little bit about how xylitol is produced?”
And Shane Ellison, Organic Chemist, replied: “Xylitol is a molecular cousin to sugar and is derived from the crushed fibers of sugar cane […birch wood or corn…] using a multi-step chemical reaction that involves the use of sulfuric acid, calcium oxide, phosphoric acid and active charcoal. The end product is a a bleached, powdery blend of sugar alcohols that taste sweet on the tongue but are not absorbed by the body.”
Hmmmm, I thought. That sounds fishy. But maybe not so bad. After all, I haven’t a clue just what sulfuric acid and phosphoric acid does to the molecular structure of this stuff.
(And then I felt really smart for thinking the words “molecular” and “structure” together.)
So I sent him another email, and asked: “Given all the chemical processes needed to turn natural xylitol into what we consume as a sweetener (or in gum), in your opinion, can it really be considered a natural product?”
Guess what he said?
Shane Ellison, Organic Chemist, replied: “I don’t consider anything natural if it’s processed with man-made chemicals.”
He said, “Xylitol will rip up your insides, namely the digestive tract. It’s being touted as a natural product, most likely so that it can bypass regulation. Thus, very little studies exist on its side effects.”
To further this assertion, he pointed me to the Danisco site, a European company nearly wholly responsible for the creation and supply of xylitol, or what Shane called a “Franken-chemical.” (From their website: “Danisco is the world’s leading supplier of xylitol.”)
Danisco actually happens to be a part of DuPont. DuPont, as you may remember, was sued several years ago by the EPA for covering up – FOR YEARS – the scientific evidence that PFOA, a substance in Teflon, is highly toxic, a carcinogen, and disrupts reproductive processes.
So pardon me if I don’t have a lot of trust in a company who’s manufacturing questionable sweeteners and has that kind of track record.
Echoes of HFCS
You may have noticed that I haven’t included any of xylitol’s purported health benefits, the claims that it’s great for dental health, or regulating blood sugar, or anything of that kind.
At this point, I’m not debating those things. Frankly, I don’t care. (I clearly can’t consume it anyway, unless I enjoy long-lived trips to the bathroom.)
What bothers me – what ALWAYS bothers me – is when companies (or governmental regulatory bodies, even) tout something as natural, when its sole ability to exist in the way we consume it as a supplement is based on wholly unnatural, synthetic chemical processes.
It’s very reminiscent of another industry recently begging and pleading us to believe their product is natural. High-fructose corn syrup, anyone?
Now for the kicker.
A great amount of the xylitol that’s released for consumption (whether it be in gum, in food products, or in bulk that we buy to cook and sweeten with) is made from corn.
How far of a stretch is it to wonder if the Corn Refiners Association finally came to the realization that the public would never get on the high-fructose corn syrup bandwagon ever again? How in the world will they recoup those losses?
What’s the logical next step for them?
Xylitol?
And if you think your xylitol made from birch (which is rare and expensive these days) is better, from a chemistry standpoint, it is structurally the same. Other than the fact that it’s not genetically modified, like the corn might be. It does, however, contribute to deforestation.
Can Someone Else PLEASE Tell This Story?
Hello? Media?
I am not a hard-hitting journalist. I am a sometimes-humorous, sometimes-bossy, always-humble blogger who writes about putting food on your face.
Not that you shouldn’t take me seriously. You can, but only if it makes you happy.
There is just SO little information out there that isn’t sponsored by the xylitol companies and industry. SO little information out there that’s purely investigative.
Can someone who IS a hard-hitting journalist please do something about xylitol? There’s a juicy story just waiting to be told. Wouldn’t you agree?
How Do YOU Feel About Xylitol?
Has this changed any feelings you may have about the wunder-sweetener?
What IS your sweetener of choice, if not xylitol?
(Also, one last thank you to Shane Ellison for all his help and encouragement, as well as the great work he puts into on his own site – The People’s Chemist – where you can watch his PC Reality TV Clips and read his knowledge-packed blog.)
UPDATE – 6/10/13
Well, it’s been TWO YEARS almost to the date since I wrote this post, and the comments just keep coming in.
If you stopped by to leave a negative comment, let’s just get this out of the way: Yes, I know your thinking skills are so much more logicalistic criticaltastic than mine are. Yes, I know you think I’m an idiot. No, I don’t want fries with that.
There is one redaction I’d like to make, and it’s this: The title should have said “Xylitol: Can we stop calling the way we produce it and consume it natural.”
Because, yes, I am aware (and I was when I wrote it) that our bodies (and many living things) contain “xylitol.” Poor choice of title there, and I know it gets your knickers in a twist.
But just because our bodies produce something doesn’t mean it’s prudent to extract it en masse from living organisms (using questionable synthetic processes) and then ingest it willy nilly. At least, perhaps it’s not prudent for many people. As you can tell, plenty of people have the same issue I had. And plenty of people will feel solace at knowing they’re not alone, and exactly WHAT it was that caused it.
I can’t say what’s right for you. You get to choose. And good for you for thinking your decision through critically to come to a different conclusion than I did, but I can promise you I’m not stopping by your blogs to call you names.
Here’s the deal: This is my blog. MY blog. My home. I pay hosting fees. I poured my heart and soul into this blog for years. What doesn’t get to happen is for you to come in and call me names. That just doesn’t fly. So if you leave a negative comment, dripping with sarcasm and self-righteous indignation, or call me names, it WILL disappear.
Again, let me restate this: It has been TWO YEARS since I wrote this post, and I am NOT some crazy “let’s take xylitol off the market and I’m going to protest it and make everyone hate it” kind of person. In fact, I haven’t said more than two words about xylitol in nearly two years. If anyone’s propagating negativity at this point, it ain’t me.
I have nothing further to say about xylitol – ever. I have nothing further to say about this post. What I said, two years ago, I said. I have zero interest in or passion for discussing this further.
If you’re all riled up and want to talk about how stupid I am, or if you’re a representative for a xylitol company who wants to defend your company’s product (and yes, IP know you’re out there), there are MANY other outlets on the internet just for that. I recommend starting with www.wordpress.com. Setting up your own blog is really super duper easy.
Thanks for understanding. 🙂
Bubble & Bee = Your New Obsession (+ Giveaway!)
If it requires any type of chemical reaction to PRODUCE, it is NOT natural.
I’ve been chewing gum with xylitol for a few years now trying to stay away from aspartame which is poison. I have had strange stomach and intestinal issues off and on and heart palpitations. I ended up at the ER last year with chest pain and that same strange feeling in my abdomen. They did bloodwork, EKG, an ultrasound and a CT scan but only found occasional diverticulosis. I quit chewing the gum two days ago after my husband told me he read an article that said xylitol is poisonous to dogs. I haven’t had any palpitations or strange feelings in my abdomen since I stopped chewing the gum. I’m so glad I found this article because now I’m convinced that “Natural” doesn’t always mean good for you!
I am a physician and I also have a Ph. D in pharmacology and therapeutics. I came across your article and wanted to leave a comment, Our family including my children have used xylitol for years. It has saved us tons of dental decay repair and has never ever caused any discomfort or health issues. Sugar on the other hand has caused diabetes in members of family who live using it. Sugar is Natural in all sense. Infact majority of the supplements and vitamins on the market are obtained via a chemical process. So the argument against Xylitol does not stand. it has been used in Europe for 100 years and is still selling. It is the sugar company that blocks all info on sugar alternatives. Why ? it is the cheapest ingredient used in large procentage on processed food. Huge profits !
I cannot eat any of this terrible stuff without having acute GI distress. I don’t think a scoop of ice cream has that much xylitol in it but that’s enough to knock me for a loop. It’s very upsetting when workers tell you their ice cream is sweetened with Splenda then come to realize within 30 minutes if that is entirely untrue. I can’t eat no sugar added ice cream from most ice cream shops which apparently do not realize their ice cream is laced with completely unnatural garbage.
Hi! Thank you so much for the post, it really heplped me. Over the years I’ve reduced any intake of candy or packaged cookies/biscuits/cakes because I started noticing side effects to the food colorants, sweeteners and preservatives (headaches, getting angry, sad and anxious for no aparent reason). The other day I started taking a food suplement (a relative’s store was closing and some stuff was handed to me) that contained xylitol as one of the ingredients. I’ve been having a mild but constant headache since I started taking that and I’ve now decided to stop. I had been able to reduce headaches and sinus-like pain on my face since I stopped drinking milk but now, apparently thanks to xylitol, they’re back. So, bye bye stuff with xylitol!
I have found using xylitol in a sinus irrigation solution very helpful in limiting infections. I make my own solution by the quart and keep it in a plastic bottle. The solution is made up of 1 quart filtered and boiled water. While still warm I add 1.5-2 tsp. kosher salt, 1 tsp. baking soda, and 1 tsp. xylitol. I added the xylitol based on the information that bacteria can ingest xylitol but cannot eliminate it. When they cannot process normal sugars in their energy cycle they will die. Neti potting once or twice a week is a great way to maintain sinus health.
As I switched to low carbing I purchased a bag of your Xyla. I thought a great way to cut sugar out of my family’s diet. So I decided to make some koolaid with Xyla . For two litres of red cool aid I used 6 tsp of Xyla I set it in fridge to chill and await the results. I had about a three ounce glass and was amazed at how great it tasted… I went about my merry way and was getting ready for bed and took a shower . Well I had this disturbing gas pain and passed wind and shit water on the floor. Now -good thing I didn’t give it to the children – as they would have the embarrassment of shitting themselves at school ! Wow I would rather become a diabetic and eat real sugar than suffer such bonkers symptoms.
Please put larger warnings on such embarrassing inducing products.
Sincerely,
Ms Nicholson
The above was sent to the Xyla company*
For centuries manufacturers have created and marketed stuff to make money. It is the making of money that is the driving factor not whether the product was necessarily good for our well being. People have been too unaware or simply too easily fooled. We are all to ready to be taken on a ride to the next trend. In the late 19th century a particular green became the trendy must have thing. It was used in wallpaper pigments eventually people started getting sick and dropping dead. Even though manufacturers knew it contained arsenic the colour was so popular and THE must have thing according to the who’s who in society it was ignored and the marketing proper gander continued, It was making someone a lot of money. Finally it was taken off the market when peoples awareness to the dangers of arsenic and off gassing. The same thing with cola’s (sugar drinks), it was recommended to mothers to start there children on it early telling them they were giving there children a better start to life and that they NEEDED it. It made someone and still is – a LOT of money.
Here are some more examples of marketing and trends being peddled, found in old advertisements with slogans to encourage people to buy products. “DDT is good for me” and one that claims “Use sugar to help kerb your appetite. And one to help you during the fat time of day, “a sugar drink now with save me a lot of calories later”, and “sugar can be the willpower to help you under eat”. another one saying “3 teaspoons of sugar has less calories than and apple”, How about DDT wallpaper for the kids rooms to keep them safe from insects. Or DDT in the fly spray you spray around the house. Here is one “red river potato mix with DDT for better results”.
Just used Xylitol for the 1st time in a brownie recipe and the brownies low carb are great but the stomach cramps going for the 3rd hour are not great at all. Last time I will use it. Thank for the article, was looking up a way to stop the cramps and found it.
Hi,
So, I made peanut butter cookies for my sugar sensitive girlfriend. The original recipe is 1-cup peanut butter, one-cup sugar and one egg. It is a flourless cookie recipe. I figured on substituting the sugar for an artificial sweetener and using non-sweetened, pure peanut butter (palm oil free even).
First, I made a small batch with sugar. They were tasty but excessively sweet. Next, I tried Splenda but they came out way too sweet, brittle and airy. Finally, I tried Xylitol. My girlfriend loves the stuff in her tea; claiming it has zero after-taste like other artificial sweeteners, and it is natural.
Well, I ate four cookies with the Xylitol (about the size of a standard commercial cookie) the first night. Within a few hours, I had some bothersome bowel issues though nothing too major. I never even thought about the Xylitol until the next day. I had three more cookies. Lo and behold, a few hours later, more aggressive bowel issues plagued me. So, I googled: “Xylitol gave me the runs” and guess which website my search revealed.
In all truth, I’ve had Xylitol numerous times in tea and coffee but never in such quantity all at once as with these cookies and it really wasn’t that much more Xylitol… but it was obviously just enough. So, is this stuff natural? Hardly. Is it harmless? Don’t bet on it.
I was using xylitol and my cat jumped up and licked ever so slightly a little from my bowl when I quickly grabbed her. $1200 dollars later with a vet bill and a very close call with her life, I had to ask myself, if such a small amount of something like this almost killed my cat, what is the impact on me? That was it. No more xylitol for me. I stick with stevia now.
Thanks for the post ! We are on a systemic candida diet 3 weeks in and both my little people have diarrhea – coincidence that Im using Xylitol as recommended by naturopath or ?? Thanks again will avoid it for a while n see if symptoms clear up x jess
Thank you for this information. I was searching what xylitol was in children’s toothpaste before I made the purchase. Thanks for this post.
I enjoyed reading your article on xylitol. I have been contemplating using it as I am trying to reduce carbs in my diet. I appreciate your asking questions and it is spurring me on to further investigate. Your blog has been a fantastic starting point for me.
So, what was your motivation for using xylitol over refined sugar? I’m curious what you use now to sweeten your coffee… I need more suggestions of acceptable, natural, healthy alternatives.
Thanks so much! Julie
I have been having terrible gas and bloating, and have also been consuming a lot of Xylital. Now I know why, or at least partially why. Thank you for posting this important information! It really helps.
Can anyone tell me if the Xylitol they use in toothpaste is processed or is it in the natural form?
Hi ;
I found your article on xylitol very interesting. I’ve had a weight problem and wanted to find an alternative to sugar. I will throw out the remainder of my xylitol but can you suggest a healthy low carb alternative ?
Thank you
I’ve just read a recipe on ‘Wallflower Girl’ suitable for vegans and it contained Xylitol which I’ve never used. And now I will never use it. I tend to use Stevia in plant form which I grow in a pot or Sweet Cicely also grown in a pot. I add leaves to whatever I’m doing – I pull them out before using whatever I’ve cooked or in drinks. These leaves or sprigs don’t cause me any problems and I have huge problems with allergies.
Thank you for taking the time to research this with your contact. I was led astray as well, but just didn’t have peace about this “natural” magical substance that is the answer to everyone’s dreams….as it kills us? No thanks. And for the people who attacked you, please don’t let that stop what you do, because it is important and a lot of people care. I am one. What you said was completely respectful. Freedom of religion and freedom of speech seem to old fashioned values these days. I apologize for those immature human beings….and if it makes you feel any better I was flipped off at the grocery store for pulling into a parking spot rather than reading the drivers mind on the other side who wanted me to back out for her so she didn’t have to back up like everyone else and drive away. UNBELIEVABLE how wacked people can be! Probably all the xylitol they are eating!
Sounds a bit like that story when they made a product to fatten turkeys actually killed them instead..so they invented margarine to get their investment back. We should probably Just eat plums corn and vegs. My sister lost weight is why I looked into it.
Well hello. This is an interesting and informative article. I just purchased some xylitol chewing gum. I chewed three pieces and swallowed the juices that came out of it. I feel OK. No upset stomach. Everybody’s different. Some obviously cannot stomach the stuff, apparently. That’s too bad.
I tried some NOW brand xylitol sugar several years ago but returned it when I found out it was made with GMO corn. I don’t buy GMO. Anyways, I got an ebook recently on how to reverse tooth decay and this was one of the recommendations. Apparently xylitol kills certain bacteria in the mouth that cause plaque. I think it’s a great idea really. Only thing is the gum is a little pricy.
I actually got online to try and find a source for birch xylitol powder in bulk and sure enough it’s available. Its even less expensive than I thought it would be. So that’s a plus. I was also thinking that for some people, if they just use it for the reason of fighting dental caries, that it could be used as a mouth wash after brushing and spit out so as not to swallow it. That seems to make sense if one wanted to use it for this specific function as opposed to a simple sugar substitute.
I would not use corn xylitol unless it was made in the USA from organic corn. If apparently it could be made from actual sugarcane that would be even better. It seems like sugarcane should be a much more sustainable source. But maybe the sugar industry is not ready to let xylitol take a cut out of its profit margin. The fact that xylitol is produced through an involved chemical process is a little disconcerting however I personally don’t feel very bothered by the fact. If people realized how much stuff in processed foods and synthetically produced vitamins was also chemically derived, they might realize that the comparison is relative.
Certainly xylitol could be considered more natural than aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose simply by the fact that it’s a substance that occurs in nature. The reason that it’s chemically manufactured is that this is obviously the only economically viable way to mass produce the substance that allows companies to turn a profit on it. But perhaps the next step up from birch xylitol is a version produced from sugarcane through some kind of more naturalistic method not involving the use of industrial acids.
In response to those who are bothered by the name what I can say is that it’s actually not a chemical name. If know the root latin words that create the word xylitol you will see. Several other sugar alcohol analogs have the same suffix ‘itol’, in their names such as mannitol, sorbitol, and erythritol. These are all commonly added to many types of processed foods and may also be produced chemically. However the physiological effects produced by other sugar alcohols on the human body are obviously not going to all be the same.
I am actually intrigued by the name xylitol because it reminds me of the word xylophone. Interestingly enough, both word stem from the same Greek root word ‘ξύλον’ or ‘xylon’ (Eng. lit. trans.) meaning “wood”. The relation is that the xylophone is a traditionally a wooden instrument that makes sound or ‘phōnē’ from the Greek word φωνή. So a xylophone is a ‘wood-sounder’ and xylitol is a ‘wood’-itol’- or wood-sugar-alcohol’. Interesting. Not so scary after all. By the way, I have no connection to the industry, I’m just an academic researcher.
Peace Out!
I too, used birch sugar (I think so, at least. I ordered it from a website called “birch sugar”, and I certainly didn’t settle for GMO corn – Xylitol), and had zero problems – I used teaspoons full of it, always careful to not overdo it, but as of yet, I haven’t had worse than perhaps very mild laxative effects.
My theory is that either not everyone can digest xylitol the same, OR it is actually depending on what the stuff is extracted from.
The Xylitol I bought also has the effect of making your mouth feel cool when you let it melt on your tongue. Some other people (who reported a strong laxative effect) did not report that feeling.
This article itself did not change my mind. But it DID confirm my suspicion that xylitol is responsible for my digestive tract woes of late. Every time I eat candies or chew gum sweetened with xylitiol, my digestive tract goes wonkers. It’s good to know I’m not alone.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!! I’ve recently begun a candida diet (not _the_ candida diet), and have been struggling with sugar. I am an avid baker, and have been trying to find alternatives to sugar (and more so, my true addiction, honey). I’ve tried stevia, and honestly if I put even 1 more drop of stevia in my mouth I think I will puke. And yes, I have pure, no additives liquid stevia. Nasty stuff. I have going back and forth with trying xylitol, and have been put off by the name, that alone seems chemically, and the possible digestive problems. After reading your post, I will stay well clear of it. Typical Dupont and gmo corn rearing their ugky heads yet again. I think I may try yacon syrup, I’ve heard good thibgs about it, although I have not researched it yet..that’s next in my agenda!
In order to enjoy stevia, you MUST stir it in well. I use the NOW Better Stevia Original, and as long as it is stirred in well, it tastes great! Sugar is NOT a nutrient, it is a poison. Use limited amounts of liquid stevia if you must, if not learn to enjoy the flavors and taste of real whole food!
I would like to thank you for posting all of the information about Xylitol. I like Xylitol and it does not upset my stomach, but I like to know things like how it is manufactured and by whom as a lot of that kind of information is not always accessible. I appreciate seeing someone else’s perspective as well. Kudos.
I appreciate your article on xylitol very much. I don’t get why people are so clueless and mean. That being said, if you don’t know what something is and just blindly consume it, well it’s your health. I for one am grateful for the info so I can make an informed decision.
There are always ways to have a discussion and not just say hateful words! I like reading what you have to say and I still use xylitol in my toothpaste currently. This being stated, I still think if you have any information you would like to share with your readers, even if you were to re-visit xylitol in the future, you should!
Keep sharing!
I was just searching online to buy more xylitol (I only add it to coffee a few times a month) when I saw your post. Thanks! I did have an upset stomach every time but since it wasn’t too serious and I didn’t use it often, I thought it was still better than sugar. I’m not buying it any more. I wish the food industry wasn’t so disgustingly corrupt. As for the rude replies, there have always been and will be in the future all kinds of ill-bred people, who use internet anonymity to show their worse. That’s why I don’t have any pics or personal info on Facebook or other sites – I just don’t have enough health to endure the aggressiveness and spiritual ugliness of poorly brought up strangers.
Actually, xylitol is completely natural existing and appearing in nature. As is sulfuric acid. With a hoodoo mindframe, even salt is the MOST horrendous thing! (Ever learn about the process of iodination!?)
Hi, I found the xylitol article fascinating. Did you know its one of the ingredients in Teetha babies teething gel? Another ingredient is ethanol which is an alcohol process of biofuels, made from the fermentation of sugars, and is produced using grains, grasses, wood waste and even garbage!
I think that instead of saying ‘may cause side effects’, they should say ‘could possibly help but hey, there’s no guarantees!’
It was interesting reading anyway so thanks for that.
I’m working on my blog about homeopathy (on the plus side) so reading yours has taught me loads.
Gemma
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this article!!
Long story short, I just switched from Crest toothpaste (to avoid SLS + fluoride) to a very natural toothpaste. Thankfully they offer an unsweetened flavor, but the rest of them have xylitol in them. Was looking for some quality research on what the heck xylitol is, especially because a lot of people are saying it’s safe – and here I am. I had a gut feeling it was not the best thing to consume, but thanks for some evidence to back that up.
A Great Fact written article thank you. You will always get Gov. paid shills spreading their disinformation and discrediting any one or thing that talks sense – its their job! but the Facts are still the Facts Yet the sheeple follow these fools blindly. I admire and respect you for having an opinion that differs from the norm and I salute you for speaking the Truth.
I am so very grateful for this article! I was getting ready to use a product for Candida and will not touch it now due to the Xylitol in it. If it is processed this way and can harm my insides more, I would not chance it, or believe it was related to die off symptoms if using it. Thank you SO MUCH! I am so glad to see other do research and question the “so called” natural new fangled products that are always popping up and making health claims.
Please can you tell me who wrote this blog post. I love the way she writes and would love to read more from her. Please can you send me a link to her blog. Thanks
Well done. Excellent article. I am very impressed with your research skills and writing skills. I wish I could pH test this product to see how it is as pH is everything.
Ps. I think the title: ‘Xylitol: Should We Stop Calling It Natural?’ is spot on and well ahead of it’s time Bravo!
“Because, yes, I am aware (and I was when I wrote it) that our bodies (and many living things) contain “xylitol.” Poor choice of title there, and I know it gets your knickers in a twist. But just because our bodies produce something…”
Great write. One clarification that’s critical: The human body and plants do not naturally contain manufactured Xylitol. What exists in nature and our bodies is the natural plant-like sugar, Xylose = an essential glycan.
Thank you Sol. I’m so happy to hear a sci-guy make that distinction. My brother, rest his soul, once justified to me his morning ritual of chocolafying his already sugared breakfast cereal with the “chocolate’s natural” argument. I replied that so was hydrochloric acid but I wouldn’t put a spoonful in my tea. Not a popular viewpoint in the 80’s. But commodification doesn’t allow for such distinctions, because it muddies the profit pool. If we haven’t learned to question everything sold by now, well . . . . Anyhow, thanks. Better late this comment than never. And thank you too Ms. Betty. Stick to your guns. We do still have a modicum of free speech left. Well, almost.
I agree.
Its chemically extracted. End of Story.!
No longer natural
No longer good for you
Its just processed crap
Well, I decided to try out Xylitol because it was recommended for Candida sufferers (those with Candida overgrowth). I did not like the name because it sounded like medicine but the word ‘natural’ was on the bottle, so I tried it. Big mistake! My symptoms of Candida overgrowth actually worsened! My trimethylaminuria was triggered and went into overdrive. I am already on a very strict diet so I was flabbergasted, thinking that I had to eliminate another of the few foods that I eat. Then it struck me that it could be the new sweetener, Xylitol, I was trying. I wish I had friends like yours but I was satisfied with my online research. You are absolutely correct and I am grateful to you for pointing out that it is not absorbed by the body. I believe that.
Vitamin C is chemically extracted and processedd, and is still very good for you. Xylitol is also a lot healthier than sugar. Mind you, sugar is actually healthy if consumed in proper amounts. Evolution made you desire sugar because your body needs it, but that’s beside the point.
If you’re not used to xylitol, it may very easily cause the effects described in the article -which may actually be beneficial in some cases.
The point is, manufacturing methods have nothing to do with healthiness.
You cant say “Evolution made you desire sugar because your body needs it”. We desire fast food and junk food, but that is simply because it is addicting. Sugar is known to be addicting. A lot of other things are addicitng as well, and they are very harmful and kill people daily, yep those include drugs. Just because we dsire something doesnt mean our bodies need it. I also disagree that manufacturing methods have nothing to do with healthiness. Everything is made up of chemicals, including our bodies. Those chemicals have to be in balance, otherwise we get sick. That is why “whole foods” are so important, they contain a natural balance of chemicals. Once humans start subtracting and adding chemicals, that balance has now been destroyed. As much as we try and as much as we sacrifice, we can never even hope to create something as balanced in structure as something directly from nature, whole in perfect form and That is evolution.
I have used xylitol now for about 4 years as a sugar substitute. I have noticed a little bit of stomach upset and some gas but that was with large amounts. Well, I haven’t been eating too well for the past 6 months or so and have let sugar slip back I to my diet, and my weight has paid the price. Anyway, I made some banana bread using xylitol today and ate a slice this evening. All of a sudden I had a terrible pain in my gallbladder – I know this pain because I’ve got gallstones and used to have attacks. But it’s been about 25 years since the last attack – hence the fact that I still have my gallbladder. So now I’ve got to wonder what that xylitol does to the gallbladder. Anyone know???
Dear Betty (Crunch), Thank you for this information you posted on xylitol; I found it to be informative and very useful. I had been searching for a Truvia substitute and thus far had only found positive articles about xylitol (left out the processing details).
Please keep posting; very much appreciated.
Thank you!
I should also add, since xylitol is a prebiotic (promotes growth of intestinal flora) then just like a probiotic, it can produce a little gas — especially, I would think, in those who don’t have a healthy gut flora. Yeah, gas can be really uncomfortable, even painful. Yet it does not in itself prove that something harmful is going on.
Sorry I’m 1 1/2 years late on this, but I just wanted to add my two cents for posterity.
I have used xylitol in the past and have had no ill effects.
My doc, who is all about natural and has more certifications than you can shake a stick at, is a promotor of xylitol.
The science on what xylitol does for dental health is pretty convincing to me.
I would call it not a natural product, but a minimally processed, nontoxic natural product derivative.
I think the alleged intestinal problems need to be looked at more closely.
After all, beans create intestinal discomfort. Taking probiotics can cause momentary gas and discomfort as well. Many foods that are actually healthy, will cause problems in unhealthy people. And it could be that THAT is really the issue.
XYlitol is an antimicrobial and biofilm buster. (Dental plaque is a bacterial biofilm.) It not only kills candida — a very frequent unwelcome guest in the intestinal tract and systemically — but also hidden bacterial infections that many of us have no idea we are harboring. When you kill these things off, it creates symptoms. Google “Herxheimer reaction.” Since I am treating apparent Lyme disease, I know that when I take anything with antimicrobial activity, I will probably suffer some sort of herx symptoms. People need to consider this before writing off what could be a powerful weapon FOR health.
your communication skills are very fine tuned and mature and polite. I seriously wish I had someone like you in my life to teach me these skills. I may never read a blog from you again cuz I am way too busy to even be reading and posting this now, but I just wanted to say thanks for that lesson and example in communication and all around morality and I wish I could sound as educated and well rounded as you and as humble at the same time. I can’t help but assume that the God of the bible is your mentor. Never met anyone so well rounded, humble, and respectful besides a Christian (wait, just thought of one, but only one, that’s gotta mean something).
Thank you for posting this. I’d like ot share my experience if I may.
I started using Xylitol in my tea and oatmeal every morning about a month ago. Keep in mind I use 1t in my tea and 1t in my oatmeal, so not much. Withing two days I felt ridiculously tired. Not just regular tired, but I had no energy at all, didn’t want to get out of bed, and felt horrible. It was a felling I’d never had before. I had zero intestinal distress, so I didn’t make the connection between what I was feeling and Xylitol. As the month went on things got worse. I wasn’t urinating often, and I have a “baby bladder”, so this was concerning to me. In addition I was becoming more and more exhausted from doing absolutely nothing, AND I was finding it more and more difficult to actually sleep. A friend told me two days ago to stop the Xylitol. That it was slowly damaging my kidneys and I needed to throw it out. It’s been merely two days without it and I can feel myself returning to normal. Please be careful when ingesting this chemical (which following processing is exactly what it is). Remember, they used to say saccharin was perfectly safe as well….
While I don’t deny your experience at all, I just want to let people know that if their dentist recommends it they should try xylitol at least as a mouth rinse or toothpaste because I used to get cavities ALL THE TIME and after using a bunch of xylitol products I’ve finally managed to shake them. I also don’t know that xylitol gum (the other main product I use) would cause this effect as very little xylitol is actually ingested. Perhaps that would be a good test to see if you have any reaction to it. As for myself I can eat as much as 10 grams a day with no real effect (I’ve never had more than that in a day, but I don’t really expect myself to be all that sensitive, according to some people if you increase gradually from hints to .5gr to 1gr ect. you can avoid any stomach problems)
I started using xylitol a few years ago and never had any problems but a few of my friends got very bad diarrhea. About 16 months ago I got into the best shape of my life at age 50 through change of diet and exercise. About 6 months ago I started using xylitol in my tea instead of honey and that was right about the time I started getting really bloated in my stomach after eating. I does’t matter what I eat,though some foods do tend to make it worse; the bloating comes after mid day and gets worse into the evening. I tend to be constipated so It never gives me diarrhea. A few weeks ago I stopped drinking tea because I was not drinking enough water. Consequently my stomach got flatter and the bloating almost cleared completely up. Then my work hours increased and needed the tea for energy so I started drinking recently and the bloating came back so this little voice in my head said “Google bloating and xylitol. I found an article from a doctor who said that sugar alcohols can cause these symptoms. Now after reading this article that says it tears up your insides it makes sense to me. I have a feeling it’s the chemicals used to process it because I only use the kind made from pure organic birch. Whatever the reason I’m going to stop using it and see if once again my stomach bloat goes away. I’m pretty sure it will, my little voice never steers me wrong. My comment is for those who came upon this site in search of answers for the well being of their loved ones or themselves is to listen to the other individuals who came here for the same reason and to listen to your inner voice.
Love to you all and many thanks to you Betty. 🙂
Hello from the UK, this is the only website I could find that actually discusses side effects. I ate around 33g of sugar free chocolate and within 5 mins I felt sick, stomach cramps, weakness, dizziness and diarrhoea. I found taking probiotic tablets a couple of hours after eating helped. It was awful, I felt like i had been poisoned. When eating this chocolate before I had less and felt unwell but not to this extent. I have read up on it and I didn’t even have a large amount, in fact very small.
I have 4 year old twins who recently went to the dentist. He suggested 5-6 servings of xylitol per day because it’s so good at killing bad bacteria in your mouth, thus less cavities. I looked around and found some lollipops online (expensive ones, I might add! About $7 for 25 lollipops) and started letting them each have one per day “as a treat”. Within days, they both started complaining of stomach pain. I thought it was your typical little kid potty problem. But they kept saying it every day for about two weeks. I started thinking about any changes in their diet and it always came back to the lollipops. I then googled “stomach cramps with xylitol” and came across your post. I am NEVER giving my kids xylitol ever again. It’s obviously not meant for their consumption. Thank you for more information that solidifies my decision!
Gum, such as Trident, has xylitol, but not in the amounts found in the sugar or probably the lollipops either. I chew Trident gum in the same way that I used to smoke. I always have it on hand, and always have some in my mouth. With that said, I brush my teeth daily, but rarely floss or do anything else to take special care of my teeth. When I was younger (before Trident became my mainstay), I always had horrible teeth cleanings and lots of fillings. Recently I went to the dentist after a lengthy absence of annual cleaning (about 10 years) and the hygienist was impressed with how well I take care of my teeth. She had very little plaque to clean off of my teeth and was shocked that it had been that long since I had my teeth cleaned. The only thing I can figure is that it is the xylitol in the gum. I just keep chewing it and my teeth stay overall plaque free. I, personally, am a believer.
As far as the sweetener goes, I have switched my sugar use to xylitol and while I have definitely had some “bubble gut” issues as an unpleasant side effect, I have also had some positive side effects. First, switching and cutting out any food with sugar in the 1st three ingredients, I lost 18 pounds from January 2 to March 30 2015. Secondly, cutting out table sugar and foods with added sugar or any ingredient ending in -ose and replacing it with xylitol I have found that my (violent, overpowering sweet tooth) has lost the evil control that it held over me.
I too have wondered if this too will eventually be switched over to the not good for you list. And I have two dogs that I am VERY careful with. But raisins, and grapes, and chocolate and many other seemingly benign healthy foods are also unhealthy or even lethal for dogs, so that in and of itself does not instantly make me question it safety.
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I too am against using xylitol. I actually wrote a post on my blog stating why. I first learned about it thru The Fat Burning Man because they promote it, if you can believe that!
Keep up what you are doing because I for one love your blog and you do “make me happy”!
I would have to agree that it should not be called natural but I believe that it is really good for you. I have two autistic sons and we give it regularly to them for the purpose of cleaning out their guts. Xylitol has been proven to break down biofilm, which is a byproduct of bacteria. So since there is good bacteria and bad bacteria, there is also good biofilm and bad biofilm. Plaque in your mouth is biofilm from bacteria in your mouth, which is why they put xylitol in toothpaste to help break it up. Normally a layer of biofilm in your gut acts as a barrier or a filter to bad things in your food and does not let some things through to get into your blood. But in the case of my boys, they had more bad bacteria in their gut than good. So we give them xylitol to clear out their digestive track and then give them good bacteria to grow in its place, and therefore, good biofilm. When I started taking xylitol, it gave me diarrhea as well but after continuing to take it, it has stopped. My personal theory is that people who respond badly at first to it have thick layers of biofilm in their guts and therefore there is much to strip out. The body makes thick walls of biofilm to protect. But if you are constantly eating junk food (lots of preservatives, nitrates, and processed food) than taking xylitol may be more bad than good. However, if you are eating healthy food regularly than taking xylitol will actually help you almost like a cleanse. I have changed my diet and like I said, xylitol no longer hurts me. I have switched to Xyla which is made from hardwood and that seemed to help as well. This is just my theory of course and I hope it helps someone. Ryan
THANK YOU so much for this post! I came across it after googling “xylitol effects on GI”. I am all about natural everything and usually use stevia, maple syrup, agave, etc as sweeteners. A friend introduced me to xylitol and I have been using it in my coffe and oatmeal for the past 3 months or so. Over the past few weeks I have noticed that my stomach feels like I ate glass… so much gas, loose stool, pain, and weird constipation. I had an itch that it was the xylitol because my diet is very clean for the most part and I couldn’t think of anything that would be causing these symptoms. Switching back to stevia ASAP… I would take the extra sweetness over GI upset anyday. Thanks again!
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I have used very small amounts of xylitol occasionally over the last few years without noticeable side effects. But about 36 hours ago I baked some gluten free brownies using half organic sugar and half xylitol–about 1/4 cup each. My bladder has not been the same since. Overactive–discomfort–the urge to go right after emptying it. I hope these symptoms will clear up since. I will never use any sugar alcohols again.
Thanks so much for your blog. I was looking for a protein powder n thought I found a good one until I read xylitol.
I googled the name n found your blog. You saved me wasting over 200. Au $ plus my health. I don’t need to gamble with my health by taking this dicey replacement for sugar. I appreciate finding your blog such good reading n all the helpful comments kindly given. I’m so glad I googled xylitol n was informed of the dangers giving me a choice.
Regular sugar is bad for your immune system and is linked to a host of other diseases because of the reaction it has to your insulin level. Xylitol does not spike those levels and it is the only thing that I have found that tastes just like real sugar with no aftertaste like the good Stevia and those artificial sweeteners that have been proven harmful. I could not find any information wrong with Xylitol except you would not want to use too much of it because of its laxative effect. My concern is the long term effect it may have on the liver, though. Anyone have more info on that? I only put it in my coffee to cut down on having too much sugar during the day since I can’t control all the sugar that is in everything else. Supposedly it does not give you that tired, “let-down” later, either.
YOU ROCK! Thanks for sharing this info. I loved reading this post and was so surprised to read that you got negative feedback in your update. Not cool! My favorite part was when you wrote: This my blog, MY blog…..so true! So keep saying what you need to say, girl….and forget the haters who want to damn you for sharing information that quite clearly triggers their addiction to sweet stuff. Either that or threatens the income they are making off of it.
An excellent source of calcium are dairy items, such as soy milk.
Ahmed, do you milk soybeans?
Hi there, thank you for your investigation and sharing with us the result of it. Having read about how good xylitol is for your health I decided to find a way to do it myself, because I have a couple of birches. Of course, it is not THAT natural … Anyhow, when I read it can also be produced of corn, I started be more suspicious regards the M-company. If Monsteranto is envolved, than I better tell my friends and relatives and avoid this from far. People have to know and here in Europe some still cannot realize what you guys in US have to struggle against in that matter. Thank you once more.
for Chr**t sakes!!! I have been dizzy too!! i purchased 100% Xylitol thinking that i finally found a replacement for sugar. It has GMO free, all natural, made from hardwood all over the packaging. This really pisses me off. What can i use for sweetener…..is Stevia natural?
I use it for a year now and I love it. It test just like sugar and i did not have side effects what so ever. HOWEVER, recently I fell dizzy and I wandered why?? i come across this blog because I wanted to know how Xylitol is produced? it looks like sugar and test like sugar and the package has this information: “derived from 100% U.S. -grown birchwood” what can be more natural that that???
Thank you for the article and thank you readers for sharing your experiences. Now I know the cause of my dizzyness.
I have read that you can grow your own Stevie,(kind of like a mint plant I assume). I have wanted to try to grow it, but just haven’t done it yet. I don’t know how many leaves you would have to use to sweeten anything, but; One of these days I may get around to it and grow my own.
I would like to let people know that after eating two biscuits that my mother had baked using Zylitol that within minutes I went into an intense reaction with vomiting, stomach craps, diarrhoea, passing out, blurred vision, pins and needles in my fingers and blood in my urine and diarrhoea. This was intense for 2 hours after which the light headedness eased and the frequency of the vomiting and diarrhoea reduced. The vomiting stopped 9 hours later and the diarrhoea the next day.
Now 4 days later I still have cramps, no energy, little appetite and can only eat small amounts. My doctor said it was probably an anaphylactic reaction with some kidney damage even though I didn’t have swelling of the face or throat and that if I consumed any again it will be worse and possibly fatal. I now have an Epi Pen and have to read read every label. I am 49 years old and do not have any other food allergies.
We are sure it was the Xylitol because my mother started using it occasionally in baking after being told she is getting close to having diabetes 2. She had used it in a slice she baked 4 days earlier of which I only had a taste and ended up vomiting all afternoon ( I thought I had a virus). Zylitol was the only common ingredient in the slice and biscuits.
After this I did a google search and found that to make Zylitol that the base is natural, usually corn, beets, sugar cane or the like which is then hydrogenated and soaked in Sulphuric Acid. I googled Sulphuric Acid and Wikipedia describes it as a highly corrosive strong mineral acid. Corrosive on materials like metal, living tissue and stone.
I may be a minority but this stuff really isn’t as safe as its made out to be. In that two hours of severe reaction I felt like I had been poisoned and I personally would like to see it removed from the market.
even though i use it – sparingly mind you! may be 1/2 pound/YEAR – partly due to the fact that i never sweeten coffee and tea with honey if that – i recently read the ingredient list on the gum (Spry); despite my semi shock i did order it again – since it is still less chemical stuff than regular gum, imo any way, and supposedly is good for the teeth; OK i chew may be one piece per day, nothing drastic, though even little bits add up in the end 🙁
after reading this, i will NOT order the “sugar” ever again! the gum, i will just have to keep looking if i can find some thing better….. shucks BUT:
Thanks for all the info!
Xylose is a wood sugar used to make xylitol, a wood sugar alcohol, which is not absorbed in your small intestine and when it reaches your large intestines your good bacteria use it like fiber which is why you get the squats, it is best used as a toothpaste additive or mouth rinse because of its anti bacterial and anti fungal properties. Xylose is largely absorbed in your small intestine and excreted through your kidney ,so no laxative effects ( when overused most sugars have that problem with bacteria using sugars as dietary fiber) ,you use only about one third the calories as table sugar , it has the same sweetness as xylitol, and has teeth benefits, and is a 7 to sucrose’s 100 on the glycemic index ,some studies suggest it can reverse diabetic problems. It also increases calcium asbsorbtion rate in the body. Yes it is processed much like all the other sugar substitutes but it tastes great with no after taste. So xylose awesome, xylitol,use sparingly, the Asians have been using xylose for awhile,I don’t know why the usa doesn’t. I use it in all my hard candies, something impossible to do with xylitol.
thanks!!!!
I too was taught Xylitol was good for me especially my teeth. They give it to children after lunch in Finnish schools.
Alas I didn’t really hear much about the negatives – least not until tonight when my jack Russel ate a dozen pieces of Wrigleys spearmint – she is now in intensive care in the local animal hospital with suspect liver failure
This stuff is anything but natural and really should carry a health warning – even if only for dogs
Sorry to hear about your dog.
Why did you give your dog something that would make a human 10x the size the trots?
Only an asshat would make the owner of a family pet feel bad about the gum it ate. What? Did she just want to experience the thrill of rushing a dying animal to a vet hospital and pay all the fees of an animal E.R. and Intensive Care? How about watching the suffering of an animal you love and cherish? Go be a douche troll somewhere where it’s appreciated–you know, like hell?
I am so sorry to read about your doggie. I don’t believe you purposely gave your dog that gum. I know how dogs can be, they smell something good and eat it. Heck they eat things that don’t smell good, they’re dogs. Anyway I hope your dog made it out of intensive care and is now back at home with his/her family.
In answer to the question, Xylitol: Should We Stop Calling It Natural?
Yes, absolutely. I don’t understand why you would get criticism for this. I use xylitol myself. I don’t seem to have the same issues others, but I have thought there will come a time when opinions will turn and people will begin to talk about the downsides to xylitol. I suspect it may contribute to problems with the eyes simply because similar sounding products do. I use it in moderation, usually along with stevia.
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I really appreciated reading this and am very happy to feel like I actually know what xylitol is now! Thank you for researching and writing this post!!!
I have dry mouth from a couple of meds and saw on Amazon that xylitol mints recommended for that problem. I bought the lemon flavored ones, loved them, put them next to my computer keyboard, and kept popping them in my mouth. My gut, it turned out, did not love them. My gut, in fact, was seriously offended. No more xylitol mints for this lady. No problem with gum containing xylitol, however. Apparently it has a lot to do with how much of the stuff you ingest. Ah, well, we live and learn. Thanks, Betty! Ran across your web site looking for confirmation of my suspicion that the xylitol mints were indeed cause of my problem, since I had not eaten anything else unusual or strange or suspect. I will be back here in the future. VERY good information and very well written, and despite the nature of the problem with xylitol, with even a wicked sense of humor!
Right on! Way to tell it like it is! We have been duped over and over with all of these “natural” products that are actually so bastardized in laboratories! Stick to food, people! Not food-like man-made substances!
Thanks for the informative blog. Since I am sensitive to so many things, I will save my bowels and forgo the xylitol. It’s just not worth sitting on the toilet for.
Well, I’m here just doing some checking for both sides of the story. I just bought some Xylitol at the recommendation of a doctor who is a wiz at curing candida. He says to use Xylitol as a sweetener because it has been shown to actively kill candida yeast…………waiting a moment for this to sink in……………..now it should be sunk in.
The reason people have digestion issues on Xylitol is because of the candida. Those who do experience these symptoms should put themselves on a candida cleanse then try the xylitol again. I’d bet my left arm your symptoms will be gone. The greater your candida overload the greater your symptoms will be.
And a little bit of moisturizer could help you with that crunchy. LOL.
You know, I think you’re right. I’m currently battling a candida yeast infection and I feel nauseated and gassy after consuming xylitol. I’m going to research that cleanse you mentioned. Thanks for making that connection!
I am a Registered Dental Hygienist who recommends Xylitol to my patients every day. I have seen first hand it’s ability to prevent tooth decay. I also use xylitol as a sweetener in my tea, coffee, and baking. I only just recently had my first trouble with gas, bloating, and diarrhea from using it, only to soon discover that I was battling candida! I since have been researching Candida Overgrowth and natural treatments only to discover that Xylitol does decimate candida (yeast) and can cause “die-off” symptoms of (but not limited to) gas, bloating/cramping, diarrhea, brain fog/dizziness, mood swings/irritability, chronic fatigue, and the list goes on.
So I must agree that anyone suffering from similar symptoms should consider getting checked for candida overgrowth as this can be a very serious issue and can lead to even more serious issues. It often goes undiagnosed for far too long if one doesn’t realize the underlying problem. Candida is more than just a “female” problem. The infection can be internal long before any external signs like vaginal infections, oral thrush, and itching of the anal region even begin to show. Candida is often brought on by antibiotic use, especially pro-longed episodes. Antibiotics don’t distinguish between “good” and “bad” bacteria, consequently killing all of our good intestinal flora as well. This allows candida to thrive and multiply out of control. Candida can be extremely difficult to get under control, and Xylitol has been shown to be a successful tool when used in conjunction with diet and supplements. Hope this can help someone! 🙂
This is so great to know!! I went Paleo about 2 years ago and started using Xylitol and was fine…then stopped using it, and am now back on a whole foods low carb diet and started to use very small amounts of Xylitol and the nausea and diarrhea and cramping I get from it are horrible! I didn’t understand it, as I used to use much large quantities of it with no problems at all! I looked up the symptoms for candida and I have almost all of them…I never would have known to look into this if it wasn’t for your comment, so thank you so much!
Hi Crunchy,
Your a hoot! What a great way to deliver information. So sorry you had to deal with negative defensive remarks. I wanted to share that I was at the dentist yesterday and was mentioning that my adult son is having cavity issues and beside the bad genetics’ I gave him what could he do? I told her we don’t use fluoride unless there is a itsy bit in our toothpaste.He is a biologist and I am in the health and fitness area so I am fairly well versed in what is natural. I don’t even do x-rays at the dentist or ever use OTC for pain. She was so excited to tell me all about Xylitol… Just another way to confuse and scam the public. People need to do their research and come up with the choice that’s best fits them, but don’t lie to them about it being natural!!! Im with you 100%. Unfortunately if they told the truth we would still have clean soil, produce which still had it nutrients and the big companies and Monsantos in particular would have a little less $$$. Its painful to watch the government deceive the people.
Wow! I never experienced this, but had sweetened tea that my family drank with me and they all had stomach issues! Now I know!! My nutritionist put me on the stuff, just purchased liquid stevia, hope it’s safe?
Thank you SO much for your article! I had been searching for a whey protein powder as a supplement for my gym workouts. I have an extremely sensitive and motile GI tract and when I came upon a powder with only stevia and xylitol, I thought I hit the jackpot. Was I wrong! Cramps, bloating, pain. When I read your post I began to understand why. So glad I came upon it.
Yes, the media should have picked this up long ago. But sadly, consumers have too often been to weak to combat corporate profit economics. Maybe someday…..
Hello, I really loved your article. Unfortunately, the most hilarious parts were because of experiencing those bad side effects myself. I am actually having trouble searching for help on the subject because I am so dizzy I am having trouble walking from the bathroom to my computer! I wish this was funny, but I am scared. I wish I never saw that package of xylitol at the health food store! I chew xylitol gum all the time and never had this problem.
I get dizzy, too!! For me, though, I can’t even have xylitol in gum. I had two pieces while I was driving on a trip, and I had to pull over because I couldn’t continue driving. It was incredibly scary.
We paid $.43 per ounce for the xylitol hoping for a healthy substitute for sugar. Instead, we got constant diarrhea, serious cramps and massive amounts of gas! I am not kidding folks. I was trying to eat more healthy and this is what I get? Call me if you want a nice size bag of this crap “really” cheap! The upside is…the cats are moving out!
I want it. It’s the only sweetener I use.how can i get it?
I have some I’m tossing, April, (still sealed from the store). Wish I could send it to you.
This article about Xylitol and some of the responses are so comforting. As I write this I am listening to my stomach rumble around loudly and am also experiencing some slight dizziness. My daughter on the other hand swears by it and is learning to use it to cook and bake with! All I can add is each and every person’s chemical make up is slightly different. Our bodies tolerate and process different chemicals in different ways. Maybe if I continue to use Xylitol my system will get use to it but I’m not sure I want to find out! I will be returning to using a teaspoon of honey, processed in glass jars for the future sweetening of my morning coffee.
Wow, you actually take offence at people who vehemently disagree with you. Your article was poorly researched. Getting a so-called “chemist” to speculate, yes speculate, that because a lot of xylitol is manufactured by a big bad company means it must be bad for you. He discredited himself from any ability to influence on is “authority” from the get go with this silly observation. As a result, authoritative at all, he is not.
I won’t call you names. I can see why you regret writing your article, and why you are saying you won’t address xylitol again. I understand that you would just like the nightmare to end.
Perhaps retracting the worst of the article would help you, as again, it is so poorly researched, and it is so utterly lacking in solid scientific foundation, that the entire thing should probably go.
I am not a big xylitol user and I have no relationship whatsoever with xylitol manufactures. I am just a discerning reader. Yes it is YOUR blog. That is o excuse for having some dependable substance to what you post, however. And, your getting rid of the comments that disagree, and leaving only those that jump in and support you, well, that renders your blog not objective, not fair, and not worth reading again….ever.
And………great science…….”rip up your insides”………this “people’s chemist” can’t do better than that in his explanation of xylitol’s effects on the stomach, colon, liver, gallbladder?!?!? I don’t trust a word he says. A high school chemistry student could have done better.
My MD at Whitaker Wellness recommends xylitol, thank you very much Mr. “chemist”.
Sometimes user experience speaks more loudly than anything else. An MD could recommend Xylitol to me, but that MD isn’t lying here with stomach cramps after consuming Xylitol like I am. I found this site when I suspected the Xylitol I used for the first time today was causing all these cramps. Turns out, there are many people experiencing the same thing as evidenced by all the responses here. I choose to listen to my body over any study or expert out there. My body right now is telling me Xylitol–>not for me!
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Hi
I have been on xylitol for 2 years. I developed severe gastric problems. Body pains.
The worst reflux ever. I never thought it might be xylitol after many expensive tests. Hospitalisation
Still no cure. I stopped everything in my diet . Raw sugar, wheat, diary. But I still could not get rid of
Heartburn and pain. But did not stop Xylitol. I relied on many cups of tea laced with xylitol.
Eventually after eliminating every possible thing from my diet. I thought, what could
I be taking everyday that is hurting my stomach. I glanced at the – kg packet of xylitol on my shelf.
I stopped xylitol. Within a week I could eat normly and I had no pain. Very happy to feel
Normal again. I did have to go on pro biotics for 6 months as my gut was totally damaged . I also came across this
article below.
Xylitol
Xylitol Contributes to Gut Imbalance
Sugar alcohols like xylitol are not broken down in the stomach like other sweeteners. Rather, they arrive intact into the intestines.
At that point, a process called “passive diffusion” takes place whereby the xylitol draws water into the bowels. This results in only partial breakdown of the xylitol. The unmetabolized portion ferments; the perfect environment for undesirable bacteria to grow.
And, while it is true that xylitol itself does not feed candida directly like sugar does and is even promoted as a useful part of the Candida Diet, the fermentation of undigested xylitol in the gut most definitely can exacerbate yeast problems, so don’t be fooled by that argument!
This is exactly why consuming xylitol can make some folks so gassy and even trigger cramping and diarrhea. Gut pathogens having a heyday in your intestines give off a lot of smelly toxins!
Other Little Known Problems with Xylitol
Xylitol can contribute to acid reflux problems so those who have issues in this area should avoid it for that reason alone. Chronic acid reflux is a serious problem that can lead to cancer of the esophagus and larynx.
Enough Xylitol in Two Pieces of Gum to Kill a Rat
According to lab tests, a 100 gram rat can be killed by approximately 1.65 grams of xylitol about half the time.
Two little pieces of xylitol gum contain about .7 – 1 gram of xylitol – enough to probably kill your child’s pet rat.
Do you want your child chewing xylitol gum on a frequent basis even if preliminary research indicates that it may help prevent cavities?
Rami Nagel, author of Cure Tooth Decay, doesn’t even recommend xylitol gum for this purpose.
Linda
Hi. Thanks for your informative post but there are such horror stories here, so I thought I would give another side. I don’t have any vested interest in xylitol’s success, other than perhaps if it was more common, it would be cheaper. I have been adding it to my unsweetened Fage yogurt for about 3 years, with no problems. Truly, none. I do buy birch xylitol and don’t find it any more expensive. The use of corn does concern me. I wish your blog addressed birch seriously, rather than dismissing it, due to expense and depleting the forest. I would be interested, since I find xylitol tastes much better (same as sugar), than any other substitute. I find ALL others bitter.
I am really loving the theme/design of your site.
Do you ever run into any browser compatibility problems?
A couple of my blog readers have complained about my website not working correctly in Explorer but looks great in Chrome.
Do you have any ideas to help fix this issue?
Have you heard of the natural sweetener Lakanto? I wonder if it is just like xylitol.
Fully appreciate your efforts and initiatives to write about such things.
Governments and government policies are dictated by monies, just because a label fits regulatory criteria does not make harmless.
Natural is a word allowed for post-processing products which were made using some naturally occurring material. Does not mean end product is natural just because its chemistry replicates chemistry if naturally found material. Biology is still relevant.
As commented by some about moderation-every living entity has its own individual tolerance and capacity to break down toxins and flush them out. Just because sone are seemingly unaffected immediately by something does not certify it as harmless.
Human psyche is easily impressed by words, sounds and visuals. Also, it is easily impressed upon by authority. Thats the premise of advertising and expert-speak used for promotion/propaganda.
Going truly natural in the things we use daily for personal care is not easy now-lifestyles spoilt are difficult to mend. But if the earth and the lives on it are to continue existing, then at some point the chemical pursuit of biology will have to stop.
There can be no reason to encourage debate on synthetic products. Factually, naturally produced and natural replicated are two different things.
My compliments to the website and author for creating much-needed awareness.
well said! I take what you said as informative. I like the xylitol…but I have questions so I’m glad I read your post. if others want to leave negative comments…blah.
I had a visit with my dentist hygienist earlier this week. She handed me a photocopied article (from the local herb shop on the town square). The hygienist advised me that the article was about the benefits of Xylitol concerning oral care. I read the article but was taken aback by statements in the article i.e. “Xylitol is a Dream Come True” and especially the suggestion that “you can also safely use Xylitol sprays and gels for infants to protect their newly erupting baby teeth”.
I am absolutely not a conspiracy freak, but I swear I could hear Big Brother behind me as I read the afore mentioned article and silently urging me to “eat Xylitol, brush with Xylitol, drink Xylitol, use Xylitol mouth spray after every meal”.
Well I just love your witty writing! I too just purchased this in a natural food store, for my husband who is recently diagnosed borderline diabetic. I use a minimum amount of Organic Coconut Sugar, but wanted him off even that. So hence I did this purchase, tried a bit last night….well visiting the ladies room today I was thinking, WTH did i eat last night? Guess what I tried, YUP , so now what do I do with it? Poison our ground water? Kill the animals in the forest as I ferret (pun intended) it away in the woods, toss in the trash to be put into the dump poisoning the land forever! Well I may just have to bring it back to that “Natural Food Store” and let them take care of it. Love this article. Thanks I am a fan and will read more!
What does this stuff taste like? Does it leave a yucky ‘diet sweetner’ aftertaste? I am thinkinf this may be the yucky sweetbreads used in kids medicines that make my grandkids gag? Now I realize that may be the least of our problems with this stuff!!
No after taste, which is why I am a big fan. I do buy birch and this post doesn’t give any info on that, so I will continue….
There is no after taste, unlike all natural Stevia which leaves a bitter after taste in my throat. But it is all natural so it must be good right?
Xylitol is not natural. It is not generally good for you, if small amounts make you ill. I have worked for years as an organic chemist and have repeatedly found this chemical to be miscategorized as safe and natural. It is neither. Thanks for spreading the word!!
I love all of your comments,I could not believe why anybody would want to say anything negative, probably ignorance of not knowing. I am researching natural sugars, from day one I never trusted the name Xylotil, it sounds synthetic, and stopped having chewing gum for that reason. I class this as synthetic, natural is the sweetness in fruit, or honey or stevia leaf (not the produced stuff, it is not pure, about 5% on the labels?)I love making my own pure natural products, currently in the process of having my body oils safety tested. I would be very interested to see views on what consumers see as “natural’, the market is bombarded with information and clever marketing tactics, ie sugar free…..which means something else is added to replace it…i avoid all sweetners, unless it is naturally occuring inside the fruit, or in unheated honey, i am not interested in what the market targets as ‘sugar free’, or sweetners…..love your posts, absolutely brilliant
Oh my goodness. I’m so glad I found this blog!! I bought xylitol today, and was assured it was all natural and not GMO. So, it must be ok right? Wrong!!! I had added some to my unsweetened cranberry juice. Within a few hours I also was running to the bathroom. Worse, I didn’t make it a few times either!! There wasn’t much warning either!!! i couldn’t figure out why all of a sudden. Could it be the xylitol? Only after a few hours of having it???? I searched for “side effects” and didn’t come up with much.. Until I searched xylitol and diarrhoea. Sometimes you have to ask the right question. Well, I guess I’ll be throwing out my bag of xylitol! Only a few teaspoons were added!! I’m afraid to leave the house for the next 24 hours or so. I hope this doesn’t last long!!! Thank you so much for posting this. Don’t let a few people ruin your blog!!!! They’re not worth it!! Look how many have thanked you!!!!!! I see that some people it doesn’t bother them using this substance. Good for them. Makes me wonder why they came here in the first place. It doesn’t give people a right to be rude. Again, I must thank you for taking the time to write your blog. I was beginning to think something was seriously wrong!! As I think it “ripped apart my insides!”
Lactose is 100% natural, is not processed with man-made chemicals, and can cause severe GI problems for non-tolerant Asians.
Tofu is 100% un-natural, is processed with man-made chemicals, and (assuming the traditional, not high-genistein Monsanto, et al. varieties) causes almost no problems to anyone. Except soy can kill some people.
Now enough about Xylitol. If you can’t handle it, don’t eat it. That’s all.
This is an interesting post! Fortunately I don’t have any issues with digestion in small amounts, but there’s good info in here. Thanks.
I just started on Xylitol gums and sweets recently and kept having runs and I mean EXPLOSIVE runs… I suspect it’s the Xylitol.
No matter what the makers/advertisers or other users say. It is a fact that we had diarhoea after we ate it (just alittle). Period.
Anything natural or not, can be couched in scary terms, and spun into something nefarious, just take a look at http://www.DHMO.org.
I did not see much substantive objections to xylitol here, just how evil it made, and how evil the companies are that are making it, and how evil their intentions are, and how the forests are being defoliatetd if we get it naturally from birch trees.
I did hear a bit about it having a laxative effect on some people, but really nothing
As for myself, I eat and drink it all the time, without any GI negative effects. I consider it an amazing substitute for sugar, and do like it very much.
THANK YOU for telling it like it is. Everything in moderation? I don’t think so. You can drink your nickel-plated lighter fluid in moderation if it floats yer boat, but that ain’t natural, and Du Pont’s expertise is in killing, and that’s not what I want on my dinner table. My partner and I both had bad feelings about xylitol, but being an ex-sugar addict, I let my wishful thinking propel me into ignoring them. STOOOPID. That’s why I’m battling liver disease and precancer now. Time to LISTEN to our bodies, I’m thinkin’. THANK YOU again for having the guts to speak up. Sorry you’ve taken crap for it, but the truth-tellers always do. I am a new subscriber, and I think people are ready to wake up and LISTEN to this, and to their bodies, and stop arguing now. Maybe. Maybe a few more need to be diagnosed with diseases due to toxicity before they put down their egos and put down the convenient poisons. Love to you for hanging your butt out there either way. MWAH!
I’m glad I found your page when I goggle xylitol. Thank you for your research I now know I won’t use this product. I have used stevia a few times and haven’t liked how I felt afterwards so I thought I’d look up exactly waht xylitol was. If it’s been processed with chemical in my books it is not natural.
I thank you for your due diligence. I only wish I had read your blog sooner. My dentist recommended the product so naturally I took his word for it and doubled over does not quite do it justice. Seriously will never touch the stuff again, however, I thought I had food poisoning until I read your blog. You are doing great work, keep it up. Thanks again.
Currently on the toilet. Bored. Last thing I ate was some xylitol spray candy. Instant run to toilet -_-
Bottom line people: if it’s too good to be true, it probably isn’t true. Reading this reassured me of my own thoughts on xylitol without knowing all the facts. Sugar is not evil. It’s natural, absorbed by the body, makes you happy…just consume in moderation. I suppose it’s the same with xylitol-if you like processed, chemically modified junk in your body. Your choice.
Thanks again for writing this.
Used xylitol for years without any problems whatsoever. It’s a great product if it’s tolerated. I use it in baking, gum, candy, and we love it. Sorry you could not tolerate it.
Crunchy Betty,
Thanks for the info and especially sharing your sources of info! I have never had any side effects to xylitol though used only 1 teaspoon at a time….so I was shocked to see your research and I thought I had found such a good substitute, a product from birch trees like maple syrup….that I could even smear on my teeth if I couldn’t brush em! I truly appreciate this heads up and some future sources to access! And now to the kitchen to rid myself of the varmin!
Loni
Anecdotally, myself and at least three friends have used Xylitol (birch-based only) on the recommendation of a fairly knowledgeable and successful trainer whom I would consider an “expert”. None of us report problems of the kind mentioned. That being said, I am not particularly “tender-tummied” and have ingested boatloads of artificial and processed food (even horse wormer on occasion) without even a hint of GI distress. But when in comes to natural vs. not, it’s hard to make a case that squeezing juice from sugar cane and using it for sweetener is PROBABLY safer than what can be whipped up in the organic chemistry lab at the local community college. But this too is debatable when one considers farming practice and controls as well as the negative affects overconsumption of simple sugars can have on the human body (lest you think I’m some kind of paleo freak, chocolate is the base of my food pyramid — but I know that daily gobbling up tons of even naturally sweetened organic chocolate is not good for you) So while “experts” can have wildly differing opinions, we are all left to make our own decisions about what we will or will not ingest (come on, people! she even says that in her disclaimer!). However, I challenge anyone to debate this:
1) Natural does NOT mean good for you. Rattlesnake venom is natural AND unprocessed, but in case you are unaware it is POISONOUS and you should not eat it. Ricin is made from beans with debatably less processing than xylitol. Guess what? It is poison too! And just because it occurs “naturally” in the human body doesn’t mean it’s good for you either. The 6 molar acid in your stomach is not something you should pour in your latte in the morning. IT’S NOT GOOD FOR YOU!
2) “Natural” is largely semantics and opinion. How much transformation has to take place before we stop calling it natural? Some of our raw diet friends are laughing at us right now. For them, COOKING is too much processing and therefore cooked food is no longer “natural”.
3) Be decent. If you would not say it to someone’s face, why leave it in a comment on their blog? I have neither the time nor inclination to defend someone whose blog I have barely read, but even if she called my mom a whore I have better things to do with my life than concern myself with her opinion, let alone get into a childish exchange of name-calling. If you feel that strongly, start your own blog and call it “people who don’t like Xylitol suck” and you will have accomplished your goal.
You go girl!
Woo!! I’ve been using Xylitol for years and have cleared up by eczema using it. 1 bit of normal sugar or fruit the eczema comes back/
Agreed! I am on a ACD diet and cannot have any sugar or sweetener; suggested replacement is Stevia which I dislike. Xylitol is currently my life saviour as I cannot live without just a bit of sweetener in my vegan pancakes or herbal tea.
Every time I read a post like this one, I begin to doubt all my choices and it is not a very healthy thing, especially when my choices are so limited to begin with. Really, not helpful.
I have an issue with Xylitol…and my gums. It feels extremely sweet, hurts and it irritates too. Seeking an alternative I started purchasing products from Whole Foods market, and another local health food store. At least 20 different products from oral rinses to toothpastes that contain Xylitol have proven irritating. So what I did? Went back to “Colgate Sensitive”, I know it’s not a good choice, but in the meantime I’m researching for a product that does not contain Xylitol, and I am losing hope, since I don’t find any. Has anyone been able to find a completely ******SUGARLESS****** toothpaste? I would really appreciate the effort to inform me.
Hi Mari,
Make your own tooth paste! Here is a very simple and effective recipe for keeping your teeth, gums, tongue, and inside of your mouth fresh and HEALTHY
1/2 Cup of baking soda
15-20 drops of PURE UNADULTERATED ORGANIC ESSENTIAL OIL. You can use a combination of oils or only one. I usually use a combination of several essential oils such as eucalyptus, rosemary, lavender, peppermint, geranium, tea tree, basil,spruce, sweet orange….just to name a few. You can order wonderful essential oils that can be trusted for their purity from places like Mountain Rose Herbs, Pacific Institute of Aromatherapy, Simplers Botanicals or Starwest Botanicals.
Be sure to do a bit of research on the essential oils you choose to use if you do not already know about them. Essential oils are very powerful and need to be used with some knowledge and respect.
Put the baking soda and the essential oil into a container that has a lid and shake vigorously to combine.
Pour a little of the mixture into the palm of your clean hand or onto a saucer and with a wet toothbrush gather the mixture onto the bristles and brush away. You will find that your mouth feels and is cleaner, fresher and your teeth will become whiter over time. This mixture helps to prevent gum issues and tooth decay and also helps to control bacteria that causes sore throats and sinus condition.
My family uses this simple and naturally safe recipe and enjoys great dental health. Be sure to rinse your mouth after brushing your teeth, gums and inside your mouth. If you swallow the water it will not harm you nor are there any harmful chemicals or sweetners to be wary of.
Hope this helps!
So glad I found this and a couple of other articles about Xylitol. I should have known there was something “fishy” about it when my hubby broke out in a nasty rash after adding it to his coffee every day – as soon as he stopped the Xylitol, the rash disappeared. But the chemical processing had me worried. It can’t be good for tummies, so no wonder it causes tummy upsets! And to me, anything that does that DOES NOT BELONG IN OUR BODIES. I have nothing but lovely words dripping with admiration because you’re awesome. I know you won’t respond, but please just know, that more than 2 years on, your posts are still have a positive effect in the world. Crunch-on!! xxx
Re your note – are you kidding me? Stop blogging because people are calling you names? The reason ppl are writing “dripping with sarcasm” is that you have touched a nerve… they can’t mount a reasonable argument so they resort to name calling. They win if you stop blogging – keep up the good work!! I’m part of a lyme disease support group – this sweetener is discussed today, hence the reason I started googling xylitol. Your blog will definitely be shared, people with compromised immune systems need to have all the info before they try something new.
Thank you for this article. I had one teaspoon in my morning coffee and had diarrhea all morning. So, what is considered large amounts? That is the question for labelers of this product. My daughter put a few grains in a homemade toothpaste for my grandson and he had a few diapers of loose stools afterwards. I am glad she didn’t give him anymore than that. Diarrhea can be a serious health threat to many people. In my opinion this product needs a to be reevaluated by the FDA.
I greatly appreciate the research you did. During the last few months I have been experiencing all sorts of digestive problems. I was starting to get really worried. Problem is I don’t have health insurance and hoped the problem would sort itself out if I just started eating better and drinking more water. I finally decided to go through all the foods I eat on a regular basis and look into how they are made/processed. When finally I got to Xylitol an “ah ha” moment occurred. I don’t recall having these stomach issues until I switched to Xylitol. I thought I was crazy since this is purported to be such a natural product. I’m going to stop using the sugar for a few weeks and see what happens. Also I wanted to note that I usually get bad cramps with my monthly. Since I started using Xylitol my cramps have been much worse. Coincidence ?? maybe, we’ll see. Thank you for this article!!! You may have really helped me ward off some serious future health issues.
Thanks for this, even two years later. I was at the health food store today trying to pick out some supplements for my 9 yr. old and use my old eyes to read all the tiny ingredients on the labels. Bumped in to one that looked good, but the xylitol in the list raised a ? in the back of my head and I decided to postpone a decision til I came home and researched. Thanks for helping me dodge this chemical bullet. I’ll keep looking.
Appreciate it.
WOW,
Now I am afraid to eat these lemon ice chips.
Thanks for the info.
What a sensational yet informative blog. I really enjoyed reading this article. A friend of mine gave my disable and obese brother a bag of the artificial sweetener to use in place of sugar. I always like to research as to what I would be ingesting so I was grateful for your research. Thank you Randy
THANK you for writing about Xylitol. YEARS ago (I’m 53) I bought some sugar-free ice cream. Just to compare it with regular ice cream. Plus I’d save calories, right?!
After having some, my stomach felt strange, and I started getting cramps, then had to rush to the bathroom. I had pretty severe diarrhea. Not exactly a pleasant experience, and my body clearly indicated to me NOT to eat that crap again!
Kids, and young people, honor your body’s reaction to what you ingest. Your body has its own wisdom. The food and chemical companies know how much people like shiny new things, bright colors, ‘saving calories’ and such.
I’ve also noticed over the years, a HUGE increase in new strange colors and odors in all kinds of products. For example Wrigley gum sticks used to be sort of bland grey. Now, they’re a strange electric yellow color. Or shampoos – my God they’re 20x stronger-smelling than I ever remember.
Use your common sense! Thanks for letting me spout.
Well after years of debilitating Candida I researched “so I thought” about xylitol.Some of the info even said that it does not allow yeast to grow so eat a bit each day. Well, I was excited thinking i could have sweete things agin and get well.I picked our rassberies for 2 hours just thinking how great this pie is going to taste….that is until I ate my first piece just before I went to bed.It was all most instantly that I got cramps and not for a moment did I think it was the pie.I ended up with such severe wind and diarhea that I couldnt even make it to the rest room on time which was 12 feet from our bedroom!!! Needless to say Im going on my 3rd day sick dull headaches and still now loose stool but it is starting to go away.thank God! And they are recomending this to diabetics?$#%$#$ This would kill my 12 year old nephew!!! This stuff is simply TOXIC! THNAKYOU FOR THIS SITE!
Sorry you had bad symptoms with Xylitol, it’s not toxic for everyone, how ever when I first started taking it i did get cramps and gas etc, but that’s because I took too much too soon, 1 tsp a day at first no I can eat lots and not have any issues. Taking xylitol cleared up my long battle with eczema which I was told was fungal related. Now I don’t notice any feeling when taking it, it just passes through, it’s just a sweetner for me.
hope you’re well
Boston cream pie, why on earth did you post your personal medical information here?
As for the blog post, I would also just like to point out that sugar is also “all natural” and bad for us in large quantities. Good article. Gives us plenty to think about in order to make more informed decisions. That’s important. Also, historically, I recall reading that birch tree twigs were commonly chewed on in societies that had “good teeth”. Perhaps in its true, unprocessed and natural form it is meant for us to chew on for our oral health, but maybe not so much for processing to a form used for baking etc. Just a thought.
Boston cream pie, why on earth did you post your personal medical information here?
As for the blog post, I would also just like to point out that sugar is also “all natural” and bad for us in large quantities. Good article. Gives us plenty to think about in order to make more informed decisions. That’s important.
I too was suspicious of this sweetner when I heard about it from tue Crossfitians. I don’t trust it in the slightest so I went to track down the developers and behold. You see DuPont and there’s your first clue. This anint no good ship Loli pop.
I’m sure there’s no Invested interest in solving the question,,where are all the bees,?and why the sudden deaths.
Secondary gain looks like it’s in motion, all of a sudden we have all these fake sweetners on the market parralel to a bee gencide.
The only pro comments I see inline are from those with invested interest in the sale of their toxin.
Selling out their fellow man for a dollar is the new corporate Mantra.
Thanks for a great read and never back down to the crazy clown!
Peace
I wish for once someone comenting on a products aren’t selling stuff. It kinds washes out the statements.
Thanks! Good to know! I have a corn allergy and couldn’t figure out why I was becoming more inflamed while using many products that were trying to avoid using basic sugar by adding this as a healthy alternative. I also found interesting information regarding Stevia and Truvia while researching study results in journals, etc… to include a very lengthy report from the WHO on Truvia. It seems it’s a GMO product designed to yeild more of the usable portion which I’m guessing is the leaf. Also, it seems Stevia is in the Ragweed family… guess those w/ ragweed allergies might want to be careful to monitor their use & how much more sensitive they are in Ragweed peak season. — Peace!
Well I feel like an idiot. I just want to say thank you for the informative blog and for the comments it led to thereafter. (The also informative ones based off personal experiences.) I recently found out about “natural” xylitol and it’s benefits and thought well why not try the switch. I’ve been slowly training my family to eat much healthier more natural foods. So we started out by making some cookies and such. After 2 weeks of severe nausea, cramps and numerous daily trips to the potty, a trip to the doctor, antibiotics and tons of money spent on other medications, it is not until this very moment that I realized that the xylitol is what made me so ill. I admit that although I did do some research on it, I apparently did not do enough. It wasn’t until today I was told it was made of chemicals that I even second guessed it and my search led to this article. So I say once again, THANK YOU! I am out of xylitol and this just saved me from the pain of having to go through this all over again when I ordered more. Oh my gosh and I almost ordered a 10lb bag to cook with!!! Eeek!
SUCH a good article. Thankyou
While everyone is entitled to their thoughts on xylitol and any other topic, it’s unfortunate that this type of information is being spread. There is a significant body of literature on Xylitol (and other natural sugar substitutes) expressing and describing its safety in excruciating detail. Simply visit http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed and search for “Xylitol” with any specific attached phrase such as “xylitol side effects” to get a thorough selection of peer reviewed literature on the topic.
The People’s Chemist mentioned above has many shortcomings and inaccuracies in his description above. Xylitol is absorbed by the body. In fact, it doesn’t require an insulin response to be processed by human cells which is why it’s a great diabetic sweetener. It’s also commonly used in IV drips because it passes the brain/blood barrier easily and is processed by the cells of the body for energy.
Yes, xylitol can cause hypoglycemia in dogs and other carnivores. Their bodies believe it is sugar, release insulin (which has no affect on xylitol), the insulin absorbs all of the sugar in their blood and they fall into a hypoglycemic coma if not corrected quickly. This does not make it a poison, or something that triggers allergic reactions. It just means that not all living beings use it as food (hence why dogs aren’t omnivores or herbivores). Carnivores haven’t adapted to process the xylitol as the cells in other creatures have. This is also why xylitol has such a great dental benefit. Strep Mutan bacteria in our mouths cannot process xylitol as food. In turn, these harmful bacteria don’t create acids that dissolve our teeth can create cavities/tooth decay.
As for the purification and synthesizing process of xylitol, it’s not terribly different from the purification and synthesis process of regular sugar; so perhaps we should stop calling sugar natural too. Xylitol may be processed with various chemicals that sound scary when you see them written. However, these chemicals don’t differ from the ones used to synthesize sugar from cane or beets. In fact, sugar also uses bone char in the process. Bone char is exactly what it sounds like too.
Danisco was a company that held a patent on compressible granulated xylitol. DuPont purchased Danisco just a few years ago to acquire the rights to that patent, so don’t worry about DuPont’s “track record” affecting your thoughts on xylitol. DuPont had nothing to do with xylitol before the acquisition. Not that DuPont is a bad company, however. DuPont may have had some mishaps, as all big companies have, but they have also either caused or been part of some of the best chemical discoveries and developments in the past century. You can’t judge someone by their one fault in a vacuum.
You’re right though; corn growers must be evil people for discovering ways for their product to be used. High fructose corn syrup must be the scourge of society; especially since fructose, glucose and sucrose are all natural sugars in the same chemical category as one another. But alas, they are all purified from their original source which according to the people’s chemist means it’s not natural… 😉
Thanks, CB. Great post. Enjoyable and informative!
You hit the nail on the head with your comment, “…even ingesting too much water can kill you.”
The poison is in the dose.
While Xylitol is a natural occuring substance, that doesn’t mean it is natural for us to consume it in large quantities, nor does it quarantee that the method of production is safe either.
I suppose we will find out in the long run — since it is out there and in wide use — when people either do well on it or get sick.
For my part, I would rather not be used as a lab rat in long term studies.
Now, where is my locally-produced honey? I wonder if it got put back behind… A-ha! Found it!
Cheers!
So I read your article. Xylitol, like any other product created by man should be used in moderation. I have eaten Ice Chips (my first encounter with Xylitol) and have had no problems. Then again I do not sit and eat the whole container at once. One container will take me about 3 days to munch on. It works great for those sweet tooth moments.
I gave up sugar about a year ago. It wasn’t all at once. I started with soda and juices or sugar in my coffee (which I so missed), then cakes and cookies, and finally candies. I go for the sugar free candies but those are loaded with calories from other ingredients to make the candy sweet. When I need sweet for foods or drinks I use Agave syrup. Again something that is considered natural, but yet is processed by man out of plant. I use it in moderation.
Thanks for the info. I’ll be looking for xylitol in products and avoiding it whenever possible!
I can’t have any amount of this either! Thanks for your blog article on it. How it is made sounds scary to me. I agree the word natural is used far too often on things that are not natural.
Just wanted to say THANK YOU!! For your blog and for your response to any haters out there, assertive, strong and no apologies!!
I really enjoyed your initial post about xylitol. I found it reasonable and well intentioned and informative. I was sorry to see your follow up post of 2 years was simply a dismissive retort to all the likely ignorant responses you received. I was hoping it would be more info on what you had learned in that time about xylitol. I for one would be quite interested to read what else you had discovered about it. Thanks anyway for your initial write up.
Being half Greek, I am lactose intolerant but it was quite manageable – I could drink Lactaid milk and eat small amounts of cheese as long as I took the lactase enzyme. Then four days ago, I drank two big glasses of lemonade made with zylitol, thinking it was “natural.” I immediately got sick and had severe symptoms just like those of my lactose intolerance but far worse and much longer lasting. I researched it and found medical articles stating that people who are lactose intolerant are more likely to be zylitol intolerant! Now, even a tiny bit of Lactaid milk makes me ill. I am so mad. There should be warning on it for lactose intolerant people. I miss my morning latte!
Like any thing moderation moderation. And introduce it to your body slowly. I have improved my oral health. Thank you xylotol! Sorry if this contradicts crunchy betty.
Wish I had found your post earlier. Found a recipe that called for birch xylitol, which I will call BX even though BM would be more fitting. Bag at my local trusted health food store said natural, gluten free and gmo free. I was slightly concerned about the lack of organic certification, but rationalized that by imagining that these were very old birch trees planted before the organic craze thereby impossible to certify. The fact that it only had one ingredient sold me.
Came straight home and whipped up a beautiful batch of lemon meringues. (They should re-name this recipe to devils in disguise!). Waited all night for them to finish drying. Woke up this morning and went directly to the oven where my daughter and her friend were just waiting for me to give them the ok to open that oven! We promptly ate them all. (There were only 3T of BX in the recipe) about an hour later the cramps set in. Since then, I haven’t been able to climb the stairs to see how it affected the girls. My stomach is cramping, other parts are burning and my toilet is now soaking in Lysol gel. I looked up BX side effects because it’s the only new thing I’ve eaten. And NOW I find your great post. Thanks for the info. I think I’ll stick to dates, local honey and grade b maple syrup. My first thought was to throw the stuff away, but I’m thinking I may keep it around for some much needed paybacks. :). Okay, probably won’t, but it would be funny!
Thank you! The name told me it was not “natural” or not processed but I kept hearing that it’s not like artificial sweeteners. I purchased liquid stevia and it is awful, at least to me, and a co-worker told me to use xylitol. I was told it was all natural and had no after taste like the stevia does. I think I will stick to honey, maple syrup or juice to sweeten up my food. I am with you on the use of “natural” on products that use processed ingredients! Americans have been fed frankinfood for so long that we really don’t know natural is anymore.
Thank you… not only was it down to earth reading, told me exactly what I wanted to know, (as I have had the same if not worse experience with Xylitol side effects (ewwwwe) but your blogs are humorous and lets your reader relate to you as a real person. By the time I got to the end of the article, without being bored and skipping bits, I knew I needed to stop taking Xylitol. My body was begging me to listen. BUT what really made me like your blog was the UPDATE 2 years on… Well said. I like your style, I have never written a comment on the internet before, not Amazon or Tripadvisor, but I just wanted to say Thanks for speaking up. Sorry you get bad comments too, but I may be 1 in a million, but I thank you. (My body thanks you)
Oh my gosh!!! why didn’t find you before? I made a horrid mistake purchasing a “all natural” Spry Xylitol mints are sugar-free and I should of known better. I had about 2 little mints and have the worst cramps and etc… for the past 24 hours.
Ugh, I hate this stuff but I can’t have a lot of sugar.
It’s good to know that I’m not the only one.
I have fibromyalgia. I am trying so hard to be me,be well, rise to the occasion every day and give the world my best. And if I can enjoy life a little along the way. ..yeaaaa! I need pure foods, natural foods, chemical free foods to “even” stand up straight and walk. Most of the comments here are just debate and self serving.
Cruncybetty …thank you for helping “ME” navigate a safe path for my highest functionality. Thank you for saving me the experience that I didn’t need.
People who are “WELL” don’t get it and never will. People who are caught in some kind of auto immune or stress related suffering? Give up talking to the healthy …they mock us and our talk about energy and ridicule our over active sense of pain.
There is actually food out here that promotes wellness and a sense of well being, and it is not made from GMO corn (any corn) or wood. Please? Really?
“can only assume is a push by the Xylitol Overlords”
Bye bye…
Greetings from Florida! Just read your blog regarding xylitol. I appreciate your sharing your opinions, as always, whether it goes with the majority or not. Your insights have been invaluable when researching something I want to know more about. I am severely behind the curve here having just beginning this journey! Thanks for all your advice and recipes etc! Keep up the charge for health!
This is helpful,I have been using Xylitol and because I have been having some complications; I decided to find out about it, and this has been very informative. cheers
Thank you os much for the post! I had started giving my kids a xylitol based calcium/magnesium supplement and their guts went crazy. I was super thankful to read this right away and take them off of it right away. Made a huge difference. We have it in toothpaste and gum but maybe the drinking of it just isn’t so great. 🙂 Sorry to read that people were going crazy on you, when someone thinks they have found their newest life changing revelation they can get a little ornery when information comes out that makes it less then perfect. Same thing happens with agave. Thanks for all you right! Really enjoy your posts.
I am for banning all hazardous chemicals! There are some chemical compounds like dihydrogen monoxide which they spray on out plants and in large doses it can literally kill you! It runs in our rivers and into lakes. Can we all agree we should ban chemical compounds like dihydrogen monoxide? Just listen to the name its 10 times more chemically menacing than Xylitol.
I just had exactly the same experience you described with coffee. Ran out of my usual sweetener this morning and had this on hand (add it to my tooth cleansing blend) and ugh!! Thank you for writing this article.
Thanks, Betty, for this article on this sugar substitute family. I’ve read they cause irritable bowel syndrome which is basically what you’ve described. In addition, I’ve read these alcohol sugars are not always purged from the bowels. Unfortunately, these products have permeated the market through their use in other products like chewing gum where they go unnoticed by consumers. It’s time to demand that FDA and other such government organizations in other countries begin doing their job and preventing harmful products from entering the market. Maybe it’s time to demand that corporations that push these products on unsuspecting consumers be dismantled.
Thanks again….. J.
Perhaps we should stop calling sugar ‘natural’ as well as it is refined using chemicals also…namely phosphoric acid and calcium hydroxide. Sugar is now known to be the cause of heart disease, so can hardly be called ‘natural’ or safe either. Does xylitol cause heart disease or any other kind of disease? I just want a safe sweetener. Seems there isn’t one.
There seems to be a lot of confusing between words ORGANIC and NATURAL. ORGANIC does not infer NATURAL. ORGANIC is farming without the use of chemical fertilizers (use of NATURAL fertilizers only). Just because the corn is touted as ORGANIC does not mean it is natural. The ORGANIC farms are still using GMO (Genetically Modified Organism)corn. NATURAL is just that, it has not been modified by man or just as “god” intended. Do not confuse this with hybrid breeds of plants as hybrids are still natural as Mother Nature continuously improves (“Darwinism”).
My point about all this is that I have used Xylitol but stopped using it after a couple of days, I too was experiencing abdominal discomforts which disappeared after I stopped using Xylito, I was only using it in my coffee (2 Tsp) approx 3 cups of coffee a day. This all happened prior to doing any research on Xylito. I was told that it was the next best thing to sliced bread. I,m sure all reading this blog are aware of GLUTEN. So until an in-depth study with conclusive results is published I will reserve judgement. The only think I do agree with is use in moderation and stay away from the corn derived Xylito.
I think there is a bit of confusion here. Like so many compounds, when xylitol is found naturally in foods, ie., mushrooms, cranberries, nonGMO corn, it is good for you. It is only when man gets involved with it that it becomes bad for you.
So…when taken in its natural form – its good
When…processed…it is bad
First of, words or names starting with X of all alphabets don’t evoke a warm and fuzzy feeling.. To me high fructose corn syrup is less alien than Xylitol is. Good news is the name does get noticed, but more in a Klingon from Star Trek way than uncle Joey from Full House way. If you get my drift. (Me no journalist, just inspired at the moment by Crunchy Betty writing). For a year, I stared at this product in grocery stores shelves, always curious, but more scared just like when I see a bottle of probiotics that says over 10 billion strains of bacteria.
Anyway, enough rant about name.
The fact is alternative to natural sugars is a tremendous market. And people are sick and tired of having no decent alternatives to Splenda, Equal, and Sweet n Low. So Stevia and Xylitol based products have everybody’ attention already. Just call it what is, and put exactly what it is on the label without the marketing gimmicks. (Fire your marketing department first) . It could not be any worse than aspartame. Saccharine, Sucralose, Ace-K etc. All you need to do is win the race among the toxic aliens. It is quite pointless to go head to head with all natural sugar.
Let people make the choice with the right facts. Anything else would be unethical and criminal.
Good writing Betty .. Don’t worry about people giving you crap, it’s a free world.
Can Xylitol cause bloating in the stomach. I was using xylitol as a sugar substitute and then found some gum to increase salvation(dry mouth). I think I will stop using both products…..There’s something just not right about Xylitol!!!
So, I am a little late in the blog. When I first started using xylitol I searched and search for unbiased studies and couldn’t find any. But, I did initially find that you want to make sure that it is processed from birch and not the gmo corn stuff. So, I started chewing the gum making sure it was produced from birch. I chew about 6+ pieces a day because, I love the fact that it turns my saliva from acid (which eats gum tissue and enamel from teeth) to alkaline which bacteria/disease cannot survive in. Then I started using the crystals in my morning oatmeal. Yes,it is processed and certainly has to be since none of us are going to run around chewing on birch bark. The process is still from all I can tell (not a chemist of any kind) better than the crap that sugar is processed with. I have had no negative side effects of any kind (at least none that have shown themselves). I have had the positive side effect of profoundly better dental check ups. Just sharing my experience.
I got to say, I’m grateful to come across this article. As I sit here eating my peanut butter pie that is substituted with 1/2 cup of Xylitol and as I drink my coffee that has some xylitol in it, I thought maybe let’s research this stuff. I purchased the product about a week ago and have consumed it every day since, and then all of a sudden I’m having gut wrenching cramps everyday that I thought was acid reflux. Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t, all I know is I didn’t suffer from it before I started to consume xylitol. Maybe I’m consuming to much, I’m not sure but I’m just going to cut it out and see if the pain stops in my gut. I thought it taste better then stevia and it still was a ‘natural’ sugar substitute. I guess back to stevia. Thank you for posting this 🙂 I’ll continue the research.
Great article, thank you!
I also experienced the severe cramping and diarrhea. Nowhere on the package does it state that it might have this effect, like it does on the packaging of sugar-free candy. It just says to use it the same way you use sugar.
My sweetener of choice is erythritol. It’s not natural either but it doesn’t have horrible side effects.
“Natural” or not, it doesn’t take more than a teaspoon of the stuff to get my gut rumbling. It also makes me feel tired. Definitely NOT the sugar substitute for me.
Thank you for confirming my suspicions. I used xylitol a few years ago and got diarrhea so I stopped using it. Then recently a friend who is health conscious, the reassurance of my health store owner plus having a type 1diabetic husband and needing to loose weight myself I thought I’d give it a go. But within ten minutes of hVinf one teaspoon in a coffee I was in the toilet!
If you look at it… It looks artificial! It is NOT natural.
I thank you so much for your reaearch and I am going to forward it to my friend.
Thanks for this awesome post! Ate scocolate
with zylitol last night and had severe cramping
and loose stools all night. Wanted to die from the unrelenting,
lower abdominal pain. Had to have been the zylitol.
Analyze this all you want readers, but IMHO, anything
that can cause this to happen is poison my book.
So done with zylitol!!!!
Really? Xylitol is safe, and compared to other sugar alcohols has less of a laxative effect.
Excellent article, we do not use xylitol for the same reasons you are stating – it is not natural. We use stevia, that is as little processed as possible, a friend is growing her own this spring and we hope to find a way how to produce it at home 🙂 Keep up the good work and!
Crunchy Betty! I thank you for this article! I am newish to the world of eating healthy and was about to buy Xylitol, but even the name (as you said) doesn’t sound so natural to me. I am so happy I found your article. Thank you for putting all the effort in it! And screw those negative ppl! Have a nice spring.
Thanks so much for posting the info on xylitol. I found a recipe to make home made toothpaste and it called for xylitol (quite a bit of it in fact) but since I didn’t have any I sub’d stevia for it. Recipe came out quite great. Needed to make more toothpaste (everyone wants some) and thought I would try to get ingredients for the original recipe and just happened to google xylitol. Sure glad I did. I DON’T WANT IT!!!! Thank you for doing our homework for us.
I too made my own toothpaste, I had a recipe that involved Xylitol as well. I am using the stuff that has Xylitol for now and was thinking that stevia would be a great replacement. I was wondering if you could share a link to the website with the recipe, or if you could reply with the recipe for your tooth paste. I am experimenting with home made tooth pastes, my first batch turned out pretty good but considering that you said “everyone want’s some” of yours, it sounds like yours turned out really good!! If you could, could you share a link or the recipe itself??
Hi Dustin!! Glad to hear I’m not the only weird one out there who wants to make their own toothpaste. The original recipe goes like this: 1/4 cup Baking Soda, 1/8 cup Coconut Oil, 2 1/2 Tbl xylitol, and 1 tsp Peppermint Essential Oil. Gently melt your coconut oil and add the baking soda to it, add your essential oil when temperature is at or below the flash point of your essential oil. However….I used approximately 6 single packets of stevia (add more or less depending on how sweet you want it) and only 8 drops of Spearmint Essential Oil. You can play around with the amount of Essential Oil you want to use, just make sure that whatever E.O. you use is safe to use in any lip balm type recipe you would want to make (which makes it safe since we lick our lips and therefore we are in actuality eating whatever we put on our lips!!!). Have fun with the toothpaste, I think you will like it. Also, if you have problems with your gums….you could add some bentonite clay and activated charcoal also…..helps to pull impurities from the gums.
I wonder if xylitol is what was in these babies… http://amzn.to/2aoQjF0
p.s. stevia is probably a good alternative, they say it’s good for blood pressure.
However I pretty much hate the taste or after-taste of stevia and have tried about 6 different brands. The best I’ve found is the Stevita brand vanilla flavor but I hate it in my coffee
Thanks for your blog on this though I will have to do more research because I think there may be more to this story. I am not convinced that xylitol is bad for the body.
I have read articles in Life Extension magazine and other legitimate sources that say it’s good for the body as well as the teeth.
I have used it for over a year and have:
1) never had a problem with diarrhea or anything close to it; I tend to use 1-3 teaspoons at a time, mostly in coffee and tea
2) used it to stop using sugar and honey which ultimately may be much worse for the body than any small amount of chemicals that come from the manufacturing/processing (I say MAY BE, and as I said I will do more research on this issue and will report back here or on my facebook page on my findings)
3) never read anything bad about xylitol other than here (except for the fact that you want to get xylitol made from organic corn or other source material because otherwise it will probably be GMO
Hi Crunchy Betty! What happened to your blog and where did it go? I do have to say I love and miss reading your blogs and I think you are such a strong willed person and GO Betty!!! I love your wit and and sense of humor. Its hard to make everyone happy but if I were them I just simply would not read anymore instead of going on rants and attack mode. Keep up with what you do and there are those out there like me, who loves your blog!! So please hurry back to writing!! =)
Ps. I also agree that companies should NOT advertise their products as all natural when clearly its man made. Real is better ans always but always in moderation.
Thank you!
Thank you for the article! Don’t worry about the negative comments it is the fear talking. They will slowly be awakening to the corporate deception on our food industry. Keep up the good work!
everyone must be suspicious to all food additives that almost ‘scream’ NATURAL although they are industrial products, and we can think a little about laws, all laws for food industry preserve an acceptable limit for consumers health, but their main think is PROFIT. for sure xylitol is very useful for dental care and for people who have diabetes, but we can’t say ok feed the whole population with no reason at all. We must see that the western world has major problem with its nutrition (sugar based, too much meat products) the whole plan is wrong. e.g. if we didn’t consume that large quantities of sugar, ta-dah, no need for additives like xylitol. (sorry for my bad english) George Nal food engineer
Oh My Goodness, I just read your articles on Xylitol, and GOOD FOR YOU for sticking up for yourself (and graciously)!!!
Absolutely No One should get away with calling you names of belittling you for trying to inform us (through legitimate research) of a products’ “questionable” origin! I’ve just started to do research on this Xylitol product as I do not even like artificial sweeteners, but am feeling the need to cut back on sugars. Needless to say, I will not be trying Xylitol! I do not understand how people believe that something can be natural if it’s bleached white, in perfect little granules and has a shelf life of Years!!! In my opinion, there’s Definitely brain washing of consumers going on!!!
Thanks so much for this! My Dental office gave my 4 yr old a Xylitol lollipop today and said it was good for the teeth and natural etc. I happen to know that when something says “natural” that’s a good indicator that it is not! Anyways, so glad she’s only had half the lollipop. I don’t think she’ll be finishing it.
Btw, dogs are allergic to grapes and onions which are both natural. Hamburgers aren’t natural and dogs can eat them completely fine. This sounds like a silly rant to me. Maybe you have a sensitive tummy because I used it to replace all the sugar in a recipe, and nothing happened to me at all. If something can kill your pet, it doesn’t mean it’s immediately some unsafe chemical food. Dogs can’t eat chocolate because of the caffeine naturally occurring in cacao
I just wanted to correct you regarding chocolate being toxic due to caffeine. While in some ways similar to caffeine it is Theobromine that makes chocolate toxic to dogs. Dogs are also not ALLERGIC to grapes and onions. It has nothing to do with an allergy. Onions contain thiosulphate which in large amounts lead to red blood cell destruction. Grapes and raisins can lead to kidney failure however the actual reason for this has yet to be found.
Do you know what xylitol does to a dog? First it causes hypoglycemia and then kidney failure this is in very very small doses. It has long been understood that the use of Tylenol in dogs can result in liver failure. Funny we are only now finding out that it has the same effect on humans it just takes longer.
Just saying if you are going to correct someone regarding their comments on how things effect animals then you should be sure you know what the real answer is
The only point I would like to make is that one’s initial use of xylitol may cause the gastrointestinal problems mentioned in the article, but they are temporary. I have had serious Candida overgrowth for many years. The first time I used Xylitol in lemonade, I thought I was going to die. I was running at both ends. However, it is well known that xylitol kills Candida. As I understand it, it kills positively and also negatively by the withdrawal of sugar. And as we know, when any detox is done, there will be herx effects. I use xylitol daily now without any ill effect. I used I used to have kidney stones years ago and I need to drink lemonade now (and also use hydrangea) as a preventative. But because of the Candida, I am not able to get away with much sugar, so I use xylitol. After all, there are many natural substances whose names do not roll off the tongue.
Thank you so much for this information! I just bought a product that the main ingredient is birchwood xylitol. I really thought I struck gold as I’m trying to reduce unnatural sugar from my diet. I truly appreciate all the hard work you put into this blog post.
First of all,thank you for attempting to educate some morons that come here and post ludicrous comments and know NOTHING about what is good for your body and what is not. Too make it clear for some obvious morons who post here,IF IT HAS CHEMCIALS IN IT IS IS UNHEALTHY FOR YOUR BODY…GET THAT MORONS? IF your body CAN”T DIGEST IT, IT IS NOT AT ALL HEALTHY FOR YOUR BODY,a nd infact can and will cause problems in your gigestive tracts, get that norons? If the FDA approves it…..woopie doo, they are a unreliable and criminal organization that fired and hired those who would not approve MSG (POISONOUS TO THE BODY AND BRAIN, aspartame (POISON for the BRAIN), GMO cancer causing poisons to destroy our bodies health, fluroide in our water to damage our bodies, BONES (fluoride is the MAIN contributing factor of arthritis and bone problems), with those crooks who would…NOTHING RELIABLE COMING FROM THE CORRUPT FDA, so because their stamp of approval is on something….woopie sh*t, for me it usally means RESEARCH IT YOURSELF! hell these crooks approve pharmaceuticals and vaccines…that says it all!! And that brings me to these morons who post sh*t here, pay no mind, they are either stupid and beyond educating or they are reps from the xylitol manufacturer’s and distributor’s or from Danisco or Dupont, being sales rep’s who most would sell their own mothers to make a dime, or sell their soul to sell poison to others…PERIOD! So, you see how these morons do not matter, nor do those who say this products is healthy in some way or another, by saying well atleast it …bla,bla,bla!! Let people eat crap, most do and evenmost dieticians are as moronic as some of your commenters here, most haven’t a clue as to real health, infac most still suggest wheat, soya, dairy, herbicaidal 7 pesticidal produce is good for you!! STOP LISTENING TO those who call themselves educated in the field, they are liike Doctor’s in the conventional or what I like to call the hi-jacked medical field….there to make a buck, and stupid as hell! They can’t even figure out that a body with cancer needs oxygen, needs baking soda, to get rid of the FUNGUS! Cancer is simply a way your body tells you to CHANGE WHAT YOU ARE PUTTING IN IT, like crap like xylitol, wheat, dairy, soya (all spoy is GMo unless organic, asorbic acid (which is commonly used in organic foods but is always GMO), corn (all corn is now GMO, without a doubt unless organic). So to those xylitol sales scum that come here…go away and choke on your xylitol and feed it to your loved ones and stop disinforming ours LIARS! Infact why don’t you go mingle with the other morons in the hi-jacked medical field that claim their barbaric chemo- or radiation therapies are actually helpful, rather than MORE DAMAGING to ones health,killing off white blood cells, destroying organs and hormoens and everything else it can, and NOT allowing the body to properly heal, thehn don;’t even get me started on yoiur diabetes causing meals you so love to force down peoples throats! Why don’t these morons who come here and deny the negative health affects crap like xylitol have on the body,go hang out with your counterparts the glorified drug pushing moronic so-called “doc’s” and pop each others pills, because whether it be highly damaging pharmaceutical poisons or xylitol, both WILL DAMAGE THE HEALTH OF THE BODY and even more so with yur children! STAY AWAY FROM THESE PROCESSED and REFINED TYPES OF SUGAR SUBSTITUTES they are ALL DANGEROUS TO YOUR BODY, use organic raw sugar (make sure it is brown and organic)), use coconut palm sugar (organic), and the best one of all unpateurized and organic raw honey, which has medicinal traits, UNLIKE THE HONEY YOU BUY IN A REGUALR GROCERY STORE, which I can assure you has NO medicinal traits whatsoever, they have destroyed the honey through processing, just like any product that says it has honey, it’s destroyed, the only thing left is the taste, and nothing more. For those who eat diabetes in a box…otherwise known as cereal, throw it in tht garbage, I contribute cereal, cereal or wheat, oat, granola bars to be a main contributor to child diabetes, and so many parents beleive the false advertising and lies that cereal is healthy, cereal is the worst breakfast you could eat or feed your kids! WHEAT is not for human consumption, hence whyso many have gluten intolerance, those who can ea it only means your body can take it, but it is also doing damage that your doctor will NEVER Link it to, like dairy, it too is a poison to eh body, hence lactose intolerance or milk sugars, meant for calves and only for their young lives, never after that, it too is not meant for human consumption, regardless of what they have brainwashed people to think. here is a fact, in china the women do not drink cow milk, they hardly have breast cancer, which I beleive cow milk to be a main contributor to cancer, not only that, we’ve been lied to about milk being good for your bones, liek they say fluoride is fo ryour teetha nd IS NOT, what comes from the nuclear bomb and we digest…fluoride…look it up, not tomention that janst just put a study put proving just how damaging fluoride has been to our teeth and bones and brain matter! back to milk, it is not meant for humans and has the opposite affect on your bones the “doc’s” say it does. The calcium caused platelets to form on your bones, commonly on joints, trapping nutrients, minerals and vitamins needed for the bones, therefore your bones are deprived of all of these becasue of the calcium! I know many are saying what, is this person crazy, and my response, NO JUST EDUCATED more than the modern lying medical field who wants to give us sh*t that is bad for us, because you see, how do they make money if we have no problems, just like xylitol, how do they make money off the product if their scum bag representatives don’t come here and LIE, call names like the moronic children and immoral idiots they are and now a message to one of the most health damaging companies out there and needs to sued over and over and over again, until finally out of business…the GERMAN NAZI company DUPONT poisons…go to hell and choke on our products..all fo them!
Honestly, clearly, you are attempting to raise awareness and share information. I’m sure often you do share accurate valuable information, I wouldn’t doubt that. I just want to suggest that you are more consciously aware of how you deliver you’re message when doing so. Honestly, you’ve turned me off from even wanting to read you’re post. The way you speak screams “I’m immature and hostile”. I’m not trying to cause any problems, clearly you’re passionate about your responses. I am merely suggesting that if you were to harness you’re wisdom in a way that would allow you to deliver you’re message in an acceptable manner that you may reach more people. Clearly you care to share you’re insights, so why wouldn’t you want to share the knowledge you have in a way that more people are going to be open to listening to you? Because honestly, you’re over the top in a very strong way that steers people away from reading you’re posts. This is constructive criticism, that’s all.
Thank you, well said. I completely agree. I have begun skipping the comments that come across as venomous.
me too, no need for “personal” remarks to generalise “people”. We all have opinions, there are good and bad ways to get an opinion accross, or to be listened to. no need for negativity in discussions, or lack of knowledge, does not justify to make a person “labelled”….nobody is perfect, stick to facts, and make our own judgements…I love forums that are open to discussion rather than detrimental biased personal opinions/comments to belittle a person
That’s it, I’m quitting xylitol. I think they are also putting something in it to make it addictive. I have had this hunch that it is bad for you for some time. Besides, what a lot of packaging does NOT tell you is that it is produced in the same place that made baby formula out of melamine. Babies died, but they made money. That would be China.
I am so very glad i ran across this blog . I bought xylitol to make my own toothpaste. I’ve decided to leave it out of the recipe.
thanks
Hmmmmm how to sweeten toothpaste without sugar is challenging.Any real good ideas out there?
I add wintergreen essential oil to my toothpaste. It doesn’t really sweeten it but it does give it a fresh taste. You can use any high quality essential oil you want if you don’t like wintergreen.
Xylitol has been used in Finland since the 30’s I think, so it has a long record of safety. Given that, and the known and certain dangers of cane sugar, I made the switch in an effort to really be sugar free…bingo…no digestive issues at all, and I eat a lot! Not only that, but I FINALLY GOT OVER a stubborn bloom of candida after about 9 months fighting it…
Thank you for sharing some more truthful comments about xylitol, since there seems to be a ton of largely scare-tactics out there right now about something that needs clarifying. The earlier post by Susan Rothman was excellent, obviously coming from a knowledge perspective rather than an anecdotal one. We have been using xylitol in dentistry professionally for decades to reduce dental decay. It is NOT used in large quantities (1/4 tsp at a time, several times a day), nor does it cause ANY of the issues that have been proffered multiple times here on this blog, such as GI distress, muscle issues, etc, in 99% of our patients who use it CORRECTLY. That is the operative word, since many, many people use medicine and therapeutic agents in incorrect doses (it happens daily), leading to some of the untoward effects described in these blog entries. I have used it personally in recipes which call for 1-2 TBL, and had not one issue of the problems people have said they experienced, but, again, it is very strongly dose-related, as are many compounds that would never be questioned for their safety, natural-ness, etc. One of my early lectures in human anatomy & physiology referenced a woman who died of overhydration – that’s right, drinking too much water in one day, caused dilution of her electrolyte balance, and she died from cardiac arrest – her potassium levels plummeted from the huge amount of water she drank. Does that mean we should impugn water because it caused her death? Should it be submitted to all the (false) claims that it isn’t “natural” because it can kill? I think you see my point, that it’s too easy to participate in the junk science that exists now because of the internet. Xylitol is not a sugar substitute, and it is not a panacea for the problems that some would like to suggest – it is simply a completely safe sugar ALTERNATIVE to the sucrose, dextrose, fructose and other toxic sugars that cause heart disease, cancers, obesity and other diseases. It is NOT to be taken (nor should any sugar) in quantities larger than a teaspoon (which, by the way is hard for the sugar-addicted folks), or a tablespoon if using in a recipe. The reason it is toxic to dogs, rats, and bacteria, is that it is a 5-carbon sugar, which cannot be metabolized by these organisms, vs a 6-carbon sugar, which is more-universally metabolized by humans, dogs, and bacteria. It is that simple – use small quantities to control decay (if your oral hygiene efforts aren’t optimal), but don’t use unlimited quantities of it for anything. And do buy the type that isn’t made from corn, which is almost all GMO-corn. Enjoy.
Let me guess, you also think fluoride is good for the teeth and body, sicne it is also in mosts drinking water, right?!! Go research a KNOWN ATOMIC POISON your kind (morons), think is good for the teeth/bones (same matter)! TRy explaining to us now, how it is that a POISON taken from the Atoms bomb can possibly be healthy..go ahead give it ago LIAR who knows nothing about xylitol or TRUE HEALTH! Also be aware that a medical journal has FINALLY put out the MAJOR warning about fluoride and just how bad it is for our teeth, bones and brain! SO to listen to someone like yourself go on with her lies or stupidity, would be nauseating, but soon the time willcoem when all know how damaging fluoride really is and your kind will have LOTS OF QUESTIONS TO ANSWER and alot of explaining to do to the few who will still listen to anything your kind have to say,and by your kind I mean uneducated idiots, who don;t even know half of what they think they know! GO drink some fluoride and a pile of xylitol, both of which are HIGHLY TOXIC AND POISONOUS TO THE BODY. NOTE: when your body reacts negatively to ANYTHING, it is not waht theylike to call an allergy, it is a reaction your body has to eh poison you put in it, your body is telling you that this should not go inoto your body..listen to your body and not money making fake “docs”
eh? Xylitol is a sugar alcohol. IT HAPPENS IN NATURE! XYLITOL is produce non-gmo and non-corn. Not all Xylitol are the same, there are corrupt companies but there are good ones as well.
You better do some more research since you are the MORON.
The ONLY thing you are right about is Fluoride. Fluoride is bad and causes all kinds of crap. It is not even near what Xylitol is.
dumb fuck! And no, Im not working for some pharmaceutical company. But I bet you label folks that disagree with you.
I ignored your point after you referred to the person you were responding to as a ‘moron’. I would never listen to anything someone like you has to say.
In response to kevin talmadge’s post, I’ve been consuming Xylitol on and off for a while now as I heard it killed candida and yeast, which I suffered from for many years, and had random Eczema patches on my body, the most stubborn and largest patch was on the left side of my body, and top left inside of my thigh, after consuming Xylitol the eczema disappeared from my leg and the large patch on my side moved across my abdomen and then just disappeared leaving a tiny patch on my right tide rear, which has nearly disappeared. At first I had lots of stomach cramps and gas, but never any diaorrhea, then after a while I had not adverse gut effects at all. Awesome stuff.
Thanks for doing this research and sharing. I was suspicious about just how ‘natural’ this product could be despite all the positive press, and I’m feeling justified now.
NOTE: “NATURAL is now code word for either GMO’s or FAKE DANGEROUS FOODS, it does not mean what it used to and we have monsatno and the corrupt fda to thank for that, these days unless it is organic, it is not natural, no matter how much they write it on the product, that should be your cue to run from it..FACT!
Thank you very much for this article. I just starting thinking about using xylitol and think I’ll stick to my honey and maple syrup. I don’t use sweeteners very often anyway. This sounds even worse than the highly processed “natural” guava nectar.
Thanks for doing even this bit of research. I bought Zylitol recently as a sugar alternative from my local health food shop. I was surprised at how little nutritional substances were in it. Also the appearance didn’t look natural. How is this produced was my first question. Thanks for answering that. I tried very small amounts on two days running and had deffinite distress feelings in my guts – all too sensitive these days. I usually give things I can’t eat to my neighbours but this one?…..
“But just because our bodies produce something doesn’t mean it’s prudent to extract it en masse from living organisms (using questionable synthetic processes) and then ingest it willy nilly.”
Yeah, think this carefully the next time you buy your organic/herbal supplements.
I was looking for gum without sugar, without asperkill and without other crap. I say this one with xylitol and saw it in a few places that claim to be all natural stores. So I grabbed a pack. Taste ok, but I had not seen anything from a trusted source I use… that source is The Peoples Chemist… So imagine my smile when I saw that you got some questions answered from him and that was all I needed. Great Post and great info. Thanks for taking the time to help spread the info on the crap that is being put out there. Cheers!
Dear Betty:
THANK YOU for putting this info where I, average consumer, could find it! Xylitol in minute portions rips my tummy and digestion to shreds AND, contra to literature found on the web, it causes my muscles to weaken so much so that I can barely lift my arms to brush my hair. That cannot be good for the heart! I noticed also that the effects are worse with continued use. “Real sugar” in usual amounts (tsp.) leaves me a bit weak, but I don’t have to take to my bed for several hours to get past it.
So, call it a dental cavity preventative and limit it to he teeth and gums, NOT for ingestion. No, in my opinion, it is NOT “natural”.
Speaking of not being able to lift your arms, botulinum toxin is fully natural. Have you ever tried ingesting it?
Thank-you!!!! for an eye-opening article. My husband was diagnosed with cancer almost three years ago, quit smoking and is still having problems with cravings. I was going to buy him candies sweetened with Xylitol as a friend who was diagnosed with breast cancer was told by her naturopath to get off all sugar and use Xylitol.
Guess I’ll be looking for a more “natural” healthy substitute. Right now he uses Stevia in his coffee and tea and we use coconut palm sugar for anything else.
Great article,
Thanks for putting this to ‘paper’. I’m a chocolate maker. We only use raw cacao and us only coconut nectar, so we can call our products 100%. I find it funny when other raw chocolate makers use Xylitol as a sweetener. I found one yesterday that said on it’s package that more than 120 grams could cause a laxative effect…… Thanks for connecting the dots. The use of Xylitol is one experiment we can do without.
I’m very glad to see someone say what a lot of us feel & think but may not be able to say so eloquently or with some humor like you did. Not enough people rock the boat. Too many people believe everything they hear & don’t do any research of there own. My friend & I were talking at the bus stop how we have managed to pack on 20+ lbs between the 2 of us in 2 yrs. We are NOT lazy by any means! Not only do we run chasing 3 & 4 kids under 7 all day but all our daily chores plus an hr workout per day 5 days a week. We should weigh 100lbs. Now I grab a cookie here or there but I can’t even LOOK @ sweets or chips anymore without packing on 10lbs! We starting talking & looking into maybe it’s not our little cookie or chip but maybe it’s the antibiotic filled, steroid pumped high fructose induced bread, chicken & beef!!!!!! What the heck do we need high fructose syrup in bread??? Or xylitol in my deodorant for heaven sake!!!! EVERYTHING we ingest is genetically modified somehow. I can’t even buy A LOT of brands of cereal, cookies or crackers without BHT (butylated hydroxyanisole) BHA (butylated hydroxytolunene) TBHQ (tertiary butlhydroquinone)added to our foods to preserve freshness… does anyone else look at the labels & say what the heck is any of this stuff?! Those 3 ingredients added to our food to “preserve freshness” are actually butane!!! TBHQ is regulated by the FDA to 0.02% of the total oils in food. If it’s SAFE why regulate its consumption?
“BHA & BHT are phenolic compounds that are often added to foods to preserve fats. The FDA says the same chemical properties which make BHA and BHT preservatives may also be implicated in health effects. The oxidative characteristics and/or metabolites of BHA and BHT may contribute to carcinogenicity or tumorigenicity; however the same reactions may combat oxidative stress. There is evidence that certain persons may have difficulty metabolizing BHA and BHT, resulting in health and behavior changes.”(about.com) look them up
HELLO!!!!!!! That’s all the proof I need! The same reason we actually laugh at the commercials for anti depressant meds where the side effects not only include thoughts of suicide(aren’t you taking that meds to make you NOT have suicidal tendencies?) they have 10X more horrible side effects than depression alone! So now you are depressed thinking more about suicide, have anal seepage, heart murmurs, trouble sleeping, diarrhea, nose bleeds & drowsiness. What the HELL!!!
Oh well I digress…time for bed. Don’t get all mad at me people just food for thought & totally my opinion other than the facts of the compounds these chemicals are made of.
Healthy living 😉 oh ya and PLEASE for your own safety and well being read the labels & investigate what you are putting into your body.
Thank you for your article. I was about to put in a big order, but you made me think again. I have been using a product available in Australia called Natvia, which is a Stevia-derived sweetener that looks like sugar and doesn’t have the unpleasant after-taste of Stevia. I was also worried about the corn syrup aspect. The one made from birch may be safer, but at this stage I think I’ll hold off and stick to the Natvia until I learn more.
Hi Craig,
I just checked out Natvia because I am always on the lookout for alternatives to sugar. From what I can see, like a lot of those “stevia” derived products, Natvia has Erythritol, which is just another alcohol sugar (and not very different from xylitol). Erythritol has been studied more than xylitol, however if you are talking about not wanting to use alcohol sugars, the only real option I have found is straight up stevia, which definitely has that really special “Stevia” aftertaste 🙂
In line with Olivers comment above, Natvia, is ( from memory ) about 98% Erythritol, which is another form of Xylitol and only the very small amount of actual stevia, one can only assume this is due to trying to combat the unpleasant aftertaste of Stevia, whilst also giving them the added bonus of increasing their profit margin as Erythritol is much cheaper than Stevia.
Just the info I was looking for and really enjoyed the engaging way you presented your thoughts. I have a new cookbook with several dinner recipes which include birch xylitol. As I avoid artificial sweeteners and try to eat more savory than sweet foods to keep my desire for sweets in check, I did not know xylitol was a sweetener and do not need it now that I do know. Thank you!
So glad I clicked on this link. I just came across a recipe calling for quite a lot of xylitol and thought ‘hmmmm…what the heck is that? The name sounds rather chemical-ish so I’m not convinced this recipe is worth making ‘ . Glad to know I can still trust my gut to ultimately save it!
What a coincidence! I, too, happened upon a recipe calling for Xylitol and found this blog while researching what it could do to our bodies. Thanks to the blogger for the information….I will try stevia instead. (Unless my research turns up another such post) 🙂
Xylitol is definitely not sugar. It is a sugar alcohol.
Xylitol can be derived by non-gmo corn. Check labels.
Xylitol can be purchased as derived from birch. It is not rare. Just find the form of Xylitol source you prefer.
Organic Chemistry is different from Inorganic Chemistry. Neither is Biochemistry, Biology, Botany, or Nutrition. An Organic chemist is expert on carbon and hydrogen-carbon compounds. All other compounare Inorganic. An Organic chemist would not be expected ti be an expert in Inorganic Chemistry, but this chemist did attempt an opinion. Also concerning Biology.
Hydrochloric Acid is not an Organic compound. But it is natural.
Phosphoric Acid is not an Organic compound. But it is natural.
Calcium Oxide is not an Organic compound. But it comprises of one part of calcium, a natural element, with two parts of oxygen. Who can dispute that this is natural?
The raw birch bark or corn husk is unusable and unpalatable without being reduced by these natural substances. Many of our healthy foods need help from humans, and human work is natural.
An excess of anything is no good of course. And trying something once is perhaps inspirational but is not definitive. This substance is not one that increases energy like sugar does, so if you expect high energy levels you are needing to seek these through other sources. If you think you may react poorly from alcohol this is not for you. And do more research.
Wishing good health and happy eating.
Good post, Susan – it’s obvious you have more science background than many other posters (sorry, folks, internet research is just not the same as a science education). Thanks for shedding light on xylitol, which we have used in dentistry for years, safely, I might add, to reduce dental decay and improve periodontal health (it takes very small quantities to do this, 1/4 tsp doses 4x/day, or about 15g of xylitol). There is some good Scandanavian research done years ago that showed not only reduced dental decay, but decreased incidence of sinus infections in the (low-dose) xylitol group compared to controls. There was almost no incidence of untoward effects in the xylitol group, which included children, and the beneficial effects of lower decay rates and sinusitis continued even after subjects were not using xylitol, likely from the different oro-nasal pharynx flora present in the individuals who used xylitol. We do recommend using non-corn-derived xylitol (we use birch-derived), and the patients who use it correctly, show reduced amounts of periodontal inflammation and less decay incidence. Thanks for sharing your thoughts – it was refreshing amongst all the negative drama.
Thank you very much for the simple facts, SR. Beautiful to see.
One other simple fact, no drama, is that if your DOG ingests xylitol, you may not be able to save him unless you induce vomiting and get to a veterinarian FAST. Read up on it, you will lock any products containing this stuff away from your pet if you have any sense at all. Not worth losing a dog to have sweet toothpaste.
Great article! Thanks for sorting things out. Because several times I tried Xilitol as it was supposed to be natural. Although I could not imagin that it would be so pure white…has to chemicals that bleach it somehow, but heh, it’s natural.
Consistently when I ate it I felt worse in my energy, i felt my nerve pathways blocked, and they hurted a little bit. Nah…can’t be Xilitol, it’s natural. But today again this dip in energy after eating the stuff. So I there must be something wrong with this stuff. Internet does wonders, found your blog, saved me a lot of work. Thanks, I threw the Xilitol remainder away. It is NOT natural and I can feel it in my energy…and that has never lied to me. Thanks, thanks again.
You felt your nerve pathways become blocked, and they “hurted” a little bit, because your blood sugar level went down, and you’re a hypochrondriac. Xylitol does not raise your blood sugar at all, or your inflammation, or give you a buzz, or anything like that. Because it picks up water, and does not break down as quickly as sugar does, it carries that water further into your digestive tract, and if you are a little plugged up in there, that cloud of wet xylitol will give you a nice cleanse. It doesn’t happen unless you just started using it, or you use a whole bunch at once abnormally, like, eating a whole pint of Xylitol ice cream and never having had it before. It will act like a Senna laxative at that point, but will less disturbance of the lining of your gut, because all that’s happening is it is carrying water way further down the pipe then it usually gets without first being mixed with something else. Because you are expecting it to raise your energy level, you would be really, really disappointed, because this is not sugar, and it will not give you a buzz, and that is what makes it any good.
Thank you Iesa. I agree 100% with what you said.
It zaps your energy?
Now I know for sure I don’t want this crap in me.
Thank you for writing that.
What is it they always say?
If it sounds too good to be true………
Thanks for your informative comments about xylitol :). I enjoy your humor and wit and not being afraid of saying what you think :).
Yay Crunchy Betty! I was asked after sharing a post re sugar and awareness as to just how much is in a smoothie, candy bar, power bar etc… Is Zylitol ok to use? What’s your thought? *Because you know, everyone says “I don’t eat that much sugar”. To that I usually think, heehee and say hmmm really?
Not knowing much about it, I did the obvious, I googled it. Hmmm- took about 10 seconds to say, the name alone indicates a No for me. I live sugar free including honeys and natural sugars, or at least what may be labeled natural sugar. I eat fruits and veggies that are sweet. However if it has been processed, added, treated, labbed, labeled and created…. I steer clear. I agree it’s a choice, and not for the faint at heart to choose what you put in your face. I love that you kept this article sweet and simple.
People, someone made it! It’s been processed! And it’s one more attempt to shift from one magic sugar elixir to another. My tried and true answer to the question, is it healthy, is it natural, should I use, eat it-
Answer: What do you Think?
Think being the operative word. If its been manufactured, if it has a list of bi products, if it can kill dogs, if it “may” cause tumors, lumps or pumps, or stimulate your bowels enough that they contract and purge for an hour…. Perhaps you don’t need to ask is it natural and instead stay in line with the rest of the sheep looking for that magic pill. Keep up the good work Crunch! And as always- if in doubt keep it out! (Of your mouth). Kristin
Thanks for the info. I am tired & exhausted (of this whole life’s journey of trying to salve an unwanted sweet-tooth, which has caused me nothing but sickness/depression, etc. guess try the nasty dried stevia leaves. in MODERATION, of course. lol. Erythritol thoughts??
I’m reading this article while on the toilet. I made brownies with xylitol yesterday and have had the most painful bloating and gas since shortly after consuming them which is what led me to google ” reaction to xylitol” and led me to this extremely informative and eye opening article. Also i have a dog…not worth the risk. I won’t be using it again.
well I put one and a half tablespoons of this stuff, so named “total sweet” on my breakfast cereal yesterday 19th Feb 2014, had a grumbly tummy most of the day, then pow spent two hours in the bathroom in absolute agony and maybe a kilo lighter, I’m still in pain now after eating my normal sugar on my cereal 20th Feb 2014. A big mistake to use this sweetener as I only just had major bowel surgery in November 2013, I thought I’d be safe using a sugar alternative after putting on some weight and being able to eat most things without the pain I had last year……big mistake….I for one will not be using that chemical packed/processed stuff ever again….
one very uncomfortable reader.:(
Hi,
Thanks for the write up. I found your page while looking for Xylitol information not for consumption but as an ingredient in Nasal Rinse.
I read one post (by a manufacturer promoting the stuff) that claims there have been 2,600 studies. But that is for Dental use not regular consumption. Most toothpaste is full of toxic chemicals.
So I won’t be ingesting the stuff as a food source, but will probably try the Dental/Nasal application and see how it goes.
I appreciate your contacting an Organic Chemist for information on how it’s produced.
I also really really enjoyed your update post on comments. Everyone online is just so very incredibly educated and intellectual. And might I say HATEFULL? I don’t know. But I do know that your post saved me a ton of time and research.
Thanks again.
Thanks for doing the research on this and taking the time to write the post. I respect you very much for standing up for yourself and not letting people treat you poorly on your own blog. Way to go!
Hello Betty;
Thanks for the info. I am about to be officially diagnosed as DIABETIC and am the daughter of a PASTRY CHEF!!!! I keep watching infomercials about diets what to cut out and what sugar sub to use the problem being I have had a reaction with them all, like unable to say certain words , headaches, dizziness getting lost and having complete brain fog. And I can not get Stevia or Monk fruit sweetener past my lips. So someone told me about Xylitol, I been reading about it and I am glad I landed here. Somehow I will have to be exercised of my sugar addition and get over it!
Well I for one am with you. I believe the further away from “natural” a food is,the more it is processed, the less I allow it into my body. If at all. But you know the great thing about life is that we all get to live our own. I have always enjoyed your info and sassy banter. Please dont let the wankers drag you down.
Thanks for your info. Just started Xylitol recently due to dental work, etc.
Have not had a problem but all of a sudden just wanted to know what it was made from.
I am NOT for GMO corn products which it sounds like alot of Xylitol is made from.
Wow!
I have less than 4 cups of Xylitol total that was purchased, and now wonder whether
to finish this…..surely there are other products for dental care. Who needs
more chemicals in their body…..the world if full of chemicals already that are toxic and even in our food, water, and air. Why add to the problem.
Thanks so much for “putting the info out there”!
Xyitol gives me migraines!
This is due to the fact that this is an artificial flavoring.
bottom line is that no sweetner is “natural” – all are processed in some way, shape or form. if you are calorie and “sugar calorie” aware – the “more” natural sweetners like stevia, xylitol and others are a much better choice. Get off your high horse “Crunchy” and stop trying to educate when you’re not educated on such matters.
Hello, i bought some granulated zylitol mixed with spearmint oil as a natural toothoppaste and used it until it turned to mush. i do not remember any problems with that. Then, I had some plain xyilitol i had bought as sweetner and started to use it alone. I was surprised to notice that my gums became inflamed and everytime i rinsed the stuff out of my mouth after brushing, the spit was tinged pink with blood. After a few weeks of this i decided to stop and go back to toothpaste (natural, no flouride etc) and the gums stopped bleeding. I have read other things online about xylitol and we should be glad we are finding out the truth sooner than later like we did with flouride and so many other things. thank you for this ariticle,
Thank you for your research I am on my way to healthy and natural lifestyle and I appreciate all of your information on xylitol! A lot of people have had a negative reaction to xylitol. All of the research I have found to be good is alway from a manufacturer. I am doing this research for a natural heathy toothpaste for my family thank you all for all of the information!
Hi Cameo, Surely if it’s for use in a toothpaste then there should be no trouble with having xylotil in it … your spitting it out and not ingesting it … as someone above said in the mouth it is a very good thing, it balances the mouth PH level back away from being too acid (as most of our mouths are) and helps kill off bad bacteria. Personally I put a teaspoon (7-10gm) of it in a water bottle and drink through the day (especially each time after eating), as advised by a US dentist who seems to have done a massive amount of research over 30 years or so and uses it as part of a tooth health care regime. Regarding whether it is “natural” or not, well everybody seems to have a different perspective and most things these days are ‘processed’ in some way, but seems to me it’s more natural than many alternatives (the US dentist in question avoids any additional chemicals like the plague, e.g. preferring as basic a toothpaste as possible) – anyway good luck with your search!
Thank you so much for posting this information. I had just eaten ( apparently too much ) of a mint ice candy that was sweetned with xylitol and had awful stomach issues. I am glad that you took it upon yourself to write about this because I was not finding any information about side effects and was becoming concerned. I spent two hours in the bathroom and the only thing different that I ate was that candy. I don’t care if it is a die off or what ever other people are saying it is…all I know is that I prefer not to go through that again and will choose a mint with organic sugar as opposed to xylitol. Thank you for your opinions !
A couple weeks ago I had a horrible day of feeling very sick & had intestinal cramps & made frequent, urgent trips to the bathroom. The only thing different I ate was a Jello chocolate mousse. It contained xylitol. Your blog confirmed my suspicions. I’ll still get gum with xylitol but that’s about it. I use Stevia & have had no ill side effects. Thank you for helping so many of us.
Thank you for all that have been written here. I was decided to add xylitol in my 4year daughter´s food or drinks,instead of sugar. I thought it is a good idea, but now…
Do somebody know a sweetener that doesn’t causes tooth decay and is safe?
Thanks for sharing, Crunchy Betty. I have been on my “Health Quest ” for sometime now.I am a self diagnosed lactose intolerant, female dealing with certain health issues and am always on the lookout to improve my health through natural and nutritional methods. So after I had gone on an “elimination diet ” (i.e-sans. dairy, eggs, peanuts, wheat, artificial sweetners, sugar, and corn ) I was quite pleased with the results. When I started adding foods back in, I decided I wanted to have something different than processed cane sugar as my sweetner. I’ve tried monk fruit, stevia, etc. and they’re ok, But when I saw xylitol, and was under the impression it was made from plant fibers (corn is a plant, right, duhh~to me), I thought this is Great ! I mean my dentist was even on board with it . So, I ignored some of the stomach cramps, and bathroom stuff. I just cut back my “dose”. The other week, I bought a different brand than usual, and this particular package actually states the ingredients as corn fiber. How, disappointed I was to find this out. I have tried diligently to keep corn out of my “diet” and now here it is ! This has taught me a very important lesson. Research, research, research. Also, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. I mean who doesn’t want a non calorie sweetner that supposedly prevents cavities ! Your post was the 1st one to come up, by the way. Thanks again.
Thanks for researching and sharing your information. I enjoyed reading this article.
Hi, Betty! Back to Crunchy Betty after another reading hiatus. I landed back here today because I was looking for a good toddler toothpaste and most of the best ones seem to contain xylitol. EWC lists it as 0 risk, which surprised me, so I did some more looking around. I’ve been suspicious of that stuff since I first heard of it a couple of years ago while I was pregnant. They were really pushing its use during pregnancy and I’m not really sure why. I think gestational diabetes was really common in that area or something. I can’t handle most of the alternative sweeteners, so I was really leery of xylitol. The reaction you describe is what happens to me when I consume even a small amount of aspartame. Creepy stuff. I have lesser GI problems with sucralose and even stevia. TMI? Surprisingly, the only one that doesn’t bother me is saccharin, not that I really use it. I pretty much stick to sugar. Anyhow, the point of this overshare is that I’m now a little concerned about even the small amount of xylitol in a toothpaste. A teensy amount of aspartame really gets me, so this might too. Perhaps I shall look further. Thanks for taking one for the team. I’ve thought about the tooth powder route, but then I keep reading that they can cause permanent enamel damage. Honestly, my quest to use more healthful and natural products usually just leaves me even more confused and conflicted, but at least at Crunchy Betty I get to enjoy the ride a little. One of the things I’ve always appreciated about your blog is that it’s a journey. You do revisit topics and continue to learn more, and never suggest that you are the ultimate authority on anything. I am as put off as you are by sensationalism, so I appreciate your honest style. Keep it up!
I agree with, aside from the part of the bloggers opinion. When something shoes up so high in a google search and is quite biased against something which can be so hugely beneficial I have problem with it. I think that a balanced view should be presented. We get xylitol out of trees and we eat a similar amount to what our bodies are used to anyway. Some people have a sensitive guy. Most do not. I have been reading alit about xylitol and there is a Japanese study which show the now effective does per kg of body weight. Ie the amount where no one in the study had any laxative of gastric effect at all. It works out at around 28g per average weight UK woman per day. Of course the study didn’t have thousands of people and the ones who go and write are usually the ones who have bad experiences. It’s a real shame for the large majority who can greatly benefit from xylitol on these days of too much sugar I everything, diabetes, obesity , etcetera. Here in the UK you can buy it in nearly every health food shop. The general co census is that it’s naturalland good for you.
I’m not sure how much is the “right amount” for health benefits. Getting off sugars (including carbs that quickly turn to sugars) my body went through a “die off” known as Herxheimer’s reaction – I had a lot of abdominal pain, bowel changes, felt like crap for several days. At that point I had not even heard of Xylitol! I just knew I had to stop with the sugars, and it made me sick to do so! It wasn’t until weeks later that I discovered Xylitol in my research for sugar free (&grain free) recipes. It made it much easier for me to have that occasional dessert I crave. But once you stop with the sugars, and let it clear out of your system, you don’t crave it as much….so you don’t need to use as much of ANY sweetener. I think that stopping sugar and substituting Xylitol MAY be causing people to experience these reactions…I would suggest that you get off ALL sugars, including Stevia and Xylitol and whatever for several days, and let your body go through the process of fungal/candida die off. It’s not fun, but well worth it if you want to get healthy! Then slowly introduce Xylitol back into your diet, in moderation. If you are still craving a dozen chocolate chip cookies, there is still something wrong with your digestive system, and you are feeding the “monster” that is living in you.
Maybe that is what happened to me. When I first started using Xylitol I would get these massive sugar cravings which I found strange since I rarely have that kind of craving. After some number of days, I did stop having those intense sugar cravings which I too found strange since just a few days earlier I was scarfing down cookies and now I am content with very little sugar.
That sounds right to me. I was such a sugar addict that I would go nuts if I couldn’t get my hands on some! I still like sweets but I don’t crave them so much and I don’t want to eat the whole batch of cookies! Lol. In fact a lot of stuff tastes sickeningly sweet now. Xylitol has been helpful to have an occasional sweet with no aftertaste or side affects. Love the stuff for that reason
I think both sides are right… Im a work-from-home mom just making my own lotions, soaps, toothpastes, etc to sell at the farmers market. I must use a preservative in my lotions if I am to sell them, and found the very cintroversial product Plantservative to actually be pretty awesome. I used to be intimidated by chemistry until i started researching more, and i think its pretty cool now! Leucidel is a neat new one too… any hoo, ( sorry for the tangent) I think its up to the consumer…i will use xylitol in my homemade toothpaste when i sell it ( all ingredients are listwd according to the INCI) but i personally avoid sugar simply because it has destroyed/ is destroying much of the FL everglades, and a sugar factory smells HORRIBLE ( my prom was in Clewiston FL, major sugar production there) …. very few things are simple and guiltfree any more, but we can only do our best! Limiting consumption of anything as much as possible is the best way….
Perfectly valid to take issue with the use of the term “natural”. After all, if we figure out how to make a perfect human eye, we can’t call it “all natural” if it didn’t grow in someone’s skull. The same is true for xylitol, resulting from an induced chemical reaction.
I don’t believe we call testosterone injections “natural”. Or inositol or phenylalanine, both of which exist in the human body. Inositol is another sugar alcohol, though a far less marketable one. We don’t call these products “natural” because we synthesized them.
But xylitol is not synthesized, so you are incorrect. It’s made from xylan which goes through hydrogenation which is not dissimilar to refining sugar. look it up. Is refined sugar natural? Obviously yes, but there are awful chemical processes used to refine it. No one goes around ranting that refined sugar is artificial chemical sweetner, and a huge evil industry has got you thinking that sucrose does not sound like a weird chemical name, but it does. You just see it every day so you are used to it.
There are many way to change xylan to xylitol. Once way is to use a chemical process. Another is to use a patented fermentation process. Just because you use a process it does not make the end result unnatural. Same xylan from the same tree , same xylitol , and you can use different processes to make it into xylitol. Xylitol has been made from birch for 100 years. The processes and efficiency has changed, but its still the same xylitol from the same xylan from the same tree. Too many people think that a name they don’t recognise must be bad for them and that anything ‘natural’ is good. So is agave natural? It’s not sweet out of the plant. It takes 36 hours to convert it to sugars, and then its mostly fructose, which in those concentrations is absolutely terrible for you.
Thanks Chris for your persistence. First, “he said, she said” is NOT a valid scientific study of anything. This is a bloggers opinion, and one for which she is certainly entitled. It may help some people in some ways. I have been using xylitol for about 2 months. I don’t ingest spoonfuls in anything (no sweet tea, coffee, etc.) but I add it to virtually any desert items, especially my coconut macaroons (which I consider health food!) and my rare baked items. I am of the opinion that if this causes “instant” digestive problems, it is only because there are already digestive problems – and most people have some degree of digestive dysfunction! The culprit is not likely to be the xylitol, but an imbalance of gut flora. Xylitol has been extremely helpful in keeping me on track with my anti-fungal diet. My chronic sinusitis is gone, I have lost weight, and my asthma is clearing up. No carbs, no grains, no sugar to feed the fungus….and xylitol is a wonderful way to put a little “sweetness” in my anti-fungal diet. No adverse affects here….just positive ones!
Hey Betty-Xylitol is found everywhere these days now that high fructose corn syrup has fallen out of favor. Which is why your old post is so relevant. You are ahead of your time! Xylitol gives me canker sores, instantly. My favorite sweetener…maple syrup. Cheers
Thanks for your article. I have just heard about xylitol as a dentist was touting it in her line of mints and gum. I think I will pass on it and look for a different dental regime.
The article is complete nonsense. Listen to your dentist.
Wow Chris I’m beginning to think you work for one of these companies that manufactures xylitol you sound like your trying to convince everyone how great it is as if it were your own discovery!!!
Yep, obviously Chris is a troll. How much do you make posting on these type of boards, Chris?
Natural doesn’t = Safe and Safe doesn’t = Natural.
The question should be is Xylitol Safe?
I had the same reaction as you:
2 spoonfuls in a large tea = 2-3 hours in the bathroom. Extreme diarrhea and dehydration.
very rare reaction. Normal dosage is 30g to have any such effect and there is loads of data about this. You are having an abnormal reaction and there is a vast amount of data that show it. Check the World Health Orginization website for some credible information about xylitol.
I have starting drinking tea with Xylitol instead of sugar (maybe one teaspoon a day and not more than 15g/day max) and have not had all these crazy reactions I read about. I would never put “two spoonfuls” in my tea because I know there are some gi effects, but for me they are virtually unnoticeable.
Having read good stuff about Xylitol, I was looking for information about possible side effects. When I saw the title of your blog, I almost didn’t read it. Why? Because it struck me as perfectly obvious that the stuff’s not natural! It’s about as natural as aspirin, which is another product manufactured from a natural source. I’m surprised that anyone claims otherwise. I’m glad I went on to read your blog, though, because I do have a very sensitive gut, and you made the most probable adverse reaction crystal clear. Thanks! And don’t let the people who insist on calling black white bother you too much; it’s the plague of our modern culture for some reason.
It’s as natural as refined sugar. Is that natural? Are you saying that because of the name of a substance is not recognizable to you, you think it’s not natural? If it’s not natural how can it have been in use for 100 years? Not only is it natural, your own body produces 5-15g per day!!!
The name has nothing to do with the question. Is refined sugar natural? No, it’s refined. What other things have been in use for 100 years or more, that are not in natural? Well, let’s see – vodka, beer, whiskey, cough syrup, baking powder, toothpaste. Your last comment is kind of scary – are you suggesting that the form in our food was refined from human flesh? Surely not!
Thank you Sharon you said it! Refined sugar is not natural! Duh it has chemicals chris! Obviously you have ingested to many chemicals in your life who cares if its been around for 100 years so has cancer! That doesn’t mean it’s natural! And our bodies don’t produce refined xylitol duh!
Great read – thanks for taking the time. And thanks for keeping this up even though it’s probably been a pain in your butt 🙂
Thanks for the info on xylitol. I was considering buying it but I was researching it to figure out what it is and found your blog. You had really good information and I appreciate the research you did. Any food product that has anything to do with DuPont or Monsanto isn’t coming into my kitchen!
Agreed, but there are US manufacturers too, who are not giant monsters. Dupont bought Danisco who bought all of the Finish plants years ago. Dupont did not set up the factories, and xylitol has a major sweetener in Finland for decades before they arrived. unfortunately the plants were taken over. It happens these days with everything.
Thank you so much for this. I just put Xylitol in my tea and thought I better do a little research before I drank it. Whew!!!!! I really appreciate your sharing this and saving me from gastric distress. From someone who has extremely sensitive digestive system…
Anyone that attacks you because of your beliefs are small puppets and have been brainwashed by years and years of media so have lost the ability to actually recognize truth when they see it. Couple that with the fact that none of us want to be wrong once we make a decision and you get negative comments by small people.
Thank you for sharing!!!
but ALL beliefs are attacked at some point… So I guess you are simply saying ‘truth is whatever you want to think truth is.’? It is truly sad that so many Americans now subscribe to this new-age religious belief system.
I am a new user of xylitol. Thank you for the research (which I otherwise would have had to do!) I have experienced all that you have mentioned.
This is the first time I have read your blog, and love it! We all need to know the pros and cons. Those that can’t handle that…….. Well, aren’t they the ones with the problem?
Don’t stop the blog, please. We need it. I will look forward to reading more of what you have to say.
Erica
I really like your blog… THANKS.
I dont know if this has been discussed in the comments: if xylitol is made from corn and most corn raised in the US is GMO… would xylitol be GMO? I dont see it on the government list of allowed products in organics… there are many products agricultural, synthetic and non-synthetic allowed, but this is not one of them. It is also the favorite sweetener of a well-known nutritionist who appears on Public TV … she made the statement on the program. I am trying to avoid all GMO’s but it is getting more and more difficult.
Yes, xylitol often times will come from GMO corn, since that is the vast majority of US corn. You can find non-GMO xylitol, though possibly only at natural food stores.
No, it’s only GMO if it’s made in the USA. It’s not GMO if it’s made anywhere else in the world, even China. Europe doesn’t allow it, and the Chinese are very very strict also. Funny that eh?
Not sure I would trust anything made in China, given that they repeatedly produce pet food that poisons those it is intended to nurture.
I have been using xylitol on and off for about 2 years. I tend to use it more when I’m at home for holidays or if I stay home from work sick. Every time I stay home, I end up with a nasty feeling in my tummy. The worst part is I just bought a new bag yesterday. I’m going to bring it back and try exchanging it for coconut sugar. I’ll see if my recurring tummy aches will go away. I never put 2+2 together on this one before. I only ended up on your blog because I was going to see if I could try making xclear myself at home, since it’s been touted to cure sinus problems. Ive been home with a nasty sinus infection, and now I have an upset tummy to boot… Thank you for your research. You may have just saved me from another two years of wondering why I keep getting tummy upset when I stay home and drink herbal teas all day.
I am trying the Fast metabolism diet and notice birch xylitol in many of the recipes? I had no clue what it was which brought me to your blog. Now I know and I think I will pass. Thanks so much!
Hmmm. I know you’re “done with this,” but this was a really informative post, so if you do read this, thanks. You’re probably going to keep getting comments as not much else is out there about it.
Here’s my take: Drat. I like Xylitol and have a big ol’ bag of it as it is so easy to sub for sugar in baking. Haven’t had any side effects personally, but your post shows too many problems with the processing for me to tout it anymore. I was always a little afraid to check on the process–it did seem a little too white and perfectly crystally –like the ice queen in Narnia–to be truly good.
Thank you for this information. What you say, and the quotes from Shane Ellison, make a lot of sense. However, I did check out his website, on which he recommends xylitol as a sugar substitute: “Safe alternatives to artificial sweeteners are abundant: erythritol, agave, xylitol and luo han guo.” http://thepeopleschemist.com/how-to-get-your-sweet-fix-without-sabotaging-your-health-sweets-for-diabetics-and-everyone-else/. In his reply to one comment referring to this blog, he says it is natural, but the safest alternative to sugar is stevia. I don’t care much for stevia and have been trying xylitol, with no adverse effects. Nevertheless, the process by which xylitol is made, and that it derives from corn (which could be GMO) are two factors which for me eliminate xylitol as a sweetener.
As co-owner of Nanny’s Way Preserved and Baked Goods I spend a great deal of time researching baking recipes. After finding xylitol listed in several gluten free recipes recently, I started looking into it. When I googled “Is xylitol natural” I found your blog. It is one of the few that appeared that is not written by xylitol manufacturers and sellers. We pledge to use only natural ingredients, and after reading your research we will NOT be using xylitol. Currently we sweeten baked goods with organic cane sugar, coconut sugar, honey and maple syrup. Most of our preserved items are made with processed sugar, although we do have a Maple Apple Jam made with organic ingredients including maple syrup, and hope to develop more items of this nature in the new year. Thank you for helping us to make the decision concerning xylitol an easy one.
All those sugars! Yuck! Obesity, diabetes, etc. Read some real information about the history and use of xylitol around the world for the last 100 years please.
Of course if one eats a diet heavy in sugars there is real risk to one’s health. However, jams and jellies are intended to be a small addition to a meal, and desserts are intended to be a small final course. The chance of developing diabetes or obesity from the proper use of sweeteners is virtually nil for a healthy person. If you have information concerning this sweetener that is published by someone other than a producer or seller of it, I would be happy to read it.
Dear Crunchy Betty…I actually googled whether or not xylitol was natural (“Is xylitol natural”). Your blog was one of the first things that came up. It was exciting because I love your blog so much.
When I read the two-year edit to your post, my eyebrows shot up and I went through the comments. A lot of them are really positive and intelligent, which is really great (I’m used to reading youtube comments, I guess).
The comments that were negative, in defence of xylitol, are probably from people that have been using xylitol for years and feel threatened. Many of them are using a classic arguing technique called “gaslighting.” It’s understandable, in a weird way. I guess I felt the same way about soy milk at first.
I know you probably aren’t reading these anymore, but thank you so much for the work you put into finding the facts behind this stuff. The corn thing scares me the most. It SHOULD scare anyone.
Please keep doing what you do! You’re doing a really good thing.
What is natural? Is refined sugar natural? Have google and look at the insane chemicals used in refining and bleaching sugar. Yet no one would call it artificial. It’s sugar , right? So xylitol is converted from xylan, as it has been for 100 years, but the process has become a chemical one, fos efficiency’s sake. Shame about that. The xylan is the same. The xyltiol is the same. The process is different. So the process uses chemicals, but if you change the process and have the same input and output does that make the output artificial? Obviously NO. If you don’t like chemical processes you should not use a car or electricity or buy clothing. Or food in packaging. You should not have carpets or paint, or use concrete, so basically you can live in a log cabin by candle light. Xylitol is natural and not chemically constructed. Your body makes 5-15g every day. The process to refine it uses chemicals, but when you eat xylitol you are eating a natural product and no extra chemicals.
And as far as the note in the blog about extracting it a unnatural high volumes etc. I have to repeat that your body makes 5-15 g per day. That is a lot.It’s more that you are going to eat, so although some people have a reaction, most people are veyr used to the amount they would use as a sweetener.
How do you convince yourself that what you are saying is intelligent? Sugar is chemically processed and that is what makes it bad for you! white enriched flour is chemically processed and that is what makes it bad for you!!!!! Duh! When you process something with a chemical the chemical STAYS IN IT!!!!! Duh! Duh!!!
Sorry but you need to use google and do done reading. The processing of sugar is not what makes it bad for you, and no, there are not chemical traces left after processing. I am in food, and I have specification sheets for many such products. These sheets show extensive testing for everything from moisture to heavy metals. You gave no idea what you are talking about. Unfortunately this type of Mumbo jumbo, delivered by people who pretend to have done knowledge l , is all over the internet and It causes confusion for people who are actually looking for done truth. You need to read a bit more.
Well said Chris. This is all just another fad that will eventually pass.
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Thank you for the time and energy you put into this research. Saves me a lot of time and pain. I suffer from digestive issues and was looking into this because I use Xlear nasal spray for my allergies. You saved me an afternoon in the bathroom. I am lactose intolerant and know the symptoms you described. I certainly don’t want to add another product to my diet that causes THAT! I love your writing. You are funny. And Merry Christmas!
The name a Stevia don’t sound natural either but it is (every thing has a chemistry/latin name as well)… also… I just dont get it… everything we eat is chemical to the body. Natural food is a chemical and changes the chemistry of our body… its just what reactions we get from what we eat. Natural chemical vs. man made. I swing towards Natural much as possible. Moreover, just about everything we eat go through some kind of processing unless we go out and pick it or kill it ourselves. I feel we need to use more logic and be more realistic then to jump on every band wagon we hear.
No Fries!? Aw c’mon.
As a nutritionist, I learned on good authority that xylitol was the answer to the sweetner question and had benefits for the immune system, etc. Meanwhile, I have been having boughts of diarrhea lasting for weeks at a time.
I was using a teaspoon on cereal a few days a week.
Only today did I read that xylitol could be a culprit and was drawn to your website.
I will be analysing the time periods when the problem cleared up and try to deduce if it was when I ran out of X.
Will stop using it now and get back to you.
I feel depleted, dehydrated and have lost weight. Had to stop taking Magnesium which is crucial to my health regimin.
Hope this stuff hasn’t killed me.
Great article! Thank you. I am one of the ones seeking a “natural” sugar substitute (anti-candida, baby), and would rather have the truth that there may not be one than be willfully ignorant of the negative side-effects of the choices available. Also, I am sorry some people feel the need to insult you. I see absolutely nothing in your article that invites hostility!
Thanks for the article. I had tried xylitol before, with a bit of gi upset, but would have used it more regularly if not. I was unaware of the facts as you presented them here, and the Dupont and corn syrup connection convinces me, since I’m not overly attached anyway, to give it up.
I found your blog just after having digestive problems after using too moch xylitol for sweetening my tea. As I had a cold, this week I drank more lemon sweetened tea. I had the problem twice. At first I blamed the tea… I knew about other artificial sweetener that they can have laxative effects but not about xylitol. For me xylitol has been very good as it helped me loose a lot of weight. We use it in cakes especially, but I guess I never got to such amounts ingested at once to get the laxative effect. Now I know what the problem was and I’m prepared for future! I will not stop using it although you confirmed my doubts about it not being as natural as they pretend, but I will definetely keep my eyes on the quantity I ingest! As an ex-obeese person and also as a medical doctor I am too affraid of conventional sugar to get back to it and the artificial sweetners are miserable with their after taste! Congratulations for a fun and well-documented piece!!! 😉
Thank you for the fun and educational read. Sorry some felt the need to insult you.
HFCS is made in a lab and is a chemical process which was rolled out across the USA under Nixon in the early 70s. Xylitol has been used for 100 years and is the result of converting xylan in birch trees or corn husks into xylitol through a process which now uses chemicals, but the same process can and has historically be done without chemicals much less efficiently. Converting xylan to xylose is akin to the process of refining sugar. You don’t end up eating the materials used in the process. You end up eating xylitol which is a natural final state of the conversion of xylan with nothing else added to it. It is NOT chemically created, designed or manufactured, ever anywhere in any form by anyone.
Wow! You are an idiot!!!! How can you use chemicals to process something but it not have any of those chemicals in it?!?!?! Hmmmm???
Sorry but it’s not a matter of opinion. It’s called chemistry and what I am saying is a fact. Of course there are bad processed food with chemicals, but there are many processes which are transformative and do not leave residue. A simple example is stevia. You can extract the sweetener by just boiling leaves in water and drying. You can also use ethanol alcohol to dry it faster. The final product does not contain ethanol. It’s the same end result either way. Processing it a general term for countless different processes. To consider them all bad and all the same is simplistic and uninformed.
Cameo, I see you’ve never taken chemistry (or didn’t pay attention), and know little about production processes.
Obviously I’m a little slow as I just discovered this sweetener. I’m allergic to coconut so took a pass on the coconut palm sugar my husband decided to use. A couple at the health food store gushed over how great xylitol was and how natural, made from birch trees. I was suspicious of it’s snow white appearance and decided to do some research. Since I suffer from severe food allergies I am always cautious when trying new food. Everyone has to decide what is right for them, however other people’s experience and research is beneficial. You can take it or leave it with respect to that person’s experience. Thanks for sharing, my quest for a healthy sugar continues.
Someone else with an allergy to coconut? I thought I was the only one. lol. I used the Xylitol powder a few years ago when it came out. It gave me the runs but no cramps. Recently I’ve been on an extreme low carb, low calorie diet and started using xylitol again, this time I could only find the granules. The gas and cramps are insane and yet this time no diarrhea. However instead of stopping I think I will just cut down because I also suffer from ear infections and this is helping that. Thanks for the blog
Thanks for your post. It was helpful to me and fun to read too.
I must say…most everything is man made any more. Xylitol is great for promoting dental health as it does starve bacteria and enhance enamel. Every “fake” sugar will give the same issue, the only problem is xylitol takes fewer doses to do so. If you want all natural then go with sugar…not sugar you by in stores either because it has been processed. Honey works well and is sweeter than sugar. I use honey on the regular as it is also a natural peroxide (i put it on my cuts)and to sweeten meals a bit. Don’t get all “lets ban Xylitol” just because it gives you stomach cramps in larger doses. It has never been repported to cause cancer or have any other side effects to humans unlike other “fake” sugars have. I perfer it over others any day of the week.
ummmm….it causes tumors (which is a form of cancer) but thanks for sharing
http://www.livestrong.com › Food and Drink
Tumors
RXList.com reports that it’s safe for adults to consume up to 50 g of xylitol each day, but that people need to avoid higher doses. There is concern that taking xylitol in extremely high doses for more than three years may cause tumors. Children need to be limited to 20 g per day. Xylitol has been used as a cavity preventative in both kids and adults, with 7 to 20 g per day typically divided into three to five doses. These are usually taken as chewing gum or candies. Xylitol also is used medicinally to reduce ear infection risk, with doses totaling 8.4 to 10 g per day, divided up and given to preschoolers after meals in the form of gum, lozenges or syrup.
only saying because we, Americans, tend to lack self-control in eating habits <hence obesity is so high, j/s
But realistically gluttony is a sin; and all of its consumption practices cause cancer
…taking sucrose in extremely high doses for more than three years may cause many diseases…
The studies on Xylitol in large doses are not conclusive for more then any period of time. If you are consuming that much “sugar” to begin with then you have a serious problem anyways. Tumors also are not always cancerous and any website that I have read doesn’t give any indications that using this product will cause cancer. The button line is that anything processed you run the risk of some type of bodily disruption whether its a upset stomach or tumors. Nothing is meant to be taking in “large or high” doses period. Using the butter “County Crock” is probably the worst thing every for you, its only one chemical away from making plastic, but people still eat it. To each is his own and what is good for one may not always be good for another. I happened to like Xylitol and have had no problems with it. It taste great, with absolutely NO after taste like that of most sweeteners out there. It only requires a same amount to reach the desired taste of sweetness which could be why some have had the experience the problems they have had. For the use of 1 tsp of regular sugar you only have to use about 1/2 tsp or less. Stevia and any other natural / artificial sweetener gives you a nasty after taste and most of them have their own “cautions” listed. If you are gonna compare products then you need to compare them all and not just one that has upset your stomach!!!
You got it backwards, man. Cancer is a type of tumor. Not all tumors are cancer, so you cannot point to an inconclusive study showing tumors and say “see? cancer.” (granted, not all cancers are tumors either–i.e. leukemia, but still makes the point that you can’t hear one and assume the other.)
On the subject of xylitol & its effects: like others have stated, the GI effects are present in all sugar alcohols because it is not digested by your body (hence 0 calories) which then leaves it free to be absorbed (& digested) by the bacteria in your digestive system instead. When this happens in your mouth, it messes with the harmful bacteria thus protecting your teeth, plus it improves the pH in your mouth & helps the natural enamel healing process. When this happens in your intestines, the result is often either loose stools or excessive (& excessively) smelly gas. If you get the gas, you are lucky: I am told by a fellow low-carber that taking Beano before consuming sugar alcohols solves the gas issue (More often used to combat Maltitol in chocolate). (Btw, when I worked in a GI office, we used a specific sugar-alcohol for the “Breath Test” to assess the amount and type of bacteria the patient had populating their intestines) His chemical assessment of xylitol may be accurate, but I disagree with his medical assessment. (“Xylitol will rip up your insides” is a little over the top. Though you may have felt differently during your post-packet episode, it’s really the effect of the bacteria, not the xylitol harming you.
So in conclusion: Xylitol in your mouth: Good. Xylitol in your gut: Bad.
Personally, I will continue to use my xylitol toothpaste because my mouth does feel healthier, and it never makes it to my gut to make me sick. I don’t really like the cooling effect of the candy anymore (I chewed so much my throat was sore once–bad idea) so I don’t chew the gum, but I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to others (in moderation).
However, I don’t recommend using it as a regular sugar replacement for the very reasons you mentioned in the beginning of your post (as well as the cooling sensation–I imagine it would make for odd-tasting chocolate).
I just drank a huge smoothie and tried my new sweetner, Xylitol that I bough at Fred Meyer. An hour later I was VERY sick.
I decided to look on the internet to see if by chance Xylitol could have caused this and the first place I clicked on was here.
I’m done with Xylitol! I’ve got better things to do and Nustevia works great as a natural, 0 calorie sweetner.
Thanks for this info! I was going to ask my coffee shop if they had changed any ingredients in my usual mocha,(chocolate w/o HFCS and hemp milk) until I realized I had tried a new gum just before that. Yep, xylitol is the sweetener. Certain things do give me stomach cramps, like the fake eggs some restaurants use. I always have to ask for eggs from the shell for my omelettes. Now I have to add xylitol to the list and throw out this gum!
I just read thru the People’s Chemist. After finding no direct reference to xylitol, I read his article “How to get your sweet fix without suffering from sugar toxicity”. In it, he only references xylitol once, mentioning it thus: “Safe alternatives to artificial sweeteners are abundant: erythritol, agave, xylitol and luo han guo. Choosing which natural sweetener to use depends on which one tastes best to you.”
If what you said he told you is true, shouldn’t he change his website?
My child’s dentist stated that if she would like to chew gum to chew gum with xylitol. It sounded good to me, no sugar. How bad can it be for you? She had 4 pieces of small gum with xylitol and had hours of diarrhea and stomach cramps. This happened to me as well. This is not a case of “well, maybe you were coming down with something”. This was ALL attributed to the xylitol in the gum. I will never buy a product with this ingredient again. And for the people who don’t and didn’t do research on the ingredient, I’d recommend doing so before you or a loved one ingests anything containing xylitol. I’ve learned a lesser to be sure.
I had the same issue – and I didn’t ingest a lot of it. Heartburn followed by forging a new relationship with the porcelain god. Not fun. Such a shame, it’s so tasty. Any unpleasantries I should know about stevia?
Hi Crunchy Betty:
I came across your blog about xylitol while googling it today. I am extrememly fascinated by your conspiracy theory regarding the big corn companies. I’ll tell you why: I am a dentist and I have suddenly been gifted many samples of xylitol gum and mints to give out to my patients. While I am not the “Mother Earth” type of person, I like to know what I am recommending to my patients. But I see a connection with people avoiding HFCS. What better way to make xylitol seem harmless if your dentist is recommending it? What a way to sneak it into the “healthy for you” market. I will have to do more research on the company, Epic Dental. Anyway, thanks for your blog and information. I am going to check out your book.
We often ridicule what we do not understand. Sad how people’s minds work.
Xylitol is the healthiest “processed” sweetener one can use. When used properly, it can help people wean themselves from their sugar addictions. Yes, refined sugar (all types) are one of the major causes of our health problems.
You can learn more about xylitol on my blog (superfoodmix.com). I could have used any sweetener I wanted in this product (although we do have an unsweetened version as well) and I chose xylitol based on extensive research. Believe me there are much cheaper sweeteners that could have been used that would not rile those looking to bash everything they don’t understand.
I know that Betty means well and I appreciate that she contacted a chemist BUT a chemist is not a nutritionist or a physician. There are many chemicals used to process things, that does not inherently make them all bad or dangerous. There’s quite a bit more to the science & physiology than what is alluded to above.
Not sure if you read the disclaimer below!
I am not a fan of fake sweetners, and I never cared to buy any for my house.
When I was out of town recently, I went to a Starbucks for a peppermint mocha.
I don’t normally order this drink, but it sounded nice for the holiday time….lol
I ordered a small with a half pump of each syrup. Half pump mocha and half pump peppermint.
The guy taking my order said they were out of reg. mocha and they only had sugar-free available.
I was reluctant, but thought “it’s only a half a pump, what’s the big deal?”
So I got my sugar-free mocha coffee drink. I enjoyed it, then, about half way through I started to feel weird.
My stomache felt unsettled, and I could taste the nasty after taste of the fake sugar.
I was like I am never gonna order that CRAP again!
So, back to Xytilol.
I recently bought this “raw power superfood mix” from my local health food store.
It contains nuts, raisins and pumpkin seed protein. It seemed very natural and heathly!
So I made some little raw bars out of the powder mix with a banana and peanut butter.
It tasted pretty good.
After eating 1 small bar, my stomach felt the same way it did after drinking the sugar-free
Drink from Starbucks! I thought, “that is weird”!
So I looked closer the the ingredients, and it listed “xylitol” as a sweetner.
Right away I knew that was probably a dumb fake sweetner!
My body could tell right away!
So I googled “Xytilol” and found this blog post.
Sure enough, crappy fake sugar full of chemicals!!!!
I am disappointed in the company who puts this in there “heathly”
Superfood mix!!!!! 🙁
I will not buy or use this “raw power superfood mix” again!
What a waste of money! Over $30!
I use sugarcane crystals as my sweetner, or honey.
Or white sugar too! Atleast it’s natural! Not a chemical!!
I am not on the search for a new sweetner, I am not scared of surgar.
I think ppl need to have everything in moderation!
Esther
I’ve consumed 15 lb bags of xylitol every few months for the last 8 years or so.
A few yrs ago, I chewed through 3000 pieces of spry xylitol gum in a few months and boy was my jaw tired!
can you tell…i’m a sweet tooth kinda guy 🙂
just sayin…i dont suffer bouts of “depression” or all sorts of medical issues after consuming it. The gas effect diminishes after bodies adjust to any gradually introduced significant quantities.
studies prove its good for teeth and bones and blood sugar vs alternatives. if you dont need sweetness, well, thats great i guess…probably have fewer cavities as a result. while i can get away feeling ok with less sweetness, i live for sweetness. sweet genes and youth exposure to sweet i guess. enjoy your unsweetened oats and chamomile and unsweetened herbal so-called “teas”. 🙂 all this has me wanting a fix…where’s my jug of xylitol?…
I wish natural meant natural – I was about to order this in bulk and start baking my kiddos all kind of sweet treats with it. I started to think it through and the name did sound funny – I searched and found this blog as well as some other resources – thanks for the time and effort put into your research. I think I’ll pass and just continue passing on the sugary substitutes – I still really wish there was a healthy sweetner out there!
If you are looking for a truly healthy sugar substitute with no side effects, you should try Coconut palm sugar. It is great for diabetics because it does not raise the blood sugar, as the glycemic index is very low. I have been using it for over 2 years and it has no side effects. Also, it tastes great, there is no after taste. I have recommended it to dozens of people and all are satisfied. I put it in my coffee and bake with it.
Try coconut palm sugar that is both organic and all-natural.
I have always known artificial sweetners were bad. I wish everybody else did. Great article!
I am sitting here looking at my Coton de Tulear, Tsingy, and after reading the horribly sad story about Smokey and realizing that no diet product is worth taking a chance with your best friend. Out goes the xylitol! There has to be a better sugar substitute… I will scour the internet.
Last Saturday, November 23 I made a sweet potato casserole for our church potluck. Upon returning home my husband (who should know better by now) left the remainder on the table and at some point during the afternoon our Silver-Dapple Dachshund, Smokey ate about half of it. Sometime during the night/morning of the next day he vomited 9 times on the couch. He became lethargic and by Monday wasn’t responding to much of anything. Just shivering and looking at us pitifully. We took him to the vet Monday evening and when I told her what was in the casserole and got to Xylitol she said that can kill dogs!!! I had NEVER heard of the danger before! I was using it from a recommendation by a holistic doctor along with Stevia and Agave; she said to use those sweeteners because they are low glycemic. If I’d known it was a danger… I would not have bought it! Poor Smokey… he made it through the night but Tuesday morning he had 2 seizures and died after the second one!!! He was only about 5; we had him almost 2 years. We got him from the animal shelter and he was just the happiest, most full of life dog anyone could want! He LOVED to chase his “Goughnut” and he loved all people. I just can’t wrap my mind around him being gone… this hurts so very much. No. I don’t think Xylitol is good. And I want to warn as many people as I can. If you love your pet, don’t get this stuff in your house!! Smokey’s one problem was that he was always trying to get into anything he could eat, and just having the stuff in here was a danger. I just wish I’d known!!!!
“Has this changed any feelings you may have about the wunder-sweetener?”
My answer is: Not really, I have been skeptical since the very beginning, we have always stayed away from chemical-sounding additives, no matter how natural they are claimed to be.
Nevertheless Betty, I truly appreciate your earnest research on Xylitol and your integrity for telling it like it is to educate people, even though you are going against the gigantic currant of social/industrial professional/media opinions.
Folks, stay away from big corporations’ products, they are but extremely sneaky in deception. When I choose a product I’ve never had before, I would try to memorize the brands I’m considering buying, find they contacts online, then call or write them with any question or concern I have, for instance, do they use flouridated tap water to make the products, are they independent companies or part of a big corp, is there any GMO ingredients, etc..
And if you are really interested in the deeper truth under the surface, read up on David Icke (or just go to his site), all will be revealed to you…if you have the guts to know the fact-based truth.
Love and Peace 🙂
Xylitol is sugar made of birch and not sweetener. if you buy some cheap crap made god knows where and only some % of it is Xylitol no wonder you had those side effects. I personally buy 1kg of xylitol and pay around $20 per 1kg, never ever had any effects. so do really read again what you wrote and compare to the real product
Thanks for taking the time to write an informative article….Xylitol is touted as a very good sweetener and good for teeth. After reading your site I question this sweetener.
Thanks for looking out for us!
Thanks for the info. Loved your sense of humor about it! I just took out most carbs and sugar from my diet to get my A1c numbers down and avoid diabetes. I bought a few “natural” sweeteners to try. I had a similar reaction. Now I have Post Traumatic Sweetener Disorder too!
Hi Crunchy Betty,
Loved this blog highlighting concerns about Xylitol>
What do you and now use as an alternative sweetener.
Can anybody else recommend anything?
Valerie in Scotland
My daughter ate a xylitol lollypop and projectile vomited 30 minutes later. She was fine after that no sickness no fever. I hate it bc a naturopath suggested it for her weak enamel and I spent $30 on supplements. Aggh, I guess we will be throwing it all out now! I knew it was not good. Now she has poopies too.
Just curious if some of these side effects to xylitol are the result of coming off sugar. Sugar is a highly addictive substance and I recently stopped eating sugar and I had many of the same symptoms people are describing above. Not saying it is for everyone tho I doubt it’s perfect and I think as a society we tend to go overboard with most health discoveries – saying they can do everything when they cannot and do not work for everyone. But I never had any negative side effects to it. My whole family uses it and we’re just fine.
Loved the article – you may want to consider turning comments “off” so that you don’t have to deal with some of the more ridiculous and inflammatory statements as I do on my blogs. It’s awesome and much appreciated that you took the time to inform us on the subject. Thank you!!!
Let me say that I love your website and all that you do. What in your opinion is the safest and best natural sweetener out there ?
Dear Crunchy Betty may god bless you ,for you have open our eyes to something ,I think rather evil.I would also love you to enlighten us on my pet hate (SOYA) .It distresses me endlessly to find it in nearly everything one buys in the Supermarket,Soya Oil,Soya flour etc.Sugar is the next bad thing,to avoid it one looks for a replacement .Xylitol,well I am a very healthy 82 year old,but it pulled the stuffing out of me ! It is regrettable that we start giving our children at an very early age candies ,for being good,by doing so ,introducing them to the sweet taste of sugar ,something they will be hard to resist throughout there life,so dear Betty keep up the good work,love you ,by by. H.Hagen.
Wow, I substituted Xylitol for sugar in my doughnut recipe yesterday. My husband and I each ate 2 doughnuts and my 5 year old ate 1.25 doughnuts. We all had at least 4-5 episodes of diarrhea and then my child vomited as well. I’m now thinking that this stuff is poison. Sure it may be fine to brush your teeth with it, but that’s where I’m drawing the line. No more internal consumption!
I would find another toothpaste. It is absorbed into your bloodstream through your cheeks (buccal cavity).
I had the same experience with xylitol myself. It stated excessive consumption may have mild laxative effect. That was an understatement. One teaspoon in my coffee was all it took to cause a day of bathroom trips and stomach upset. It’s bad stuff! I thought about giving it another try, but after further research don’t think I will
Thank you for your blog. I actually ran across Xylitol in a “clean” recipe I pulled up online. I had never heard of it prior to that recipe. I was having a hard time finding Xylitol at the grocery store. How lucky was I to run across your research on this product before I wasted my money or experienced the GI disturbances you describe. Certainly lesson learned here for me. In the future I will look things up before I buy.
Crunchy Betty! A woman after my own heart! I learned so much from your 2011 xlitol entry and I SO enjoyed reading your 2013 xylitol entry! You go, CB. More power to you!
Thanks for sharing. Very helpfull info.
I just found out that my 3-year old nephew has diabetes type 1, so I was looking into alternative “natural” sweeteners and thought, ooo, xylitol. But yes, the name put me off, like it did for you.
At this food fair near where I live, there was a “natural foods” counter where I tried raw xylitol, literally licking my finger and sticking it in a small pile of the stuff. Then I tried one, ONE, chocolate chip made with xylitol. About 30 minutes later I felt the stomach cramps, and thought, huh, that’s weird. But I suppose the above explains it.
I think you have a point about xylitol and that there’s a juicy story there. Unfortunately, for most of us, we don’t have enough power to access people who will give us information about these products. I recently did a paper for my master’s of media course about these plant reproductive material laws, which is basically the European Commission regulating the seed industry. I found the creator of those laws worked for one of the largest French seed lobbying groups and Monsanto was part of that ring.
It always goes back to corporate greed, and how to make a buck. To the CEOs of companies who create chemical blends like xylitol, GMOs and the like, you and me don’t matter. It’s the green they care about. I have just resolved to now mashing up things like bananas, pears, beets and apples for my nephew, knowing those products (minus the pesticides) will probably be the best for him to consume in the long run, and to try and grow my own or buy local. It’s all we can do.
Thank you for your very interesting insight.
Hi, my wife decided to substitute sugar for this stuff without telling me. After about 3 days she told me. As soon as she told me I stopped using it. The way I was taking it was mainly by drinking coffee. I like my coffee sweet and have 3 teaspoons sugar (I drink about 4 cups per day), Coffee and sugar is by far the worse thing I intake. I eat very healthily apart from that. Suddenly, after a few days I’m getting pain in my kidneys. Now it could be coincidence, but I don’t believe it. That’s the only thing thats changed in my diet and I’m very careful about what I eat.
Upon doing some research I find Xylitol and Kidney problems is an issue.
Don’t use Xylitol!
I’ve been enjoying The Natural News for years and until lately relied on it heavily in terms of adjusting my diet, vitamin and supplement intake . They sponsored some article lately that really set off my BS radar but i didn’t act on it.When i saw the xylitol piece I read it in spite of the horribly synthetic name. Continuing to follow my nose , i was at your article here in about half an hour….And here i’d gotten my hopes up because I love to bake cookies, sweet breads and pies. ( sigh ) What do we do with Mikey Adams now. Thanks for the article and all the helpful comments.
Hi
Just read all the comments..I have been poorly for years IBS, food intolerance etc It was so frustrating trying to suss out the triggers so I could avoid the right things. Then because I was starting a low GL diet I wanted to cut out all sugars and was advised to use Xylitol…we ordered some, it arrived and hubby made me nice healthy cookies with our new xylitol…within 15 minutes of eating a few I was wracked with stomach pain,nausea, acid reflux so bad I thought my throat was being damaged, heart palpitations, hot, shaky and my stomach distended and bloated so huge hard and painful I looked 10 months pregnant.. I was up all night and in such dreadful pain. Day 3 I am still so ill and bloated and dehydrated…the only culprit xylitol…and I have been having it in my chewing gum mouth wash etc for years and because the effect were all the time undermining my health I didn’t realize what it was..but after actually having a little more xylitol in the cookie than I would experience in chewing gum..the reaction has been so vile and dramatic…I think I now know one of the major culprits for feeling lousy all these years…..
Thank you for this. I am a person who is never ill. I haven’t had a cold or flu in over 20 years. I recently purchased some non GMO corn derived Xylitol to use as a mouth rinse for anti cavity effect. Two days ago I ran out of cane sugar and decided to use Xylitol in my coffee. Yesterday I started having flu like symptoms, stomach upset and achy muscles and generally feeling horrible. I immediately suspected the Xylitol as it was the only new addition to my diet. I searched for side effects and found your informative blog. This morning I used honey for my coffee and I am already beginning to feel much better. Needless to say, this stuff is going in the trash.
Hi,
I find your blog interesting, I’ve read it before this one and enjoy your sense of humor. I have been using only the Xylitol from U.S. Birch trees for about 9 months now. I put a teaspoon in my AM coffee and a teaspoon in my afternoon Hibiscus tea. So, far I’ve had no stomach problems.
I also use the Spry mints for dental protection throughout the day but they are made with non-gmo corn from China. Not fond of anything made that you ingest from China so, I’m not sure if I’ll continue to buy them.
I do not own a dog so, no worry on that front. I hope that nothing does turn up to discredit Xylitol usage for me personally because I need to reduce my sugar and the dental benefits have been researched and are validated as being positive this juncture. Not that it eliminates ever getting a cavity but it reduces them with usage, especially after meals apparently.
HI Caro
Yes, for sure. I did not use Xylitol at first after being diagnosed with Candidasis, because I read a veterenary warning on the Internet that Xylitol can kill dogs. So I was a bit scared of the product at first. But then I heard about wonderful attributes being ascribed to Xylitol, so about 2 years after being diagnosed with Candidas I started using Xylitol in abundance. Yes, I found a quite dramatic increase in health after I stopped using Xylitol. You see the problem is that Xylitol is a sugar-alchohol. With Candida problems you cannot take any kind of alcohol.
I just wanted to thank you for this article. I, too, have been wondering just how safe this product is, and the information you shared has helped me make a decision for myself whether or not to use this product. Thank you for putting yourself out there for criticism to help inform others of what you found out. Thank you . . . .
Hurricanes and arsenic are natural.
Was reading this article until you said you love NaturalNews with all your heart, credibility lost.
but blogger also noted how NaturalNews can be a little over the top, drama queen like…
So, what is the best gum to chew? Anyone know? I just bought bfresh gum, i work where i talk with people alot and like to have something to freshen my breath.
I highly recommend organic spearmint or peppermint leaves. Forget the gum. If you really want to go “natural” go with what Mother Earth offers us – fresh, organic and real, nothing chemically enhanced, over processed or “man-made.” By the way, parsley is also natural breath cleanser but personally, I prefer the minty freshness of mint. – PEACE –
Thank u!.. I got Gum with Xylitol..today.. and asked the guy at the health store..is this natural.. what is the plant.. it does not sound like Natural.. he is like..IT IS NATURAL..since i did not feel good about it.. I found my way to the internet..to come cross your blog.. yes it does make sense.. it is a processed SUGAR.. it is NOT NATURAL..Thanks u.. I just through my gum in the garbage..
thankyouall”very much,now it all makes sense,we thought my wife was developing a heart condition(she has a auto-immune disorder)she has been taking a B-12 supplement and it is sweetened with guess what..Xylitol,thanks again and bless you all.
I never even considered that my supplements might include this chemical. Thanks for the heads up! Excuse me while I go check . . .
– PEACE –
Thank you for your informative blog. I recently started a food diary to find out what was causing my extreme agitation, colon related problems and other issues. I take vitamins and try and eat healthily but have been at my wits end trying to find the triggers. Unfortunately we trust that because a product is promoted by the experts in the various health related fields, that it must be good. Much of what they say is really beneficial but some products are just not for everyone. Thinking it’s my imagination that everytime I used Xylitol I felt awful, I started doing research and came across your blog. What a relief! By the way, I use a well known brand sold in health shops and promoted by the health guru’s. I suppose the moral of the story is to listen to your own body.
Thank you Betty – your blog raised some serious red flags! We have been chewing Xlyitol gum for years thinking it was healthy… I was unaware that another source was corn, or the chemical process used in order to produce this product! Since corn is a cheaper source – hello GMO too : (!
I have an auto-immune disorder, and Xylitol makes me so sick. I have a terrible reaction to it- I’ve eaten it three times, each time in the evening meal, and by the time I go to bed, I end up with electric shock like jolts through my abdomen and stomach for hours, they’re really painful, like my nervous system is going haywire, and then when I do finally sleep, I have absolutely horrific full-colour, full-sound nightmares, like my brain is horribly over-stimulated, and I wake myself up sobbing in my sleep (& I am someone who rarely has even unsettling dreams, let alone cries while unconscious!) then am usually sick the next day, similar to a lupus flare. I’ve been told it can increase fits in epileptics. I believe you can only ever go by your own body’s responses, and my body has major issues with this substance.
The xylitol you wrote an article about is most likely made in China. There are plenty of more expensive, homemade (by home made, I mean in the USA) Xylitol that has no additives or chemicals.
It all requires heavy chemical processing. There truly is nothing natural in the process or the end product.
@PJ- she clearly stated the brand she made was manufactured in Colorado- not China…
Thanks Betty.
I really appreciate the info on Xylitol you brought forward “out of the shadows” of bureaucracy, greed and cover-ups. It’s so hard to make healthy decisions these days because of all the mis-information out there. It’s a constant battle. There is no way to remove ourselves from all the poisons they put in our foods these days, but with facts, we can avoid some of them. Knowledge is power to help me. Truth only hurts those who are trying to hide it. I wish there were more people like Crunchy Betty who believes everyone has the right to know the truth and make knowledgeable decisions based on that truth. Thank you again and keep up the good work.
Thank you!!!!
I knew it! I knew xylitol was garbage. Yep, it caused me that same prob. with my body too, several yrs. ago. the loose bowels. what a nice thing to do, sell a product in a way that people aren’t aware it will do that until it hits you. But I was caught off-guard recently, I just bought what I thought was going to be my answer for wt. loss, but noticed the wording completely HIDDEN in a colored in area of the label, “Contains …….and Xylitol” it will be thrown out, after what the last use of this product did to me! Thank you for your knowledge/ wisdom. Don’t let the wierd people bother you, they’re troubled in other ways too, but are stuck there and we can’t fix them. We have our plates full with how to do the best that we can do for ourselves and our loved ones who will listen.
I am 55 year old male that has always eaten really good, exercised regulatory and since 29, taken supplements ( vitamins, minerals, aminos, enzymes).
No meds, my bp is 120/75. I am full of energy, always mentally happy.
This changed about 5 weeks ago. My first symptom was skipping heart beats (PVC). Then full blown arrhythmia. Then loss of appetite, loss of weight, no energy, depression, diarrhea, feeling of low blood sugar, acid reflux
So I cut out all my supplements. I had a similar issue several years ago, and the ZMA pills I was taking, the manufacturer sent me a letter stating the zinc was about 5 to ten times what it should be, so I stopped that, and all symptoms went away in two days.
Not so here, they continued until I had reflux so bad one night I went to the ER. They did many many heart tests, and blood tests, and said ” your heart looks perfect, and your blood work all looks very good” SO they put me on Protonix.
That day I read about Xylitol, and the side effects matched mine.
Well, I had been chewing gum, up to 6 to 8 per day pieces, starting about 5 weeks ago. It had xylitol in it.
I stopped the gum, and all my symptoms disappeared. I am still a little depressed, but all else is gone. No Protonix either.
I must be allergic to the stuff.
I calculated I was consuming about 1/3 of the fatal dog dose per day.
thanks all
This article rocked. So eloquently stated. So modest I. Your understanding of chemistry and body break down. Rock on sister
I am a physician and nutrition expert with over 35 years experience. I have posted fairly extensively on Xylitol (blog at superfoodmix.com)and I heartily recommend it as probably the healthiest “processed” sweetener there is. And, unless you’re dealing with raw honey or maple syrup, everything else is processed.
Xylitol has nearly 50 beneficial functions in the body. Does it cause GI upset when over-consumed? Absolutely! I think that is a benefit. If other sugars did that, maybe we wouldn’t have all the health problems that we do.
Instead of everyone bashing things they don’t really understand (sorry, a Chemist is not a physician, they DO NOT understand physiology, period)if those efforts were put toward educating and supporting others… we’d have a much better world.
they are not (sp) — don’t need a grammar lesson now too. lol
There is no need for anyone to call anyone else names or apply rude insults. ChrunchyBetty, Kudos to you for the post in the first place….intelligent and thought-provoking. All those superior people may find they are no so superior or correct in their research one day. Thanks again CBetty
we all are desert travelers in one sense .. we all have varying degrees of a sweet tooth.
we all look for the ideal product .. we have met here at Betty’s oasis sharing opinions about Xylitol.
I personally have a sweet tooth and attribute my excess baggage to insulin spikes due to sugar consumption.
So in my desert journey I have tried honey maple syrup stevia agave and now xylitol.
In reading all the blogs no one mentions the glycemic factor. Xylitol is very low and agave is too but I don’t know the mumber. I hear people shoot down agave as not natural but I take raw organic agave and believe that is a natural product with minimal processing and low glycemic. I have had no ill effects from it (or Xylitol) … I wish someone would give testamony to it as a healthier alternative with minimal insulin effect:-)
Thank you Betty for the information. I looked up info because at the dentist they were really going on and on about the dental benefits and I wanted to check for myself. The majority of info was indeed from xylitol manufacturers and distributors. I had tried it before in gum and mints as a sugar sub. but not as a cavity preventer. It did not settle well internally and I remembered that. My problem with all this is that people like the entire dentists office are promoting xylitol and why wouldn’t everyone think it is great….like fluoride right? Which is now banned in the military. All that to say , good for you Betty to question and do your own research and to be open to all information, and then make your decision. Good for you for encouraging others to do research and maybe rethink believing everything they hear from people who, we often think really should know….doctors, dentists, teachers, presidents…..Make a great day Betty!
Hi Betty, came across your blog about Xylitol and so happy I did. I’m new to this no sugar thing and I had xylitol recommended to me. I’m glad to get the other side of the story on this product that people are calling the next best thing!
Thanks so much for writing this article. Truth is, you are generous to share the results of your research. I too, have realized that I cannot trust our government or corporations to protect me from or inform me about the poisons that are being pumped into our food chain.
I recently developed small mouth ulcers on the inside of my mouth. I had to do a process of elimination of a number of likely suspects until the sores went away, then gradually, one by one reintroducing things until the sores showed up again. The culprit…xylitol, an ingredient in my B12 supplement! Crazy!!! So then I looked up the side effects of xylitol….yes, it includes mouth ulcers. So glad to have figured it out. You know, one symptom, is not the extent of potential damage…think about what you’re not seeing that’s happening to your body!!!
Thank you for this article, and all of the ensuing comments! I found a recipe (from a very popular, and usually reliable “natural” source) calling for Xylitol-decided I’d do some research before buying it in bulk…so glad I did! Guess if I really NEED those brownies, I’ll be making them with good ‘ole sugar!
When I first started consuming Xylitol, I went overboard with the Spry mints which did cause some intestinal discomfort. I slowed down… let my body get used to it… and several years later, have absolutely no issues when ingesting it any form.
My only concern with it coming from corn would be if it was genetically modified, but my brand (Xlear, the same folks who make Spry) indicate on the package that it is nonGMO.
xylitol gives me diarhea right off the bat. I returned the package.
I just did a search on head tremors & xylitol and this is a very common allergic reaction that occurs in cats and dogs that have ingested it….now with my case should now include humans. Its not worth it….don’t chance it!
I have been using xylitol for a couple of years….Something that I didn’t think of is that I been having these odd feelings of grinding guts as they are attempting to digest my food…it goes on for hours of a weird but painless grinding feeling….I never thought xylitol to be the culprit …..and I recently have been sick with a 6 month illness to where I had to stop all processed food and begin eating all whole foods….I just realized that the grinding has not been happening nearly as often….I have been feeling better so I decided to add a little xylitol to my kale smoothie 2 days ago and shortly after drinking it I had this feeling of head shakes at the base of my neck and it felt like my body was suffering attempting to fight off something…I didn’t put two and two together so the next day I was making a creative healthy dessert and decided to add xylitol to it to make it more tolerable and began eating it…..less than an hour later again I got the head shakes at the base of the neck but worse than the day before. Today as I am typing I have the grinding guts feeling again…….now researching this I find this article and now putting two and two together….I am just now realizing that I can no longer eat xylitol ….it might very well be the reason I immune system was so low from the 6 month illness in the first place…horrible!!!!! I wish this on no one!
Omg, I love your update! 🙂
From Jan. ’13-June ’13, I followed Dr. Ellie’s dental hygiene regimen that included ingesting Xylitol 6 grams spread across five doses daily. I found that my gum health improved and a few pockets of 5 and 6 all went to a max. of 3. Yeah dental health improvement! HOWEVER, coincidentally shortly after the 6-month regimen (mid July), I experienced several evenings of what I can only best describe in retrospect as gallbladder attacks (after eating oily foods). A resulting ultrasound also indicated some abnormalities of the gallbladder (but no stones visible).
I am well aware of the differences between correlational and causal effects, but I really have to wonder if the Xylitol had anything to do with my current gallbladder and digestive issues. I have since discontinued taking Xylitol, but have still had gallbladder attacks after oily foods.
Any thoughts?
I was reading through the responses to see what others had experienced with this product and saw your post. I do have gallbladder issues but have stated away from the foods that cause the attacks. Because of other health issues my nutritionist has me on a very restricted diet – including no sugar, dates, agave, honey, or the like. The only sweetners I’m allowed are Stevia, Yacon Syrup, and Xylitol. Stevia makes me just as sick as aspartame so I won’t use it. Yacon Syrup is expensive and hard to find (plus it isn’t that sweet and works in the same way as these other “natural” sweetners do. I decided to give xylitol a try.
For the past few days I’ve been feeling like I’m about to have a gallbladder attack. I couldn’t figure it out until tonight. I did not have any xylitol yesterday or earlier today. Tonight I ate one of the pumpkin cookies I made with the xylitol and within moments I started feeling like I was going to have a gallbladder attack. I feel really sick now and my head is hurting pretty bad. Your post just further confirmed what I was thinking. I didn’t get the laxative type symptoms that others have gotten, but I do feel my blood pressure has gone up, I have a headache, nausea, etc. I will never use this stuff again!
Hello Crunchy Betty,
You certainly provoked an interesting discussion of Xylitol, and have given me something to think about.
I most like “Jeff C.” ‘s response to Anne (who has fibromyalgia – so do I, and Xylitol works fine for me) – Jeff C. being the guy who just got an undergraduate degree in biology & chemistry. I also liked the next response, by Hanele. These are reasoned and inoffensive posts. I am no pollyanna and am often as ferociously cranky as anyone else; but I prefer not to add to all the troubles of this world just because I’m feeling lousy. I suspect a lot of other people are feeling yucky, too, and they don’t need their annoyance compounded by my bad attitude. Restraint of pen & tongue is an oldie but goody.
As far as Xylitol goes, it’s fine for me. I like the taste – to my tastebuds, it tastes cleaner than table sugar, and doesn’t have the same after-taste. I never knew table sugar has an aftertaste until I started using Xylitol. Xylitol also has NO effect on my digestive system, no matter how much I eat (not that I ever eat more than a few tablespoons in a day). I guess I am lucky?
It has turned out to be an auspicious event that you should have had stomach cramps & diarrhea after a teaspoon of Xylitol in a cup of coffee, because it generated all this thinking & discussion. But what you ingested was so very little, I wonder if it wasn’t just a coincidence? But I know everybody has a different nervous system, so maybe you did have a tremendous reaction to Xylitol, rather than a preexisting flu bug, or bad sushi the night before (LOL!), or something?
No, it doesn’t “rip up” your insides; to whatever extent your system can assimilate the sugar alcohol molecules, it will, but the rest will just go straight out of your system, intact, like marbles running across the kitchen floor and out the door.
As for the term “natural,” it’s a word that is not regulated by the FDA, so anyone can use it for any purpose, like any other adjective (e.g., sweet, sour, white, black, smooth, chunky, and so on). Whether the processing makes it toxic, well, I def do not like any product made with GMO corn, because of the huge amounts of pesticide & herbicide used on GMO corn. Xylitol from birch trees as I understand it is simply a side-product of the furniture industry, from scraps not used for building lumber & what-have-you.
There is that wonderful book, “The Story of Stuff,” which describes how our vulgar consumerism impacts the environment, and how our destruction of the environment impacts us. If I remember correctly, a population of Eskimos, way, way up beyond the Arctic Circle, were tested for a wide array of toxic substances, industrial by-products that would commonly be found in the body tissue (muscles & bloodstream) of residents of industrialized capitalist nations of the northern hemisphere well below the Arctic Circle (that is, the US, Europe, and so on). Even the Eskimos who never ventured outside their (supposedly) pristine northern home tested positive for about 138 toxic industrial chemicals.
Point being, we live on a toxic planet, and even living in the most pristine environment within this overwhelmingly toxic biosphere, and maintaining ideal eating habits on this sadly toxic planet, we are going to absorb toxins. It strikes me that there’s a lot to the old saying, “pick your poison.” Everything that goes in our bodies is processed & poisoned one way or another (for instance, acid rain on our vegetables), so the point is to pick & choose. And to my mind, the most healthful practice is to maintain a reasonable, rational, positive attitude, that starts with consideration for others (that old “love your neighbor” saw).
Hi I just wanted to say your a whiney faggot and if you cant handle a packet of xylitol you probably cry blood when the wind blows.
It even says to build up slowly if your a new user.
But that doesnt matter to you because theres no way to update your livejournal with new emoticons when your stuck in the bathroom shitting aids out.
So in summary,
kill yourself you gigantic pussy.
Anybody who gets worked up to the point of telling somebody else to “kill herself” because she couldn’t tolerate a FREAKING SWEETENER really needs to get off this planet.
I started having xylitol just in my morning coffee, two sachets, for less than a week now. I have non alcohol fatty liver, and reading info about what to eat and not eat with a fatty liver, saw something about corn cob not being great for liver. I thought, hang on I’ve been having sugar substitute made from corn cob! Googled xylitol and fatty liver and came across your website. I have been having quite bad stomached cramps, and thought it was my change of diet. I now think its the xylitol. I have a bad relation to Stevia, causes my heart to race scarily after only half a cup of tea with it in it. Happened three times till I realised it must be the Stevia. I was sceptical feeling the xylitol between my fingers, thinking this feels just like sugar, has to be processed in some way. Anyway bloody sus if you ask me, I’m going back to good old honey in my coffee and tea. Thanks for the research, very informative, will pass it on.
I, too, got sucked into thinking that xylitol was an ok sweetener and I bought a big-ass can of it. After having used stevia for awhile and not liking the taste of it and the fact that it gave me headaches, I thought the taste of the xylitol was good and it had no aftertaste. I was sure that any “gastric distress” mentioned on the label would only occur if I used lots of it, not the mere several teaspoons I used on the first and second day. The buildup began that second night with lots of flatulance and the next day was spent on the toilet many, many times. Am afraid to use any more. Good thing it was the weekend and I was at home.
I truly enjoy your writing style. Although I have happily been using Xylitol the ‘natural sweetener’ for a couple years in coffee (no tolerance issues!) I never managed to unearth the information which you did. Fortunately, I drew up this blog while searching to reorder this product. Dates & raw honey sound like a better, hazard-less alternative. Thank for sharing your research.
Found your story at the top of my Google search of xylitol. I too had a similar experience after just one serving. I thought it was Stevia (since both initial products had this) but now I am wondering if both also had xylitol. Just wanted you to know you are not the only one who had an almost immediate reaction. I am not looking at all labels for both ingredients!!
Thank You!!!! I tried xylitol for two weeks and didnt have immediate effects so I thought great….. Well, that didn’t last. The intestinal problems started slowly then the mental fog, emotional fog, headaches and sleeplessness kicked in. Looked up how it was manufactured and then it all became clear….duh!! I never do any kind of sugar substitute or artificial anything so I thought I was trying a natural product. I bought one that was from North American hardwood and only used one teaspoon in coffee twice a day. Yes this may be a personal account and people react to things differently but this stuff is not ‘natural’
Looks like someone is a bit sensitive and can’t take criticism. Don’t blog and write like a know it all if you are not prepared. Shane Ellison is a rude little man who makes mean comments like “Vitamin D hype has everyone swallowing the “sunshine vitamin” like Oprah swallows fat loss scams, AND “The Dr. Oz Show Gets Stink Award: Four Reasons I Hate This Piece-Of-Shit Show” AND if that’s not gross enough and showing his true class he also made fun of the women that watch the Dr. Oz show. Read his website..what a toe rag! How does it rip up the intestines?? Just because there is a chemical process doesn’t mean it’s bad for us. Of course we should be careful but try having an ounce of class to get your point across And talk to someone who knows big words and doesn’t have to put people down to get their point across. This argument without good science to really back it up is like the idiots who say we shouldn’t be able to vape electric cigs because there May be carcinogens or they may be dangerous. LOL How can anything be worse for us than a cigarette or white sugar, for that matter.
It always cracks me up when somebody criticizes somebody else for not “having an ounce of class” and then goes on to rant and call other people “idiots.” Talk about lack of class…
I stopped reading when you said you were a fan of natural news. That site is a magnet for all things crazy. Over the top conspiracy theories, paranoia about everything, and anything that is not “natural” is some evil capitalist/nwo plot to make us all sick.
Xylitol is something which recently came onto my radar as well as it is popping up everywhere. There is nothing to establish that this is safe for children, and it just replaced Rice Syrup and Fructose as the sweetener of choice in the Updated Version of my child’s vitamin! In my opinion, it’s safer to limit one’s childrens’ intake of regular sugar than to start using SUBSTITUTES in their vitamins! It even says on the label that they have not established a safe limit for children…and yet they use it.
So, I’ve come not to hate, but to boost.
This ‘better for you and natural’ bandwagon is really upsetting. CANOLA OIL is another ubiquitous one that I hate. Natural yet actually, quite processed industrial material.
THANK YOU BETTY!! It sounded like a volcano was going to erupt in my intestine for two hours today, while I was sitting in a movie theater. Talk about embarrassing… I thought it was from the sugar-free ice cream I ate or the Kombucha (cut off sugar), but now I realize it’s from the Xylitol. Again, I got sucked into the marketing. How the hell could anything called Xylitol be natural?! The name just sounds like a chemical!! I was eating it like candy in my tea. No more. Thanks for posting this Betty, so much. And if you didn’t get any haters—you’d be doing something wrong. All successful people have to endure opposition. Embrace it. Thank you.
Nothing compares to the nastiness and deception of aspartame or sucralose though chaps!
Thank you for this. I had the exact same experience as you did. It was so bad I thought my pancreas had been destroyed. I went to research the product and you were the only one asking the questions I am asking. I like that you approached the chemist-your post helped me find my way through this. I am grateful.
I made some glazed nuts today using one tablespoon xylitol. They tasted great! So good, in fact, that I ate most of them. I was so excited because I thought I’d found a great sweet treat for Christmas time munchies.
So, I went swimming, had a natural ce workout and came home to shower. While in the shower, I notced that I felt funny. Shaky. My heart felt like it was skipping. I placed my fingers on my carotid artery and whoa! My heart was racing! Racing as if I were in a full blown panic attack. When I came out, I checked my blood pressure. It was 168/100 and pulse was 118! I immediately suspected xylitol and started researching. Yes, it can raise blood pressure. And that is how I found this article.
I am typing this from the comfort of my throne where my bottom has been glued for the past 20 minutes. The rumbling and gurgling sounds going on in my poor intestines is down right frightening! My conclusion…I will never eat xylitol again!
I am a sufferer of Crohn’s disease. After trying all medications to no avail and had left my body ravaged and unable to fight infections, i decided last week to completely change my diet as a last ditch attempt before surgery. So in the last week i have been eating super healthy vegetables only. I cut out all sugars and dairy. My bowel movements were normalizing and i was beginning to feel really well. Still mildly craving sugar and being a little headachey a superfit health freak friend told me about zylitol. I had three cups of decaff tea with soya milk and zylitol yesterday and i have had the worse night of my life! Started 10pm really bad cramps in lower abdomen. Passing so much diarrhea and blood (blood is crohns thing). I nearly passed out from the pain. I had pins and needles down both arms and was feverish. Anyway, i eventually got over that. Only to wake at 2am with unbelievable pain now in my upper abdomen. The pain stretched from spleen across stomach to liver. Worst of it was right in the centre in the stomach. I cud not sleep with the pain. I cud not even lie down. I took high levels of codeine but this did nothing to ease the pain. I started getting feverish again. Eventually about 4.30am I made myself vomit. And started the drive to hospital at 5am. I thought maybe food poisoning was the cause. About an hour after the vomiting the pain had eased considerably. I managed to get two hours sleep just now and as soon as I woke zylitol popped into my head. I had to google it and your article popped up. I too believed the packaging that it was “natural”. Interestingly enough though I know my friend eats this every morning on her super healthy cereals so I agree that it affects everyone in different ways. Before I started eating healthy a week ago I ate very little and at that was mainly junk food and chocolate. I don’t think it depends on you being healthy or not. What I got from this experience is if you have stomach problems steer clear of this product as a precaution. Thank you so much for having the courage to write this article Betty. I just wish I had read it before yesterday! :/
So, what should I consume as a diabetic? 🙁
From Wikipedia: “The expression anecdotal evidence refers to evidence from anecdotes. Because of the small sample, there is a larger chance that it may be unreliable due to cherry-picked or otherwise non-representative samples of typical cases. Anecdotal evidence is considered dubious support of a claim; it is accepted only in lieu of more solid evidence. This is true regardless of the veracity of individual claims.”
Maretha – it’s interesting what you say about ‘the cleaner your body […] the more drastic the effect will be on your body’; I wouldn’t say I am the healthiest woman alive but I do take great care of my nutrition; I am a vegan, I exercise, I eat no convenience foods, mostly eat raw etc. My only vice is the occasional few glasses of wine. Xylitol and yesterday’s Isomalt felt like they had poisoned me. The stomach cramps were akin to something I had when I suffered campylobacter and listeria in my youth. Today I still feel exhausted by my isomalt ordeal yesterday and could barely eat . :-/
Hi
Nobody will ever convince me that Xylitol is a good product. I absolutely hate Xylitol! I was diagnosed with Candidasis and as a result of that had intestinal problems. My nutritionist recommended xylitol as a substitute for sugar. When I started using xylitol it did make my stomach work a bit more than usual if I consumed too much of it, but that was not the worst effect it had on me. I used it for 6 months before I realized why my health and immunity was just about absolutely zero. Yeah, maybe I had a few less cavities, but gosh I would rather have had the cavities that have gone through that hell of six months’ illness.
Xylitol will not affect everyone badly. In general the cleaner your body is of poisons the more drastic the effect will be on your body. If you are not very health concious, and eat a lot of junk food, then xylitol might not affect you very bad at all. And some people might be more sensitive to its bad effects. The point is THERE IS A DANGEROUS SIDE TO XYLITOL! I would not want anyone I love to use it.
Candida can (and is very likely to) negatively affect immunity.
did you feel better after you stopped using xylitol? i have candida as well and have been using xylitol as a sweetener for the past year.. but i keep getting sicker and sicker, and am starting to wonder if it’s the xylitol.
Dear Crunchy,
Forgive me for being crass; this afternoon I ate an innocent packet of sugar-free lozenges. Okay, I shouldn’t have eaten the whole packet (it wasn’t huge – 45gm) but it was ‘sugar free’ What’s the harm in that, I thought?
2 hours later and 2lbs lighter, I can’t move from the ‘throne’ and my husband has brought my Mac up so I have something else to read other than the backs of shampoo bottles. I googled ‘sugar free’ and ‘diarrhoea’ and up came your post.
The interesting thing is, the sugar free substance in the sweets I ate was ‘isomalt’ which I have never heard of before. Had it said xylitol I would have avoided like the plague as I’ve been bitten by that one before, but isomalt is evil. EVIL I TELL YOU.
Although I am now frightened I have poisoned myself (and wishing I had read the small print on the packet of harmless looking sweets with ‘herbal’ extracts – where it does say ‘excessive consumption may cause laxative effects’) I feel comforted that I am not the only person to be toilet-bound after eating a sugar substitute.
Tomorrow I shall be walking bow legged (If I ever make it out of the bathroom).
Yours,
An Isomalt and Xylitol hater.
xxx
p.s. I hope Isomalt and Xylitol haven’t read this and are now chanting ‘haters make me greater’ and all that jazz. Isomalt and Xylitol; if you are reading this, you can kiss my sorry behind. (it was previously great, you made it sorry, you evil sweeteners).
I once made a cake with Xylitol and vomited my guts up about 2 hours later. I wondered what on earth was going on with Xylitol but it certainly made me wary. Thank you for much for this post, really helpful.
I guess I’m confused now. I had Xylitol for he first time yesterday and I was happy with the taste. I did have some of the “laxative” effects, but I was willing to deal with that because I’ve read your body gets used to it.
Now I’m reading about liver damage and that’s not something I want.
Should I stop using Xylitol or not?
Someone with real knowledge please help ( I was planning a brownie recipe for tomorrow 🙂 ).
Thanks
I guess I’ll use honey instead?
Listen to your own body. 🙂
I GOT VERY CONSTIPATED FOR 4 MONTHS THREE YEARS AGO…… I HAD NO IDEA WHY AND WAS CHECKED BY MY DR. I HAD AN UNTRASOUND WHICH WAS NEGATIVE. HAD A COLONOSCOPY WHICH SHOWED NEGATIVE. THEN ONE DAY I WAS READING THE INGREDIENTS ON THE NEW TOOTHPASTE I HAD PURCHASED 4 MONTHS EARLIER. TOM’S OF MAINE. THERE IN THE INGREDIENTS WAS THE DREADED XYLITOL WHICH I STAY AWAY FROM BECAUSE I GET CONSTIPATED FROM IT. ALL I WAS DOING WAS BRUSHING MY TEETH AND ALL IT WAS DOING WAS CONSTIPATING ME VERY BADLY. I STOPPED THE TOM’S OF MAINE AND BOOM, STARTED MOVING MY BOWELS AGAIN. I NOW USE DESSERT ESSENCE TOOTHPASTE WHICH YOU CAN BUY ONLINE OR AT WHOLE FOODS. ONLINE IS A LOT CHEAPER. SO, XYLITOL CAN CAUSE CONSTIPATION ALSO. REALLY BAD STUFF ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Hi
Can I use this page on my blog please? Or at the very least a link to it? My sons are literally allergic to Xylitol, but I still use it as I thought it to be healthy. I gain weight uncontrollably, but don’t eat unhealthy at all (fat free milk, very little to no bread, no fats or oils etc), which is how I found your site and won’t use it anymore. I think you may be on to something really big. Good luck with your site!
Regards
M
I like Xylitol. I was introduced to it while living in Finland in the 90s. It’s in tons of things over there. I think it’s just a matter of personal preference. All sugar substitutes have a laxative effect and, for me, Stevia was much harder on my guts. As an aside, cobs and bagasse are Ag waste and as an Ag economist I can appreciate the efficiency of xylitol production. Additionally, I don’t really think there’s a juicy story here, most products for consumption are processed in ways you would find surprising but are actually quite commonplace. If you are able to tolerate xylitol and require a sugar substitute for whatever reason, it’s really not a bad option.
I have been using xylitol for YEARS and have never had any side effects. Maybe you have a sensitivity to it that has nothing to do with the product, just you.. Like how some people can’t eat tomatoes or other whole foods.. I suffer from Fibromyalgia and know a LOT of other people who use it in place of sugar with no problems. Yes, if you eat a lot of it you can get stomach cramps or diarrhea, but that can happen with other whole foods, like too many grapes, cherries and prunes. I suggest you all read up on the product before bashing it. It is absolutely all natural, and made from corn cobs or birch trees. Do your own research people, stop simply believing other’s opinions because they just don’t like something. Shame on you Betty for spreading false information.
I doubt the part where she asked someone (her chemist friend) to explain HOW it’s made was false information. Are you questioning their credibility? How do you know for certain she is spreading false information?
You can research or google how it’s made yourself. Fact is, MAN MADE anything in that way is not what’s best for your body.
I happen to suffer from extreme allergic reactions to many man made processed chemicals including BHT, TBHQ and other “packing” type agents sprayed into plastic bags that contain cereal. It’s not just HER having side effects. I now carry an EpiPen from facial swelling of the tongue and throat due to “altered” forms of foods.
People need to stop depending on chemically altered foods. We have switched to sugar in the raw as well as going back to real butter. No more shot cuts on bad eating. Eating real food in moderation is key.
Quit the bashing. Shame on yourself.
Everyone quit shaming for a second and think.
First ask yourself, do I have absolutely any idea what I’m talking about through reasoning and use of my own knowledge through studying organic chemistry, and biology, or am I simply going by what I have heard from others? If you have not studied science, then you probably don’t understand how little you understand, and how silly some of these statements are! Firstly, any chemical, water is a chemical btw, is dangerous in too high of quantity. Statements like, man made anything, in that way (you wrote in that way because you don’t know how any of these processes work), is not what’s best for your body, are funny to me. You can use “man made processes” to make everyday table salt! Xylitol is basically a string of sugar alcohols. It is made from xylose, found in common fruits naturally, just like sugar is found, extracted, and concentrated using man made processes, from sugar cane! Xylose is hydrogenated, which changes the structure into a primary alcohol. The laxitive effects people are having is because human digestion doesn’t always breakdown sugar alcohols completely, which means they pass through your digestive system, think how eating too much oils are grease will have a similar effect as a laxitive. And guess what? Xylitol is a chain of sugar alcohols! If you eat a lot of it your body will pass it without digesting and absorbing it in your intestines, causing diahrreah like symptoms.
Xylitol is currently made by taking xylose, and hydrogenating it. Now hydrogenation is simply adding hydrogen to a molecule. That’s it. It isn’t an evil process. It can alter some structures into harmful or less than ideal structures, like trams fats, but the process itself is fine. For example, unsaturated fats, such as cooking oils, are unsaturated, which means they have fatty acid tails with double bonded carbons, this makes their formation loose, making them liquid at room temp. You can use hydrogenation to reduce those double carbons to carbon-hydrogen bonds, which if done completely, making them saturated fats. Do you know why else is a saturated fat? Gasp! “Natural” butter!
I would also like to point out that Shane Ellison is a quak who found out he could sell books If he disagreed with what the majority of medical doctors and research. His statements that it will tear up your insides is laughable, as it shows he doesn’t have even a basic grasp of what’s going on. Xylitol, like other sugars, is being digested “naturally” by your body. However, eating the same amount of xylitol as sugar, xylitol containing less calories than commonly used sugar, has more sugar alcohol bonds. That means they can get passed into the color more easily, not getting absorbed in the small intestine, and cause laxitive effects more easily than common sugar. That whole tear up your insides is bs, as it is actually having less interaction with your “insides” that is causing the problems!
Btw, eating enough common table sugar, will also give you laxitive effects! Try it, have fun. But seriously, if you are eating one packet of this and, doubling over in pain and having diahrea, then that means your body sucks very badly at processing suar alcohols. That’s it. It’s your bodies problem, at one packet that is, not the product.
Btw, I’m not here because I manufacture, or even consume xylitol. I just graduated with a bachelors in Biology, minor in Chemistry, and saw so much wrong with some of these replies I had to comment. To all scientist out there, I know this reply wasn’t perfect. I’m on the go with my phone and I’m trying to stay as simple as possible.
Please, in the future, on matters of chemistry and biology, look things up yourself! I commend the blogger for looking to what they believed to be a reputable source. He is not and I’m sorry for that. I’ve read some of his stuff and he has even said before that a scientific theory is just a hypothesis, among other bat crazy things. Scientist can be a**holes, scammers, and ignorant too! That’s why peer reviews journals exist!
Y’all have a nice day.
“Btw, I’m not here because I manufacture, or even consume xylitol.”
Maybe not but I’m sure you would love too.
Natural defined, “Existing in or caused by nature; not made or caused by humankind”.
I rest my case!
I appreciate your logic. My few college chemistry classes have really opened my eyes to the world of food. What silly debates we have. We rely too much on other’s opinions. We use their notions to justify our thinking and we just get more tied up in what’s good for you and what is not. The answers are simple! Go back to your chemistry years and your nutrition class and think it through. It’s so easy for us, our doctors, and our teachers to get caught up in the debate. It takes someone SMART to use their education and not rely on the well-intended opinions of their professor or Google.
Thank you!
I mostly use stevia, but I know many people who prefer and rely heavily on Xylitol and haven’t had issues with it at all.
Some do — as with everything, whether it’s natural or not. Every body is different.
Since my body “sucks” at processing sugar alcohols, what alternatives are there?
I believe that researching a topic thoroughly is best and taking info from a single source can be misleading. My family has been using xylitol(made from birch bark) for years now due to my wife and I having Lyme disease. Xylitol has many benefits that include killing off of bacteria inside the body, an attribute that helps in dealing with Lyme. The laxative effects are supposed to ease and eventually subside with a gradual increase of xylitol in your diet. If one packet does you in then that stinks because xylitol has become a staple in my family’s diet
I’ve been using Jarrow Formulas Xyli Pure Xylitol for years and I’m fine (62 years old) and I’m getting blood workups all the time my blood workups are fine so I don’t know what the problem is with Betty but, It would Betty’s problem NOT MINE! I have Hashimoto’s (goiter), Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Celiac Sprue. so I’m always in the doctors office for follow up visits and I repeat I’m fine!
It’s not just Betty. I can’t touch Xylitol (or any sugar alcohol) either unless I want to get sick. I’d rather not get sick! That’s great that you can tolerate it with no problem, but just because you don’t have issues with it doesn’t mean those issues are rare.
I totally agree Anne,
I have been using xylosweet for over 2 year with no issues at all, except my sugar high and lows have stopped and I have lost weight. I could not have a “sweet” coffee without having a low blood sugar crash in the past (hypoglycemia). Now I can!
I mean..how much and what type are these people consuming I wonder? You only need a small amount. Stevia has a bad after taste to me and forget sucralose or nutrasweet..we all know those are bad!
Thanks for your 2 cents!!
Very helpful. I am eating clean wholefoods and in looking for recipes I found this ingredient listed. Ii knew I’m the back of my mind this is not good for you. Thank you for clearing it up for me.
Thank you so much for this article. I have been ingesting tons of Xylitol gum (Spry) for months now, in the hopes of getting off of sugar and chocolate. And my digestive system is in great discomfort… liver, stomach and pancreas.) I am having trouble digesting things for the first time in my life. It only just occurred tome to google side effects of xylitol, and I finally found your article.
I am sorry you got so much negative response, as this has been quite helpful and eye opening for me. That’s what happens when someone is one of the first to raise an alarm that goes against big business. Great work… Thanks Betty!
Spry gum contains Titanium Dioxide which is natural, but titanium dioxide is implicated in causing cancer.
I have some Spry gum in front on me, and titanium dioxide is not in the ingredients list. Perhaps it has been removed.
I will check a label next time I can. What, exactly is the type of spry gum do you have?
Kreshelle, stevia is natural but I would recommend getting it in its most natural form, green powder. Then it is simple powdered leaves of a plant, not bleached and processed. But raw honey is even better, has so many health benefits, antibacterial, antifungal, immune boosting. Dates are a good sweetener for baking too. Just eat real food, not processed chemical crap 🙂
I found out about Xylitol a coupe of years ago as I was getting rid of anything refined, processed, artificial, preservatives, etc to help with my son who has ADD. As part of the Feingold program, the first steps is to look at all ingredients on the label and get rid of them if its man-made. Little did I know that something that was so simple and complex at the same time could be bad for you, I fell for the “Xylitol is good for you” trick.
Thank you for getting the word out about the trickery, lies and deceit that mfg does to get its product on the market! Remember this….. food manufacturer’s are only looking at their bottom dollar, making more profits and meeting shareholder’s demands….not about public safety! (ie High Fructose Corn Syrup now being labels Corn Sugar / Syrup)
Be sure to check out my Facebook page (and website) about food dyes.
Could you share a link to your sites? Thanks!!
I’ve been using Xylitol for about 1 week. I’ve just started yesterday with diarrhea and stomach pains in the pit of my stomach. Right now I’m typing and I am doubled over with pain. I stopped it today. When will the loose bowels and terrible pain go away.
Is Stevia still considered a “natural” product, you think?
Stevia is a plant. I’ve grown it. It’s natural.
Sometimes it is processed into a white powder (with less chlorophyll (“green” taste), sometimes it’s made to be a one-to-one with sugar, so there will be fillers), or a liquid tincture (as done with a lot of herbs), then it will be less natural, of course.
Well said CB! xx
Ive been taking xylitol for about 6 months now and have had very bad stomach pains and cramps, i didnt even think it could of been from this so called natural product, thankyou for opening up my eyes
Thanks for writing this – very informative. I enjoyed your recent addition also 😛
Xylitol also causes problems for anyone who has any kind of liver issues.
I won’t eat the stuff.
For everyone out there, it’s really quite simple to be healthy…Eat wholefoods.
So simple and so true, but sometimes we just forget and latch ourselves onto the next new thing.
Honey for liquids, Dates, Raisins, …. for baked goods will give us that sweetness we’re looking for.
If everyone just got over using sweeteners…we dont really need them afterall, then we wouldnt need xylitol, sorbitol, aspartame and all the other chemical tasting powders…eat clean…its that simple.
(good on you crunchy betty….you dont have to answer everyone…..its your blog!!)
This post is brilliant. Especially the end segment you’ve recently wrote. People spread such hatred when they’re online and it’s truly disgusting to see, so good on you for standing up for what you said.
Great article, keep up the good work. I myself use either coconut sugar(low (GI) rapadura sugar, raw honey or pure maple syrup for sweetening…depending on what I am making…but highly recommend coconut sugar…its great in coffee!!
Thanks for this info! I was going to get Xylitol tomorrow – assuming if it was sold in the Health Store that it was ok. No way will I get any now.
It is my understanding that the majority of products that contain xylitol are made from corn – NOT GOOD, that is why you have to search out Birched derived Xylitol, which contains NO CORN..
I have to thank you for writing this. I’ve been finding so much articles and what not claiming how great xylitol is. I thought this was too good to be true, so I continued on with my research only to stumble upon your blog. It all makes sense. Great benefits YES! But a bit misleading. What an eye opener. I especially appreciate your emails from the chemist, Shane. I will definitely rethink my decision on using xylitol. So glad to finally read something with warnings! Thank you!
just heard about xylitol for the first time today, it was recommended at kids dentist appointment. kinda surprised i even came across this blog, most search results were either about how it’s fatal to dogs, or dentists promoting it. i don’t get it – what is the kickback to the dentists?
Long running blog – excellent. I have switched to Xylitol in the last year and love the stuff. You definitely need to start out on small amounts and increase slowly then you can make lemonade and bake with it, however you shouldn’t serve it in any amounts at a dinner party to guests who do not usually consume Xylitol. A good old empty out of the bowel isn’t such a bad thing – which I have experienced after larger amounts of Xylitol but of course the stomach pain is never nice. I buy only Birch bark Xylitol which is hard to find and only made by Dinasco in Norway. Norway has consumed Xylitol for a long time now and as a nation do not have the dental issues that the rest of the world face. Cane sugar should never pass the lips of children and children raised on Xylitol reap the benefits of better health. I often use a combo of a liquid Stevia I buy from iherb.com that doesn’t have an after taste and the birch bark xylitol I have been fortunate enough to find here in New Zealand when baking. The corn based xylitols can leave a cold after taste on the tongue like erythritol does and a lot of stevias taste yuck too. It is all a personal choice and a personal journey and I wish you all the best, but remember one thing – cane sugar is poison.
LOVE it! And I love that I’m not the only blogger who’s getting attacked for uncovering real science (see my Visalus post where I’m constantly bullied for saying a cheap-ass weight-loss shake is not healthy! GASP!!). 😉
Hi Betty, I enjoyed your post. First you have a few good observations that concerned you. Last year in Apr you posted in comment section “My main beef with xylitol these days is how it’s made. It’s made from corn, and likely GMO corn at that (unless your product says 100% Organic and is certified). Not only that, but a good majority of xylitol is also processed in China.”
That statement is not quite correct in that the best and true xylitol is made from North American birch or hardwood.
To those that have never tried it, do not buy xylitol made from corn which, as Betty stated, is GMO or imported from Asia as it has traces of arsenic. Make sure it is either stated as birch or NA hardwood. I believe Swansons Vitamins sells both types.
Dear Crunchy Betty,
Thank you SOOOOO much for posting your experience using xylitol ( and the comments whether pro or con). I had the same experience, using only one packet (1 teaspoon) in a cup of chamomile tea. The diarrhea was horrible; however, I made the mistake of CONTINUING THE USE for over a year under the advise of my doctor ( to lose weight/reduce sugar intake). Yes, I lost a little weight! But DAILY intestinal spasms, bloating ( I Looked Heavier!), gas, embarrassing gurgling sounds from my intestines, and almost daily diarrhea were the result. All this was with only 1 teaspoon of xylitol a day in my morning tea.I was so convinced by all the web articles that I would become accustomed to the product ; however, it wasn’t until I was seen at the emergency room with what I thought was diverticulosis pain (worse than natural childbirth!!!) and had a CT scan and then a colonoscopy (only to find I had NO NOTICIBLE PROblems in my intestinal area…the pain must have “been in my head”!!!)that I begin to suspect xylitol as the culprit. Now, after only three days without using that one daily teaspoon, I’ve had the first “normal” BM in a year. No gastric pain; bloating is beginning to reduce; gurgles are going away. I wouldn’t have tied this together if I hadn’t come across your blog!!! Thank you again and again. Give me honey, cane syrup, or stevia I grow in my greenhouse…maybe the occasional teaspoon of real sugar!!! But I’ll never deliberately take it again!!
OMG, so happy I discovered this, what a GREAT ARTICLE! I got exactly my answer and learned so much. Thank you for breaking it down.
I was about to re-order a protein shake that I was ordering a few times but discovered it had “xylitol” and something told me it didn’t sound so natural despite the “all natural” claims. Thank you for clarifying once and for all and getting a scientist to confirm this info.
MANY THANKS! PS- Read your June update, I didn’t read the comments but if people are trashing this article, that’s ridiculous. Based on this small article, you are AWESOME, I cannot wait to see what else you write about!!
Thanks Betty. I had always wanted to tele market xylitol but due to health problems I’ve been unable to work. I had my suspicions too. And you had me at hydrogenated. But because my severe health problems are due to root canals that rotted my jaw bone I am desperate for a ” natural” toothpaste. I just an hour ago put in a container one part each of salt, xylitol, and baking soda. I put about two teaspoons worth in about 4 Oz of water and rinse with it, brush and rinse again. Maybe in the future I’ll exclude the xylitol but for now I’m going to use it, even though I agree with everything Betty said… I use Kal stevia. 3 Oz jar lasts a long time. Love the stuff. It’s processed too. Sigh… We’re stuck in an imperfect world…I’d be 50 lbs. Or more over weight if I hadn’t switched to low carb years ago… Thanks Betty, you’re cool!! 🙂
Hi there, thanks for writing about this. I have tried so many sweeteners hoping Xylitol would be different, better… natural or synthetic, makes no difference at this point. One tiny teapoon in my coffee gives me severe diarrhea and that’s enough to know that my body can’t tolerate it. Not sure why you received such negative feedback based on YOUR experience. Human nature-if your experience and opinion differs from their’s, it shakes their very solid foundation!! And of course, the Xylitol distributors….Keep on blogging and writing truthfully about your experiences-tx!
I read this article before the update was posted and I’m sorry to see that Crunchy Betty (CB) had to post an update to all the haters who commented. I will be forever thankful for this post and CBs opinions on this product.
Due to some concerns with one of my toddler’s teeth, I nearly made a xylitol concoction to use on her teeth and for her to consume. I read on other sites about how safe this is and how great it is for oral care, etc. Then I saw a post from CB (who I adore for her humor and ‘food on face’ skin care info/book). I loved the article because it gave me an ‘other side’ of the story. As a side note, this was the first that I heard of The People’s Chemist and who I also now ‘adore’ and I’m reading his book, which is awesome.
I am SOOOO thankful for this post as I was looking for criticism about this product (I prefer to get both sides of the story). I have some Xylitol that I was going to use to make homemade toothpaste. Right before reading this post, I licked my finger, stuck it in the bag and tasted it to make sure that the taste would be okay for my daughter. Within an hour I had really bad stomach cramps and I was trying to figure out why. The same day, I read this post and the comments to see that stomach issues are common! Yikes! I nearly gave this to my 2 year old daughter!!!
So thank you Crunchy Betty so much for this post – YOU ROCK! And for all those haters out there – please go hate somewhere else! Crunchy Betty shares great info and opinions and if you don’t like it, go to a different site that shares information you do like. It’s that simple. For people like me, Crunchy Betty is wonderful and she saved me and my daughter a lot of pain and grief.
Also, for those who really want to know about this product, but don’t believe Crunchy Betty, go research it elsewhere, but PLEASE read both sides. It may not negatively affect some, while it WILL negatively affect others.
WebMD shares the following, which is enough for me NOT to ever use it: “Xylitol is safe in the amounts found in foods. It seems safe as a medicine for most adults in amounts up to about 50 grams per day. Avoid higher doses. There is some concern that extremely high doses for long periods of time (more than three years) can cause tumors. Xylitol can cause diarrhea and intestinal gas. It is probably safe for children as a medicine in amounts up to 20 grams per day.
Special Precautions & Warnings:
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Not enough is known about the use of xylitol during pregnancy and breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.”
I agree with ONE thing Betty made a point on: The name Xylitol is too “chemical-ly” [maybe ’cause it IS a [natural] chemical]. For consumer purposes, though, it should have another name.
Let’s see … how about “Shugar” or maybe “Ragus” (“sugar” backwards, since it has nearly opposite health properties).
I have been researching this stuff for about a year now. My step dad is “pre-diabetic” and my mom is very concerned with their sugar intake. I was interested in the cavity prevention aspect of it. I bought some Xylitol made from birch recently and made some pies with it. The family nor I ever noticed any side effects. I’ve never really been into coffee, tea, candy or sweet stuff. Don’t get me wrong, I love cookies as much as the next guy but I’ve never had an issue with eating too much. So I prefer to use sugar if and when I decide to bake. If you do want to use Xylitol I suggest to buy the stuff made from birch right here in the good ole US of A. Do a google search and you’ll find it. And whether you’re using Xylitol, Stevia, or sugar, just follow the motto: “Everything in moderation. Even moderation.”
I’m on a salicylate free diet and my favorite sweetener is Real Maple Syrup. I however wouldn’t use this to brush my teeth before bed and I’m looking for a sweetener to add to my home made tooth paste with calcium carbonate And baking soda and am on a salicylate free diet that is why I was considering xylitol after reading this article and learning of it corn basis xylitol is definitely out of. what would you recommend?
Birch-based Xylitol or non-GMO corn-based. Most brands are non-GMO corn cob-based. All 100% pure xylitol is chemically the same, however.
I can’t make any comments on whether or not it’s natural but tell my empirical experience.
Both my daughter and me, both with health issues (her with IBS, me with auto-imune syndrome and both with fibromyalgia), and both being on gluten free, diary free, additive free diet, have a strong reaction to Xylitol. I first realised it when using Biotene mouth spray (to help with dry mouth), one spray in my mouth and I would feel a wave of nausea, bowel disruptions…
I just had confirmation of this reaction when both my daughter and I got up feeling unwell with similar stomach/bowel symptoms after a week-end indulgence in “Coyo” a dairy/soy/gluten/lactose/sugar free – vegan which taste fantastic…until this morning! where i had a closer look at the ingredients, yeap has Xylitol in it. I guess, I’ll have to make my own.
Guess where I am sitting as I write this comment? How about if I told you I tried two teaspoons of xylitol in my coffee this morning? It’s not been a good day… Not saying I’m representative, but I’m definitely sensitive.
A product call XyliMelts for Dry Mouth “An all-natural adhering disc that time releases 500 mg xylitol and oral lubricant/humectant”[ patent pending] was the ONLY product that worked to alleviate my severe case of dry mouth. HOWEVER it also caused SEVERE diahrea and bad stomach pains. It took me nine usages to convince me that the xylitol was the cause. I’m diabetic and have used candy containing “ol” products that gave me loose bowels but I did not use it often enough to cause the problem I have now. Today will be the last day I’m going to use XyliMelts (before bedtime, 2 tablets that adhere to the sides of the mouth/cheeks). I’ll notify my dentist who was given samples of the product at a recent convention and told me to try it. It really does work but the side effects are intolerable. It is an OTC product so I don’t know if the FDA will be interested but I will notify them anyway. I can not leave the house today because of the severity of the diahrea. It would be a wonderful product without the Xylitol but apparently it is the main #1, first ingredient listed on the product.
I have no experience or opinion about xylitol, but I would like to point out that something as harmless as table salt is made by combining two highly dangerous, toxic chemicals, sodium and chloride.
Been using Xylitol for a year and, yes, in the beginning, it caused some gastric distress, just as the bag said it would. So, I adjusted my intake gradually, and what do you know?, it worked. No issues now. I have completely replaced processed sugar with Xylitol and, although expensive, I find that I prefer it to regular sugar.
Read the article on Wikipedia. Very informative and easy to understand.
As for the organic chemist’s assertion that Xylitol “rips up your insides,” where is the empirical evidence of that? My doctor had a good laugh over that one.
Works for me. Your mileage may vary.
After reading this entire article and all the comments, I’m left with one simple thought….. If your body has to “get used to it,” you shouldn’t be eating it.
I paid almost $20 for a large bag of Xylitol and only consumed about two teaspoons of it. It’s going into the trash.
By that standard you should not have a high fiber diet, since it takes getting used to.
Then let me rephrase….If your body has to “get used to” a product that’s processed in a lab, you shouldn’t be eating it.
Having to get used to a high-fiber diet of fruits, veggies and whole grains is certainly NOT the same.
As a dental professional, I would love for Betty to post all of the scientific based research she has found on the ill effects of xylitol. Can a dental practice benefit from “drilling and filling” teeth, absolutely! However when you are working on a terrified five-year-old who presents with rampant caries and needs the majority of her teeth extracted because they are either abscessed or so decayed they can’t be restored, you very quickly become an office who is focused on prevention! And, the above child is just one example of the many children who are presenting with advanced dental caries in our practice. So let’s see, should we hold off on recommending a product that has been proven to have positive effects against dental caries because a patient may become more gassy during the first two weeks of use? Or do we recommend therapeutic doses that can help in the prevention of dental caries that can lead to an infection that can cause serious health complications, even death? Maybe some of you who are so anti xylitol because you have read what has been posted in this blog can come to my office to help calm down a screaming three year old who is being subjected to treatment that could have been prevented!! That experience is a gut wrenching experience that brings tears to one’s eyes. Oh yes and the cost of a three month supply of a therapeutic dose of xylitol in our office, $28.00. That is right we are not getting rich on xylitol; however, getting rich is not the focus of our practice. We want to revolutionize the way dentistry is practiced and focus on prevention, because the children we treat on a daily basis mean the world to us! One packet of sweetener caused severe gastro-intestinal effects, maybe you got food poisoning or a virus? I am also an educator and have to continuously stay abreast of the latest research. I just ask when you post information, please make sure you have adequate research and it is not based on one exposure to a product that can help to decrease this chronic disease affecting our children!! We don’t need more scared parents out there!!
Lisa, I use xylitol, but I can’t help but wonder if there’s more to these children’s problems than a xylitol deficiency. Have you ever wondered what would happen if their mothers dumped the fruit juice out of their sippy cups and replaced it with full fat milk? Or replaced their morning sugary cereal with an egg? Are they chewing sugar-free gum or eating sugar-free candies, or using dental products that contain sorbitol? For some people, sorbitol supports bacteria, and easily overwhelms the effects of xylitol.
I came across this article and read it thoroughly. You raise a few
worthy points regarding the issue of GMO corn but for the most part
nothing you have stated is scientific and goes against the general
consensus that Xylitol is safe and even beneficial for human
consumption. I’ve been using Xylitol (KAL brand derived from birch) and
XyloBurst Gum (non-GMO) for years without any issues. And I will
continue to use it given the poor alternatives that you can readily find
at every restaurant in the entire U.S. (aspartame, sacchrin, splenda).
Those are the true poisons that should be discussed and not Xylitol.
You claim Xylitol is being pushed by the industry but when is Xylitol
ever advertised? Never as far as I can tell. At the very least it is
too expensive to be used as a true sugar substitute in most products.
Therefore most people have never heard of it and those that have
incorrectly assume it is some kind of chemical sweetener cause it has a
strange name.
I think those that are having issues is due to a lack of understanding
that Xylitol is a sugar alcohol and needs to be used sparingly,
especially at first so your body can get use to it. With that said, I
can spoon it directly out of the container and won’t experience any
laxative side-effects and never have at any point in time.
As far as I can tell you never responded to Natalya’s
post. In my opinion that was a very credible post so it is unfortunate
you never made any attempt to respond. I think your whole basis for
your article is simply from the bad experience you had. Maybe your
allergic to Xylitol somehow or maybe it isn’t suitable for everyone but
overall I think it is still a great for those looking for a way to limit sugar consumption.
I just recently heard about xylitol because of Spry gum. Well now I think I’m going to toss it just for these reasons. I do have one question though. What do you think about using a very small amount to help a toothpaste be more appealing? It also has those properties to help keep cavities at bay! And a person wouldn’t be consuming much of it. But I don’t want to put my son in danger. So what do you think? Is there any other kind of sweetener that would work to make it so my kiddo won’t spit out his toothpaste, but won’t cause cavities? (that would kind of be counterproductive). If anyone could help me out I would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks for your article, I too have violent reaction to xylitol and was wondering if it was just me..
Thanks for doing the research..
Watched a neighbor make homemade ice cream over the weekend. Saw him dump what looked like artificial sweetener into the mix. “What’s that?” I asked. He replied, “Xylitol.” His wife then proceeded to riff on the virtues of said “natural” sweetener. I just said, “Oh,” and kept chatting with everyone else, and then ate my delicious ice cream.
That night and the next morning, I could not stay off the toilet. I do believe you are more than on to something. Thanks for this illuminating, well-written, unbiased approach. Well, not unbiased, due to your own experience, but fair.
To compare hcfs to xyitol is silly, as hcfs is never naturally present, I am very surprised
by this article, it seems like a false propaganda against something falsely deemed as
some suspicious chemical, stevia has been linked to cancer, xyitol has not been, even natural chemicals such as sassafras in root beer have been linked even with removal of
certain parts of the stem and seed.
Of course xyitol may give you cramps and may not taste that great, so I would not recommend it all the time, but to falsely label a chemical naturally present in fruits and vegetables and have its end product the same whether produced by corn or birch,
and to label it bad and have conspiracy theories because folks discovered its a new productive product makes the website lose credibility, I could say the same thing about stevia, however god forbid, if a company starts selling stevia its bad, as for dogs they cannot ingest certain products, that’s why you don’t feed certain animals human food,
Since xyitol is naturally present it is natural, end of story.
I had bought a popular brand of xylitol many months ago and had no reactions. Then, last week I ordered some Vitacost brand xylitol and added it to lemonade. I became extremely ill within 15 minutes, had diarrhea for over a day straight (more than I thought was humanely possible), became dangerously dehydrated, terrible, awful stomach pains, hard time breathing, etc. It was hell. The next day, knowing I tend to be sensitive to many foods, gave some lemonade to my fiance. He does not tend to have food allergies. The poor thing was in the bathroom within an hour. He calls it evil. I amazed that I am not in the hospital from all I cleared out of myself! The strange thing about Vitacost brand Xylitol is that it hit me first thing how funny it smelled. Like chemicals, really. Odd. Think I’m gonna stick with raw honey. It tastes great and makes me feel great.
Just how much did you put to the lemonade? I notice how only a few have complained and yet did NOT mention how much they added. Perhaps you should’ve started out at a 1 packet or 1 TEA spoon of it. It’s not like sugar and you should’ve started out on it slowly not dump like 1 cup or so into the lemonade.
I would love to get a reference on the multi-step chemical process. I sell this in my office currently but would pull it off the shelf if I knew this was made by man made chemicals. I’m sure The People’s Chemist is trustworthy but are there any other sources of this. All I see when I research is that xylitol occurs naturally in berries….etc…
Thanks!
Doc Harris
We eat Xylitol on a regular basis in usually small amounts and we’ve had none of the problems you’ve talked about..I think it’s different for different people…Sorry you had a bad reaction..We will continue to use it in smaller amounts…
Not to be contradictory, but out of concern for you and your family…I wanted you to know that my girlfriend and I had started using it a yr. or so ago, and we thought it was a wonderful find…everything I found about it was positive. Recently, both of us have been having digestive and elimination issues. Within days I/we starting to feel and function better. Then, a couple of nights ago our dog ate a homemade scone w/ a small amount of xylitol in it…$1000 in vet bills, multiple trips to the vet, and 3 sleepless night later we are “fairly sure” that she will not suddenly die of hypoglycemia, liver failure/ cirrhosis, coma, internal bleeding. 3 more weeks and we will have a good idea of what if any of the total damages will be. After more research, and following the money trail, finding that there is a Dupont connection to xylitol is enough to be a skull and crossbones level warning! Please, for your own knowledge, do some research into such things, and you may change your mind and like us…not gamble w/ our lives over a “treat”
It sounds like you are hyping things, just because a dog cannot eat something does not mean that its unsafe, is chocolate natural, so in other words it does not follow your conspiracy theories.
After reading most of the comments I just have one more thing to add. If anyone wants to get rid of all the xylitol clogging up their kitchens with its evilness, please, send it on to me! I love the stuff & it isn’t cheap!
Oops, premature post. Let me try again.
All I can share is my own experiences with Xylitol. For me, it has been a true miracle. I’ve struggled with serious weight issues since my first child was born, 17 years ago. I first ordered xylitol to make toothpaste with for my kids. I had been using baking soda with a coconut oil base, but it wasn’t real tasty & my boys weren’t up for the switch. I was shocked at how similar the taste & texture is to sugar. My package came with a warning to switch to xylitol slowly to give the body time to adjust. It said to switch gradually over a 6week period. So I just started with my coffee. I don’t use much sugar outside of my coffee obsession & my occasional baking impulse. Coffee is an all day, every day, beverage for me. I drink half-caf during the day & switch to decaf at night to avoid cranky sleepiness, but coffee accounts for about 90% of what I drink. So while a tablespoon of sugar in a 12ounce cup isn’t too bad, it adds up.
I started replacing about a quarter of my sugar with xylitol, and not with every cup. Over a period of about a week, week & a half after no bad reactions I switched over to xylitol completely.
In the beginning, I did have some gas & cramping. The thing is, ever since I got my gall bladder removed 1 1/2years ago, I’ve had cramping & bad diarrhea every day. Didn’t seem to matter what I ate, or when. Ok, that isn’t entirely true. Some things made it worse, but it never got better than awful, until I completed my switch to xylitol.
Whether that is the direct result of the xylitol, or a side effect of a side effect, I can’t say. You see, I’m suddenly not hungry anymore. 17years of almost constantly fighting food cravings & struggling & working out like a fiend for every pound until I’d get too busy or distracted & the pounds would start to pile back on, and suddenly, I’m losing weight without any real effort. I’m just not hungry. I’ll eat some greek yogurt in the morning with my toddler, sip my coffee, and have zero desire to eat again until I realize that its past dinner time & I’d better feed the kids. Then, at dinner, I find myself pushing away plates before they are empty. Late night snacking, my biggest downfall, is no longer an issue. Its only been about 6weeks, so its possible the effect won’t last & I can’t tell you how much I’ve lost as my toddler broke my scale. But I Know I’ve lost weight. Probably between 5& 10lbs judging by how my clothes fit. I can’t give any other effort the credit for this weight loss, I’m as inactive as ever. For me, xylitol really does seem like a miracle right now.
Now for the flip-side of the coin. I made my favorite no bake cookies last night. I made two batches, in the first batch I substituted coconut oil & xylitol for the butter & sugar. I ate a few with no loose stools or pain, but I was gassy. The trouble came for my son. I warned him not to eat too many of the xylitol cookies because his body wasn’t used to it, but he underestimated my warning. He has been having Bad stomach cramps all day. When I asked, he admitted to having 2 or 3 of the xylitol cookies last night and another 2 or 3 this morning.
(my two other sons have had the xylitol without any side effect. My toddler made a gradual shift with me, and my other teenage son only had 2 of the xylitol cookies last night)
My advice, make the switch slowly, but I’m not giving up on xylitol without a conclusive reason, especially as long as I keep loosing weight on it!
All I can share is my own
I have always been a bit suspicious of xylitol. First off it’s name sounds like it was invented by PR people from the pharmaceutical industry. But since I became a vegetarian a few years ago I have on and off been using a protein powder with this stuff in it. I am very sensitive to foods and have a lot of allergies. So far I have had little or no reaction to the xylitol in my protein powder. That said, anything that is “hydrogenated” is far from natural. It seems likely “xylitol” is the latest snakeoil attempt to disguise corn and sell it to people. I am probably going to use up the new container of protein I just bought with the xylitol added, but meanwhile I’ll get a second type of protein powder without any additives to use as well. I don’t think I want to eat this stuff everyday!
I dunno…..it has a weird sounding name for sure, but some do most official chemical names, like baking soda/sodium bicarbonate. I’ve been eating xylitol for close to a year and I don’t notice any side effects. The stuff I eat is the hardwood based kind, not the Chinese corn one (which seems to be most of them!) so I dunno. And again, the dog thing is just annoying…I have a dog and raw onions and garlic are toxic to dogs, but highly beneficial for humans. Do more studies need to be done? Yeah, but because of it’s relation to dental health it actually has enoguh studies done on it that I feel fine consumnig it in the meantime.
It doesn’t have to be an either/or situation. Xylitol doesn’t replace fluoride – it’s the sweetener used. You can buy fluoride-free toothpastes that don’t contain xylitol, either, if you don’t want to make your own.
My main beef with xylitol these days is how it’s made. It’s made from corn, and likely GMO corn at that (unless your product says 100% Organic and is certified). Not only that, but a good majority of xylitol is also processed in China. Why? Why is this necessary? For an ingredient that doesn’t HAVE to be in our food supply.
(FYI, I agree with you about fluoride, inasmuch as the fluoride we drink and use on our teeth is mostly industrial waste byproducts.)
Although this blog is much more scholarly than wikipedia, you may want to check its article on xylitol. Wikipedia is easily pronounceable so it is probably okay to consume. Xylitol can promote remineralization of teeth and fight decay. That is why it’s contained in Trident chewing gum. I don’t know how much xylitol Crunchy Betty had to consume, but it must have been an unnaturally large amount. This unusual craving for sweet taste is just wrong and leads to obesity. Try learning about Indian food and adapting to the many non-sweet flavors in the world, Betty!
Replying to myself. I did re-read this article and observe that supposedly this digestive problem was caused by taking a single packet of xylitol. I suppose this is possible, but I believe there is some sort of wrong thinking involved here. Reactions in the digestive system are a complex of all situations. I have never experienced these myself, and neither have I ever gone out of my way to get an artificial sweetener. I just use sugar which has 16 calories per teaspoon.
In sugar, the calories are really besides the point. If stevia had 10 calories a serving, I would still use it over cane sugar with 10 calories a serving. Less sugar in my bloodstream spiking my insulin levels. And what do you know? Stevia only contains a total of 0 calories. Think that’s probably the better option. Xylitol on the other hand, is not as dangerous as some people think, in my opinion. It’s definitely no aspartame. But I’d pick stevia over xylitol at any health food store. I don’t need health benefits from my sugar, I get that from so many other things. I just need it to get my food sweet, without all the other added crap… but xyla is a good occasional treat, as it has a very sweet taste and no awful aftertaste! I do think this girl is full on exaggerating when she said one packet made her sick. It could have been just about anything. And it’s sugar alcohol, so it can easily cause stomach upset for just about anyone, just like cane sugar and most other forms of sugar.
THANK YOU!! I’ve had a nagging tug inside me every time I used this n our anti-candida recipes. It’s so hard 2 find yummy recipes for a 4yo boy. I’m becoming frustrated & overwhelmed 2 find other non-sugar/sweetner sources. Even most of the stevia has alcohol in it= sugar!! AAHHHH! If you have anyother suugestions, I would love 2 her them. Thx! 🙂
my 3 year old just suffered extreme pain for about 2 hours due to consuming xylitol that we tried today as a mouth wash to try to help with his teeth. he swallowed instead of spat and hours later the pain started. also my 5year old has been having lower stomach pain randomly for the last month and he has been using a xylitol toothpaste for the past month which he loved and Im sure he has been eating it instead of spitting. needless to say all xylitol will be thrown out of my house! thank you for your post!
As a crazy xylitol supporter I must say though that Stevia DOES have a health benefit – it is highly alkaline… which obviously is beneficial to your health by making your body (blood) more alkaline and therefore fighting off disease… It does have a bitter aftertaste only if heated…
I have had severe stomach aches, on and off, for the last few weeks. I thought it was a viral issue and then I thought it was my iron supplement. I finally figured out, through the process of elimination that it is xylitol. I thought xylitol was a safe sugar alcohol to consume – compared to malitol. I haven’t had the laxative effect, but I have had stomach aches like never before in my 38 years of living. I compare it to being hit in my stomach by Mr. Olympia. I have/had endometriosis, uterine fibroids and a kidney stone. Anyone who has experienced those issues, knows pain. This has been just as bad if not worse at times. The offending products were a probiotic, protein powder and omega 3 supplement. Maybe others have no issue with it, but add me to the group who does and may I add – never again!
Im glad I am not the only one that has bad reactions to the toxic junk. I too thought it was natural and have tried it several times and each time it literally feels like its eating away at my stomach.My stomach feels like fire. And it makes me feel super nervous and shaky. I have had it in gum and chewable kids probiotics.
I have been afraid that I have colon cancer because of what my bowels had been doing. I went on vacation and had no xylitol and was fine. First thing I did when I got home was make a pitcher of tea using Ideal (xylitol) and I’ve spent the morning washing out my panties and stuck on the commode. I am angry that I was lied to by this company. Thanks for your article to confirm my suspicions!
Hello Betty,
Just stumbled upon this article and found it interesting. I read it thoroughly and was a little surprised at some of your statements. I am like you when trying out things that are supposed to be “healthy” or touted as a health food, mostly because I am well aware of the big health marketing industry out there and their power over people’s pocketbooks. I usually rely on old fashioned principles and if people didn’t use it before the food supply got industrialized (circa 1940s), I automatically shun it. I research new things before I consider them and I did the same thing with xylitol. I found many reliable sources like sites that support grass roots efforts, environment, natural and/or alternative health and organic culture to back up and document its use, like studies that show xylitol increases bone density in rats and it is a food that is extremely beneficial to human health in that it is very alkalising, not to mention that it is used in alternative medicine for many common ailments such as ear, nose and throat treatment, Candida Albicans, dental issues, etc. I am putting a link below to what I feel is a very dependable, non-biased article on xylitol but, I’m sure you would be able to find plenty if you searched it on your own. By the way, though I support stevia as a natural and healthy alternative to sugar, it too is a derivative of an herb and has been chemically altered by the time it reaches the package (the stevia plant starts out as root, stem and leaves – not dry powder or clear liquid). Good luck in your journey towards the truth:)
Here is the article:
http://www.laleva.cc/food/xylitol.html
Very logically correct response! Here, Here! (or is it “Hear, Hear!”?)
My dentist touted the benefits of xylitol and recommended it for my 10 year old daughter about 3 weeks ago. Since the time I began using xylitol my daughter has complained of stomach cramps with some nausea. I cannot make the link quite yet, but it is odd the stomach cramps arrived with the initiation of the xylitol into her diet.
I always avoid xylitol if I can as it causes me gastric distress as well. Unfortunately it is in a lot of dental products. I know it is very toxic to animals so how could it be good for us?
Why can people eat chocolate in huge quantities and a small amount can kill a dog? We are different of course birds can eat berries that are poisonous to us. I don’t understand how brushing your teeth with Xylitol unless your swallowing your toothpaste or eating it from the tube how would this cause stomach issues? Sometimes I think people are just allergic to things and shouldn’t use it, but for others it’s an incredible safe alternative.
It is toxic to DOGS. This is because dogs’ systems, like some bacteria, are tricked into thinking Xylitol is a digestible sugar, when, in fact, there systems can’t handle it. What happens is their system tries to digest it as a sugar (ie: with use of insulin). [BTW, human systems do not react this way, so the following does NOT happen to us or other non-Dogs, and we do not go into hypoglycemic distress.] Dogs’ systems produce insulin in an attempt to convert Xylitol (as a sugar), but the insulin just acts on existing sugars in their body. Eventually their system burns up all the existing sugars and they go into a coma and die. If they live, Xylitol also seems to have a toxic effect on their liver, too, and they die. Perhaps it is because their liver is somehow tricked, as in our system, the liver would begin to produce the digestive enzymes needed to break down Xylitol. Something else must be triggered in a dog’s system … something which causes liver failure.
However, just because one animal cannot eat something without ill effects, does not mean that others will become ill eating the same. There are MANY things in nature like that. As you probably know, chocolate will kill some dogs … grapes, too. But even within that species, not all dogs will die or even get sick eating chocolate or grapes.
Like most things, just because A=B in some cases and/or times, does not mean A=B in all cases and/or times.
Raw onions are extremely toxic to dogs also, so are you saying we should stop eating them too?
Dear CrunchyBetty,
I hope that my criticism is constructive. First of all,
please don’t take it personally. I know how difficult it is to write clearly,
and that’s why I don’t write often. So I don’t blame you. I make similar
mistakes. Keep in mind that I like you. Most people aren’t critical thinkers,
but you really try to think. You doubt a lot. Me too. Please continue to doubt
and please put pieces of info together CAREFULLY (and if you do so… it may stop
me from ordering xylitol, but today I ordered it again after reading your
article). Below are 10 things that I think need verifications or clarifications:
1 . How many times did you do the xylitol experiment? It sounds that you did it only once. You
shouldn’t make conclusions based on N=1 (at least you shouldn’t talk about
those conclusions because nobody will take you seriously).
2 . What are those “plenty of studies” to “confirm” that “xylitol
is known to cause stomach problems and diarrhea if used in large amounts”? How
do they define “large amounts”? I’m a health care professional and I carefully
follow clients’ reports on side effects from various sweeteners. From my
experience, most people have no problems with xylitol. If they do have
problems, it’s usually from using xylitol to make lemonade (so they may ingest ½
cup in one sitting). People report that if they increase the amount of xylitol
in their diet gradually, they don’t experience side effects. Your personal
experience WOULD sound very interesting (=unusual) to me, and I WOULD take it
into account while making my further professional recommendations, if your
experiment had been done properly.
3 . Why do you use that quote from Natural News? That quote
doesn’t contain info. It just states “toxic chemicals added… and then removed”.
It doesn’t give the names of the chemicals, doesn’t explain why they are toxic
and at what concentrations, and doesn’t explain why it matters at all if the
chemicals are removed anyway.
4 . Why does the chemist’s description of xylitol production
“sound fishy” to you? What part of this process don you consider unhealthy and
why? Why do you think that sugar is healthier? (I briefly scanned all the
comments to your article and understood that you use sugar, not any other
sweetener).
5 . You imply that whatever is “processed with man-made
chemicals” is bad. Why? We are having this important conversation using computers,
inhaling what they emit – man-made chemicals – so you think it’s bad? Should we
stop using computers? Should we stop using everything that is man-made? Of
course we should always use caution, but we shouldn’t just dismiss everything
that is man-made. Sometimes we should choose between too bad things. So we just
choose the one that is less bad. If we assume that all sweeteners are bad, at
least xylitol is less bad than sugar. However, so far I have not seen any
evidence that xylitol is bad. All the available evidence demonstrates that
xylitol is good. Especially when you consider the alternatives. If you choose
NOT to help your teeth heal using xylitol, and instead go to a dentist, how is
that better? Are the chemicals that dentists work with better than xylitol? Is
dental business more environmentally friendly then xylitol production?
6 . The chemist said that “xylitol will rip up your insides”.
Did he mean that xylitol damages the digestive tract? I haven’t come across any
evidence of that. (Maybe he meant something else, but for those of us who aren’t
native English speakers, clarification would be very important).
7 . You mentioned that you talked to “chemists”, not just
one chemist, so what did the other chemist(s) say? It’s very important to talk
to several professionals. Not everybody with a degree is truly knowledgeable,
truly smart, and truly honest.
8 . I’m not sure if mentioning Danisco in your article is
relevant, since your article doesn’t explain what role Danisco played in that
matter for which DuPont was sued. It’s impossible to know from your article if
DuPont was accused fairly (for example, what do you mean by “covering”? Were
they really “covering” something or maybe they sincerely didn’t know?). This
seems like a topic for a separate article. Mentioning it in this article may
mislead the reader.
9 . You imply that it’s bad that a lot of xylitol is made
from corn. You don’t explain why it’s bad. A lot of “food” that most USA
residents eat is derived from corn anyway (for those who didn’t know this,
watch the movie “Food, Inc.”, for example). So if we have to use corn anyway,
why derive sugar from it and not xylitol?
10 . You state that deriving xylitol from birches
contributes to deforestation. But everything that you and I consume contributes
to deforestation. For example, it seems that you use sugar cane, and the space
has to be cleared to grow that cane and to build the facilities that extract
sugar from the cane, transport it, and sell it. To clear that space, forests
have to be sacrificed. So if forests have to be sacrificed for 7 billions of
humans to survive and have fun (for some, excessively), at least they should be
sacrificed for the best possible reason. I don’t see why sugar would be the
best sweetener or at least better than xylitol.
Thank you for your attention. If I misunderstood something,
please let me know.
Doesn’t sound to me like you would make a good lawyer, just an annoying one
I made a big effort trying to help people by sharing my knowledge. How does your comment help people? You are just trying to insult someone who worked hard. If I made a mistake, please point it out. Don’t be rude, especially for no reason.
I agree with you 100% Natalya. I am afraid I contribute to deforestation as I only use birch sourced xylitol as I am against GMO. However, I would rather this than poison my family with white cane sugar xx
Thanks for a very informative comment. If your native language isn’t English, all I can say is that your writing skills are superior to mine and those of most people I know.
Couldn’t help noticing Betty didn’t reply to your well thought out rebuttal.
When you receive 100+ comments a day throughout a site per day, it’s difficult to pay attention to each one, much less respond to each one. In fact, the only reason I read yours was because I happened to be sitting right in front of my email when it came in. My apologies if a lack of response to a comment left on a post that was written over 6 months before the comment was left seems suspect to you. I can assure you, it’s merely a matter of time management. If I have time to respond to a comment that I am just now aware of on a 10-month-old post soon, I will get to it. But you can’t please everyone … sigh.
We’re still waiting…
I think Betty’s concerns are warranted. Just in case you did notread this the first time around.
1) Xylitol is made from corn. Yes, that is probably bad.
Corn is an enormous GMO monoculture in the United States. Unless it is organically grown, corn is overwhelmingly genetically modified. Studies have shown GMO foods cause serious allergic reactions. Some GMO foods even contain their own pesticide within the genetic material.
Companies have “patented” GMO seeds and sued organic farmers based on very fishy legal precedent about their GMO product finding its way into non GMO fields. This is their own fault for blanketing enormous farms with the same seeds. But they know small organic farmers (who already have a problem because GMO seed has contaminated their organic crops) do not stand a chance in court against the attorneys of big money companies like Monsanto. in this way, GMO producers have driven organic farmers into bankruptcy on purpose. Corn is the biggest GMO crop in the country.
2) Xylitol is hydrogenated, a process that requires the introduction of toxic chemicals and then the extraction of the Xylitol from these same chemicals, leaving the possibility of contamination by traces of the chemicals used in the process. That is gross.
While not “damning” xylitol as toxic – people with food allergies and sensitivities have reason to think critically about this product.
Xyltiol is not for everyone but the resulting chemical is the same corn or not.
Xylitol is *entirely* natural. It is not synthesized by man, though it, like many naturally occuring chemicals, CAN be. It is found naturally in many plants, and even in our human bodies. Corn is a source of naturally occuring Xylitol, specifically in its cobs and husks. Since this is a rather throw-away part of a commonly grown crop, it is “natural” that it would make a good source for a commercial product. However, most Xylitol producers, cognizant of the fact that health-seekers do not prefer GMO, are specifically using non-GMO corn in their products.
“Hydrogenated” does not equeat to “bad.” The naturally occuring chemical Xylitol, and ALL polyols, specifically distinguish themselves from sugars by the chemical fact that they ARE hydrogenated. That is the ONLY difference that makes them a polyol (so-called “sugar alcohol”) versus a sugar.
This whole post is really bogus … not in that Betty wasn’t trying out critical thinking on this topic, but that the assumptions were all wrong, as were the so-called “expert(s)” who her generously supplied her with misinformation.
The reason she and many others have digestive distress after consuming polyols (including Xylitol) is that their bodies are not yet producing the [liver] enzymes that aid in digestion of sugar alcohols. Xylitol falls about mid-way in the list of polyols, as far as tolerability is concerned. However, with slow increases in use, the digestive distress will decrease (in most people) within a few weeks or less.
Poor Betty seems to have very few [if any] of these digestive enzymes pre-existant in her system. It is even possible that she may NEVER produce them, if her body for some reason can’t produce them. 🙂 Hopefully that is not the case, as she would be missing out on all the fabulous benefits that Xylitol has to offer.
BTW, I have nothing to do with the Xylitol or any related industry … Just a user of Xylitol and a very critical and analytical thinker and student of health issues: in particular natural health treatments and cures.
Thank you Bubba for your posts, they are very well researched, thought out and informative.
Questions are smart, blindly going is not smart. Truth’s are tolerant of inquiries. Removing confusion is healthy!
Wow – I’m impressed with your thoroughness, time-consuming care and effort in getting your thoughts across.Not everyone can appreciate a critical analysis. Your sound, quality education is showing…..great job.
I’ve been using Ideal sweetener, which is the same thing, really. Made from Xylitol. I did find that when I baked with it, I had some stomach issues, but I generally just use 1 packet in my oatmeal a few times a week. I think when I finish the box I just bought I will stop using it in favor of raw sugar, which I also just bought. Thanks for all the info! I had done some research before using it, but clearly not enough.
That label is the first thing I saw on my sisters canister when I moved back home. I was impatiently waiting for my coffee to brew, saw the container, “WTF is Xylaflsndfsdfnsdl,” and then, “ewwww.” She got it for my dad, who’s diabetic, but I think he thought it was cleaner or something. It’s still sitting in our cupboard, a year later, being gross.
Thanks very much for this. I should have worked this out for myself, but when it comes to sweet, I think I’m desperate to believe in that magical ingredient rather than face the fact that it’s time to grow up a bit and just stop giving in to those constant cravings for sweetness.
Wow,ta,nuff tanks!!!! Ur blog is a God send,all those poisons,its crazy.My hubby asked if the goverment and leaders of our countries know all this what do they use and eat???! Anyway big thanx for the heads up on Xylitol,i just got some organic mints and paid way more because they had Xylitol instead of sugar and the label said it was better,then i read on line it was good stuff,so far your crunchy blog is the only thing saying otherwise and im a believer baby. For a sweetener i take organic unsulfured molasses and coconut sugar,but im gonna try and get rice sugar, and mapel syrup grade b of course and stevia. I used to use honey,but when i cut down on sweet things and sugar i stopped buying it,but we need some natural alternatives to make our awesome gluten free organic cookies and cakes,so again mega thanx to ur crunchy self and fellow bloggers. Sad about the toothpaste,my fam use doctor organics and was very pleased with myself,plus my mouth was fresher and cleaner for longer,but on reading ur blog i re-read the ingredient and was gutted to see sorbital as well as xylitol,will be looking for suggested alternatives for my baby.
Amen sister. The very first time I tasted a smidgeon of xylitol I was sick for hours. My daughter came and tasted it(she has a higher tolerance for unnatural things than I do) and she got sick. Now I am hearing the word “erythritol” and upon research I am finding it is connected to xylitol as well. The only sugar substitute that I have found to be good and safe is Sweet Leaf stevia. It does not make me sick. You are right-all the xylitol hype is based on greed-the public health issue is something they couldn’t care less about.
Oh wow! I have been using Stevia, and it was time to reorder when I decided to try xylitol. I couldn’t get myself to buy it and decided to do a search. I am glad I hit upon you blog. 🙂 I am going to stick with my Stevia. I just don’t like the after taste. I do have some growing outside, and will finally get my lazy bum to harvest it. 🙂
Thanks again for your wonderful and informative post,
Cynthia
I have been using Xylotol but probably won’t after reading this. It is no longer what is right with something but what is wrong. What do we use now? Is Truvia worth the effort? When is Shane coming out with his solution?
I use stevia extract, which is apparently natural (according to my sister who is more informed than me and who I just shouted this question at). I have IBS and most sweeteners have been, well, unpleasant for me. Stevia, however has been great.
I think there are 2 types of stevia. One is green (from the leaves) and according to my sister tastes horrible (I’ve never tried it). The other is white and that is the stevia extract that I use. A little goes a long long way.
Just stumbled upon this post trying to figure out whether my baby’s crying fits overnight might be due to the (highly dentist-recommended) xylitol toothpaste we’ve been using. He being a little dude, of course he swallows it. It is supposedly designed to be swallowed. Given your experience, I think that my suspicions about the toothpaste may be correct! Thanks a million for posting! I’ll be tossing the xylitol products from my home tonight.
I know the bulk of the discussion ended weeks ago, but just for the record my sweeteners of choice are pure Vermont maple syrup (purchased directly from a real farmer) and raw honey (also purchased directly from a real farmer). I occasionally use the coconut palm sugar mentioned in a previous comment. I’ve found that whole coconut milk in my morning coffee or tea eliminates my need for a sweetener in there.
Keep up the good crunchy work!
I don’t have a lot of time for research and I hate always worrying about what I’m doing to my body, so I make my decisions very simply:
Can I pronounce it?
Would my grandparents recognize it?
What am I missing out on if I don’t use it?
And I generally don’t trust someone I can’t shake hands with.
Would your grandparents know the chemical names for many vitamins?
This proves Kasey’s point. The chemical names for vitamins are not what they would recognize. They would recognize “apple” or “carrot”. And research definitely supports eating a carrot is a much better choice than synthetic Vitamin A. The way that “nature” or “God” or whatever created and packaged our food is always the best way to consume it.
No, your grandparents would probably not even know the names of human anatomy, just because something is natural does not mean
its good, there are many harmful fruits and vegetables.
Xylitol is found in fruits naturally
I just have to chime in, that was kind of rude. I mean, you don’t know what her grandparents know. Just because someone becomes elderly doesn’t mean they suddenly become bumbling imbeciles.
I’m all for a good debate, but when a person starts throwing insults it ceases to be a debate. Everyone is entitled to express their own opinions, but should not be insulted for them.
Sugar (Or evaporated cane juice, agave, honey) has been proven to increase the incidence of tooth decay and obesity. I don’t know of a single study that indicates that xylitol is toxic to humans.
Facts about xylitol:
-The human body produces up to 15 grams everyday of xylitol.
-Xylitol time and time again has been proven to reduce dental caries–it has been shown to remineralize teeth similarly to flouride.
-American Indians have been using xylitol from birch bark for over 200 years
Facts about flouride:
-The American Dental Association recommends that children under the age of 1 to not consume flouride.
-National research council has identified flouride as an endocrine disrupter.
-Harvard researchers have found a possible connection between flouride and bone cancer.
Don’t believe it? Keep on using flouride and eating sugar.
Not sure who you’re talking to here, Chris. 🙂 If you read my blog at all, you know I stay as far away from fluoride and refined sugar as humanly possible (using raw cane sugar very sparingly when I bake).
There are several studies, in fact, that show xylitol is absolutely deathly toxic to mice (as stated in the material safety data sheet, and that repeated exposure to xylitol can cause target organ damage) AND that it causes gastronomical distress in humans (apparently in high quantities, although it appears that the quantities are extremely SMALL in cases like mine). I can assure you, had I eaten the upper limits of what’s set forth as the “safe dosage” of xylitol, I would have been hospitalized for severe dehydration and possible gastric injury.
My reaction to such a very, very, very small dose was THAT severe.
The argument set forth in this article doesn’t debate that there IS natural “xylitol” in plants. What it DOES debate is that the methods for extracting this xylitol are NOT even remotely natural, nor does it seem like it’s all that completely harmless.
Moreover, the production of xylitol is questionable: Either it’s from corn that’s overwhelmingly GMO or it’s from birch, which wouldn’t be sustainable in the amounts now required (due to all this hype about xylitol being a wonder, cure-all sweetener) for the marketplace.
Add that to the fact that the bulk of manufactured xylitol is done so now in China, and it’s all very fishy, suspect, and something I think people have the right to know about and make informed decisions on their own.
Hmmmm “Chris” sounds like he works for xylitol. Look at his profile. fishy.
Hey thanks for posting this, I was afraid this might be the case. sigh.
I agree – I think you have some representatives of the Xylitol indstry responding here. I also have severe diarrhea when I have a teaspoon or two of Xylitol. I’ve tried it over the last week and will not use it again. And ongoing use of laxatives does cause complications such as collitis and organ damage. The only people promoting Xylitol must be paid spokespeople.
Have you ever seen a doctor about IBS? You could have a reaction to any FODMAP foods, even excess fructose or fiber from completely natural foods. The other thing to consider – we are humans, not mice, so to save yourself from sounding completely irrational, please only reference human studies.
Whether xyitol is manufactured from corn or birk does not matter since the end chemical is the safe, the laxative effective is another issue but even natural products cause it.
Given the process of making Xylitol, how on earth did the American Indian make it 200 years ago? I want to believe in Xylitol, but I’m having more and more doubts. Maybe stick to honey and maple syrup (which American Indians DID make).
With all due respect, I have worked with native american communities. Many communities have a very poor diet right now and are suffering serious health consequences.
Chris, you are right, but do you know how many people shake hands with Doctors? – and it’s these doctors who constantly lie to their patients with medicating them with medications that were researched to cause liver problems among other problems and yet these doctors still gave these meds to their patients.
I think those WHO write these negative things about Xylitol are DENTISTS!! Not to mention, perhaps xylitol just is NOT meant to be consumed in packets? the first time I used the xylitol sugar I used 3 leveled tea spoons and had to use the bathroom BUT I WAS NOT in there for an hour like some people claimed they were. I was in there for maybe 10 mins. I only use the mints, toothpaste and mouth wash. My brother who actually isn’t a dentist has been telling me bad things about it… well, I’ve read the same articles he read and HE READ THEM WRONG!!
Chris, you are however right about Flouride… I have read far more worse things about flouride, I’ve also read a ton articles about how bad Flouride is… and just because Xylitol may kill rats… doesn’t mean it would kill a human like this article claims. Not to mention, a lot of people are using the word “researchers” far too much!!! Thinking that if they say “researchers” and then say that it’s bad that people will listen. Well, I don’t think so.
I don’t know why my brother even read these articles wrong. Far more research needs to be done in order for anyone to come to an actual conclusion that xylitol is bad.
AND this Betty also just said about how much NaturalNews.com is a drama queen!! AND that’s the only thing I happen to agree with in this article. Because they all ARE Drama queens at naturalnews.com, which is why I do NOT trust them and do my own research on something they mentioned before I believe them.
So with my brother telling me that I should back off xylitol because that’s the reason why I’m tasting Iron in our well-water, is bs. SO FAR I have NOT Come across anyone claiming there to be an actual “after taste” It’s all bullshit and they are written by dentists who WANT people to have cavities so these dentists do NOT lose their jobs, but there are how many other people out there who don’t even use Xylitol in anything.
I’ve read the comments of the people posting here and I agree with most of them, esp the one who said about man-made things.
The first time I tasted Splenda because my mom got it, I had a metallic after taste, right after I tasted it… I didn’t taste anything like that with Xylitol… not to mention my brother had also said that it causes dry-mouth, which is bullshit… it does not pull my saliva from my mouth, it helps keep it moist.
Perhaps I’m the only one who tastes the iron in the well-water because I’m the only one who actually tastes it?
I have seen a rusty ring around the bathroom sink’s drain … before we replaced the faucet, and it’s drain ring. Not to mention there are metal things lying around the opening of the well.
Some people are just more sensitive to sugars and polyols, but that is no good reason for everyone to generalise this to themselves e.g. I’m fine with Xylitol, but some of the Dr Atkins snack foods gave me stomach cramps and gas.
Part or all of any peoples reaction to something they ate could be caused by the unique combination with other foods and flora (bacteria etc.) in that persons digestive system; this can vary with time.
Basically this needs to be studied properly, just like food allergies.
I admit I didn’t read ALL of the posts, but do any of them address ‘Birchwood Derived” ?
The comments? Not really. (I’m not a fan of birch or corn, btw. There isn’t enough living birch to support supply sustainably, plus it’s the exact same chemical structure as corn would be, anyway. The only positive is that – so far, anyway – there’s no such thing as genetically-modified birchwood.)
In America, all roads lead to corn.
That is just sick. Like, this is making me madder and madder the more I think about it. Like rip-roaring spitting-cherry-pits ticked off with a side of “where’s a cricket bat to hurl at someones head when you need one?”
Not your head, CB. (Just to clarify.)
But the makers of “Natural” products, for example Kiss My Face, who clearly wouldn’t know Natural if it came up and brushed their teeth with the supposedly natural toddler toothpaste that we have for our son. IT CONTAINS XYLITOL!
I am so bloody sick and tired of companies not doing what they say they are doing. And who decides what is able to use “natural” in marketing so they can avoid regulations? Isn’t the fact that they are purposely avoiding regulations TELLING US SOMETHING?!?!?!?! If I cooked up crystal meth and said it was “natural” would they just shrug and let me put a nice shiny label on it and sell it in a pharmacy? I’m going to stop now before I go all cussy sweary bad-wordy voodoo-doll-invokey on these companies’ collective hind-ends. BLARG!!! ok I’m done. (for the record, I’m not actually into voodoo)
Would you rather have your child use Floride which has been known to cause toxic problems or use a product that may cause slight diarrhea. People are poisoned all the time from too much Floride which is why babies under 1 are no supposed to use it they swallow it unlike us. I find it so crazy how angry people are getting over Xylitol I’ve used it for over a year never had an issue except when I made really sweet cookies and realized way to much of it at once (I ate like 4 cookies whoops) When you compare the different options and decide to buy things it’s pretty easy at least to me anyways. We don’t actually need toothpaste that tastes sweet I use natural toothpaste it may taste like crap but it works little baking soda, salt and coconut oil with a splash of peppermint essential oil and your done. There is also a company I use which sells completely organic and chemical free stuff ( aerinsorganic.com ) See below though about Fluoride
http://www.fluoridealert.org/health/
So timely a topic for me (you do tend to read my mind I think). This post has been SO interesting (great comments too!)I’ve just recently read through the sugar and fat info in Nourishing Traditions and have been re-thinking a lot of my choices and experimenting with different fats and sweeteners. Xylitol never made my list of things to try though. Toothpaste and gum are the only sources of it in my diet. Your reaction to it (and the warning label reminded me of the Olean fiasco of a decade ago).
After reading so much on sugars myself over the last couple of weeks, I finally decided that I’m not really eating sweeteners for nutritional purposes anyway, so it comes down to this… how it tastes and how much processing it’s had. For now, I choose to use a variety depending on what it’s to be used in: molasses, honey, Suconat, evap. cane juice, maple syrup, and even brown sugar occasionally. I couldn’t find rapadura locally (though they probably have it over at Whole-Paycheck), but I’d like to try that too.
I am really confused. I went to The People’s Chemists website and it screams of scam. He has a whole section trying to get you to spend a large wad of money on a diet pill. I am very doubtful of his credibility in the natural sector. Why should I trust him? I know many chemists and biochemists with advanced degrees, but I would not trust any of them for advice on what is natural or healthy. After going to his website, I feel scammed and I did not buy anything. He needs to share the real chemistry behind his products.
Actually, if you follow him for any length of time, you’ll see that he truly does share the real chemistry behind his products. Much of it is in his book and much of it is elsewhere on his site. I forget the title, but it was one of the more informative health books I have read. Additionally, more times than not, he’s pointing you to inexpensive sources for nutrients that are NOT being sold by himself. But even the ones he’s selling, I can’t fault him for that – everyone has to monetize their Website to some degree, if only to be able to afford to continue running it.
I’ve made it about two chapters into his book now, and I’m really very impressed. To be honest, I absolutely bypassed paying attention to any of his supplements, because it was his information I was after. None of the information he’s provided (whether it be for this post or in the book, as far as I can tell yet) has been in an effort to sell HIS brand of supplements.
I also agree that just because he’s selling supplements doesn’t necessarily take anything away from what he’s saying otherwise. (Although I do have to agree that the tone of the website’s a little hokey … but, then again, have you ever been to Dr. Mercola’s site? Ugh.)
Ultimately, in my discussions with him, he’s been nothing but forthcoming, friendly, and open. I’m pretty sure if you contact him, Audrey, with any questions about his chemistry, he’d be more than happy to share it with you.
Just a reader investigating xylitol. The corn version gave me eczema and made me sensitive to corn by-products in general (cereal, tortillas, breads, etc. all the foods with corn in them) but the birch version, so far, has given me no probems and my eczema has cleared up completely. Sorry, I love my sweets, and am hoping that this will be a good alternative. However, thanks to the comments here, I’ll give people warning before eating my cookies. 🙂
Since the end product is the same I doubt what you are saying its true, unless there was something else in the xylitol.
Don`t throw away your toothpastes [Crest,Sensydine,Colgate,bioteen,etc.]
When I was in college,we all used to use toothpaste to clean our chromed water sink faucetts in our dorm room.WOW!!! They shined up beautifully !!
Thanks so much for the interesting read about xylitol. Truthfully I have been wondering about for the past few years and just never took the time to do any research. You know sweetners are such a strange beast. I know that I have my favorites and I have times when I make allowances. For instance, in my morning cup, I prefer agave. I figure if I am not ingesting a whole lot of it then for me that’s ok. Also I like that it just sweetens the coffee and doesn’t really add any other flavor. When I am baking I often switch between maple syrup and brown rice syrup and sometimes i even let a little unbleached cane sugar in the mix. I guess you migth say I’m an equal opportunity sweetner user. But again, since I don’t eat baked goods and desserts all the time or everyday or even once a week, I feel ok with that.
I have been using brown rice syrup as a sweetner for over a decade now I love it’s gentle flavor and versatility. If you have tried brown rice syrup from any number of health food stores you are truly misisng out. The very best rice syrup I have ever had is from a company called Suzannes Specialties. Their rice syrup has no bad after taste, has terrific consistency and makes the best “caramel” popcorn. If you are interested you can check them out at http://www.suzannes-specialties.com . I like to buy it by the gallon and in one place I lived we would join togetehr and buy 5 gallons at a time, delicious.
Thanks again, and I have been really enjoying reading your blog.
Woah. Great article. I never really trusted that stuff. Give me raw honey, turbinado sugar, or stevia any day over that crap!
Also, I worked in a grocery store until recently and was truly amazed by all the things that are labeled “natural”. Natural lunch meat by Hormel? Yeah, right. I am also surprised at how much more people will pay for something that comes in individual packages like 100 calorie packs. Not only are you paying way too much for so little (I’m a bargain shopper), but think of all the waste from the packaging. And the tv commercial about how we use enough plastic bottles every year to go around the earth 6 times? Ok, I’ll get off my soapbox now. 🙂
I’m still new to the natural lifestyle so I’ve read a ton of your posts and I find them extremely helpful. Certainly the name Xylitol sounds sketchy in itself. I’ve been using organic honey recently but mostly just for my green smoothies. I might try Stevia now after reading some of the comments.
I grow organic Stevia and dry and grind the leaves into a powder in the blender. Works for me.
According to Russ Bianchi 3x PHD Pharmacologist, Xylitol creates cancer of the stomach, mouth and colon. Is extremely unnatural and unhealthy.
We use small amounts of pure cane sugar or stevia for sweetening. Honey is also acceptable.
Have you ever read Kelly the kitchen kop blogs and website? Or the Weston a price foundation, Sally Fallon?
Yep. They’re all favorites, although I just started reading Kelly the Kitchen Kop a few weeks ago. I am, however, especially fond of the WAPF.
How ironic! I was just staring at a package of Xylitol at the health food store today, thinking to myself–“so, if agave is not what I thought it was, I wonder what this Xylitol stuff is all about…?” Luckily, I didn’t buy any! 🙂
I have been using cane sugar, maple syrup, and honey (mostly)…and I love to bake–especially oatmeal chocolate chip cookies…but, ironically enough, I was just telling myself last night that if I would just stop eating sweet things, then I wouldn’t crave sweet things. Then we’d save money by not buying the sweetners–funny how that works!
THANKS for all the info! I have a habit of researching things online…especially after watching “Food Revolution”–ugh!
And, I loved your comment about the car exhaust taking itself to be recycled 🙂 I live in SW Colorado (which has some AMAZING local honey, by the way… http://www.honeyvillecolorado.com) and feel like we should be ahead of the game, I guess…but, people sell what makes them money!
Hope the tummy feels better!
Wow. I love this post! I really appreciate that you shared your miserable experience, and your research process, to keep us all better informed. No one’s word has to be gospel to be appreciated and respected. Your blog is one of my most highly regarded, informative blogs that I follow. I know some comments said they prefer your more entertaining, less depressing posts, but it is your down-to-earth research that impresses me. Thank you! 🙂
So many people use honey for all sweetening purposes, but I’m wondering why (I was told) vegans don’t? One vegan person told me the bees are smoked out to harvest the honey. This isn’t always the case is it? It wouldn’t make sense.
Yeah, Jackie – it is not as if anyone is harvesting the bees! Smoke them out, put new combs in and the bees start over. What is the harm? No one is ‘killing’ them.
They are smoked out, but it doesn’t hurt them, just makes them a little sleepy, so they’re not so ready to start stinging when the harvesters go in for the comb. Vegans don’t eat honey simply because it’s an animal byproduct (bee vomit, basically), and to classify yourself as “vegan” means no meat, or animal byproducts in your diet, which includes eggs, dairy, honey, gelatin, etc.
It’s actually a good thing to smoke them out, because honey bees can only sting once, and then they’ll die. So smoking them is good for them and the harvesters. Everybody lives!
~Ness
I tried Agave and it gave me stomach cramps – I was glad I didn’t buy a big container. I stick with honey as a sweetener. A couple months ago my naturopath said NO SUGAR, since honey is allowed and I know how to bake it has been an easy transition. I have stayed away from all chemical processed fake sugars, I always figured my body knew what to do with sugar/honey and there are enough chemicals around without consuming them on purpose.
I’m curious – What does Shane Ellison think of Stevia? That’s what I’ve been using as sweetener. Although, I rarely use sweetener, so it’s not much of an issue for me.
It’s awesome that you ask, because I asked him what his recommended sweetener was and … letter for letter, this was his response:
“Stevia leaf. It’s naturally sweet and requires no processing. Try different brands to find the one that tastes best based on personal preference. Some taste horrible, some just like sugar. Honey is great too, it’s a no brainer, unless you are trying to lose weight.”
Sweet! (No pun intended) That makes me really happy, because I only ever use Stevia and sometimes honey too. Thanks so much for the info! 🙂
I don’t use artificial sweeteners at all because they tear my stomach up (even Stevia), so I just use regular ol’ sugar. We used demerara sugar for a while, and it was actually quite good (but, alas, expensive).
Either way, I must be doing something right, because somehow – without even trying – I lost 7 pounds in a month. WOW.
I also use honey to sweeten some things too.
I know that this is a little off topic, but I feel the need to say that I think sometimes there’s a great amount of confusion between “Eco-Friendly” and “natural.” A lot of things that are toted as “eco-friendly” are not necessarily “natural.” Like those Green Works products? I still can’t pronounce half the stuff in there, and it smells AWFUL. There’s no mistaking that stuff for “natural” once you smell it. Kinda makes you wonder if it really is “eco-friendly” as well?
Anywho, my thing has always been “why substitute something, when you have the real thing?” Sugar is natural, tastes better, and – in moderation – better for you. Just use less, instead of substituting.
~Ness
All of the things that bother you have one thing in common: corn. If you also have issues with vinegar, dairy, eggs and white rice, or wheat products, you might be corn sensitive. White or distilled vinegar is made from corn, dairy is fortified with corn, eggs are washed with corn (porous shells absorb cleaner), white rice and wheat flour are enriched with corn. Green Works products are made from corn, too.
stevia is a plant. i wonder what kind you tried because it is often mixed with other things like maltodextrin (yuck!). sweetleaf brand stevia is mixed with inulin. it’s the only one i like.
Is there a bitter aftertaste with sweetleaf. I can’t stand the aftertaste. No matter how little I use it still has an aftertaste
Wow, thanks! I’ve been thinking of trying Xylitol, and I’ll probably skip it.
I use organic sugar or honey myself, I have Stevia on hand for my husband for his coffee, etc. (othrwise he insists on some diet aspertame-type thing).
Love your site!
Stevia is easy to grow…just like any other herb and can be used dried or fresh…it is the only natural sweetener that does not affect blood sugar levels…it is also anti-bacterial and anti-viral. All around I think it is the best option…
LOVED this post! Thank YOU for researching and informing. I bought some XyloSweet last week at the health food store and altho I haven’t noticed any side effects, I don’t like the product at all. I have to use 3 pkgs. for one glass of iced tea and it will not dissolve unless I dissolve it in hot water first, then pour the water/sweetner into my glass of iced tea. I was going to ride it out and just use it until it’s gone and then buy something different next time, but I’m going to print your article and march it all back to the health food store…….
BTW, what do YOU use as your sweetner…..just curious. I need some ideas besides honey and maple syrup.
Thanks again for your informative post!
Huh. I feel like cohesive paragraphs in response would take a long time. So, briefly, my condensed thoughts:
– Sulfuric acid is also used to make baking soda. Does this mean baking soda isn’t natural, either? (I break out in a terrible rash if I leave baking soda on my skin longer than a minute or so. Heck, my roommate’s throat closes up within a minute or so if he touches a banana. Some people are just sensitive to particular things. But I still feel like bananas are okay for the people who *don’t* respond poorly to them.)
– Why do Americans even *need* all these sweeteners? If everyone stopped frantically researching ways to make their food taste less like itself and more like a sweet, wouldn’t we all just save a lot of time and money? Consumers are demanding new sweeteners, while simultaneously criticizing companies for producing them, without stopping to think that maybe there just *isn’t* a sweetener that’s healthy in modern doses because modern doses of sweet foods simply aren’t healthy. Coffee is best when it tastes like coffee. If you hate it, either don’t drink it or find a better roast. Unsweetened coffee isn’t inherently gross, we’ve just let companies get away with producing gross coffee because we sweeten it to hell anyway, so we never notice. Try letting your bread/oatmeal/yogurt/tea/jam/freaking chicken nuggets go unsweetened. It’s really not so bad, and maybe you’ll have more incentive to hunt for better brands (or talk to local farmers).
Hmm…food for thought! (bad pun intended). But seriously, I think you’re on to something with that line of thought. I agree with the coffee comment as well. Each morning, I make a latte from steamed raw milk and espresso from freshly-ground and freshly-roasted organic beans. Can’t even imagine compromising this creation with a sweetener.
So I’ve been thinking about your baking soda comment for days and doing lotsa reading on it, and while it appears that baking soda was, for a small amount of time on a limited basis, produced with sulfuric acid, that’s not at all standard practice. In fact, I was super confused, because the baking soda I use (which is Bob’s Red Mill) always says it’s mined straight from mineralized sodium bicarbonate (and not far from where I live, either). Arm and Hammer says they get theirs using naturally sourced sodium carbonate that’s then turned into sodium bicarbonate using water and carbon dioxide.
Either way, sodium bicarbonate is present in nature in the form we use it. That doesn’t mean that’s where Arm & Hammer or other companies get theirs, but it is there.
To me, there’s such a huge difference between selecting one tiny property from a fruit (or tree), chemically condensing that property and then manufacturing it at large levels not found in nature, and then wholesale providing it to everyone and calling it “safe in whatever quantities your bowels can handle” … and baking soda.
Allergies? A whole different monster. I, too, am (slightly) allergic to bananas. I also have lactose intolerance. I certainly don’t think that because I’m sensitive to those things, no one else should have them. But I also don’t see (organic) banana manufacturers running their bananas through 5 chemical processes that change the structure of the banana, rearrange it, and then put it back together and then calling their bananas natural. My issue isn’t/wasn’t as much the product itself, but the message in which it’s presented.
We’re still in the minority, those of us who do research instead of believing everything commercials tell us. I see nothing wrong with passing on a message that MAY help a newly-liberated consumer make a different choice.
As far as your “sweetener” argument, I don’t disagree with the message. Unfortunately, the vast majority of Americans were brought up on artificially sweetened foods (especially with HFCS added to nearly everything), and it is now a matter of retraining SO many people’s palates AND belief systems. Adding new chemically-enhanced sweeteners to the mix of nutritional offerings isn’t the answer, but neither is expecting everyone to just automatically change the way they do (and enjoy) everything. People don’t work like that, no matter how angry you get. It’s REALLY frustrating when not everyone sees your point of view (when your point of view seems so sensible), but we’re kinda coming out of the fog of commercialism right now, y’know?
I rarely add sweetener to anything, except when Skip gets to pick the coffee we’re drinking. He likes it really dark and bitter. I do not. 🙂
You mention that you are lactose intolerant, but many people who react to dairy are actually reacting to the GMO corn additives hidden in it. If you react to xylitol, you probably are sensitive to GMO corn additives at least a little bit. If you want to test the theory, try these dairy products that contain no additives (there are very few available): Daisy full fat sour cream, Kerrygold cheese (any variety), Organic Valley cheese (any variety), OV or Kerrygold salted butter, OV or Naturally Preferred (Kroger store brand) whole milk with no added vitamins (vitamin D milk contains propylene glycol {corn derivative} or corn oil as a carrier for the corn derived vitamins) or better yet, raw milk if it is available in your state. If you are shocked that there is actual GMO corn added to dairy products with no hint on the ingredients label, you are in for a big surprise when it comes to most of the “food” available in grocery stores.
Just a few tips: First, know that almost all those polysyllabic additives on food labels are derived from GMO corn, but even those are probably not the only corn that package contains. There is a lot of “hidden corn” in America’s supermarkets. Baby carrots and bagged salads contain citric acid which is a product of the fermentation of GMO corn by Aspergillus Niger mold. This same derivative is present in all fresh meat (even most organic and some grass fed beef), refined oils and most canned goods. Peppers, cucumbers, apples, eggplants, pineapples, citrus fruits are all coated with a corn wax to preserve them. Most cheeses are made using genetically modified enzymes (chymosin) that are grown on a corn base and then packaged in a cornstarch dusted package. Many frozen fruits and vegetables are dusted with cornstarch before freezing to prevent sticking. Enriched flour, enriched rice, fortified milk, juice with vitamins added and iodized salt all contain corn derivatives. Even vanilla extract (all extracts), gums (guar, etc.), carageenan (seaweed) and annatto (a seed) contain corn alcohol. Also, white or distilled vinegar and pectin are GMO corn, most coffee is roasted using dextrose (corn again – the same one in IVs), tea bags contain corn as do envelopes and bandaids and all OTC or Rx meds. And BTW, when you see sugar on the ingredient label it can be sugar from GMO corn, GMO beets or sugar cane, they don’t have to specify source.
To make my comment somewhat relevant, I’ll tell you this: if you are allergic to corn, the only suitable sweeteners are honey (organic or trusted source), pure maple syrup (some are corntaminated during processing), evaporated cane juice, and pure stevia leaf.
This is in respose to KC. I don’t usually feel the need to make comments on comments, but for some reason the tone of yours really rubbed me the wrong way.
Let me start by saying that I agree with you about the amount of hidden gmo corn in our food and that I personally do my best to stay away from gmo’s of any kind. It is awful the way big companies contaminate our food supply.
Next, while many people may have linked their lactose intolerance back to corn, you would be remiss to say that is the only factor. Attributing someone’s lactose intolerance simply to corn seems a little simplified. There are plenty of folks that are actually allergic to casein which is found in cows milk and subsequently in all products made with cows milk. Heck unfortunately it can also be found in vegan cheese alternatives to promote melting.
While I totally appreciate your instinct to educate about GMO corn, I don’t think it’s a good idea to assume you know exactly what is the cause of someone else’s allergies. Food allergies are wide ranging and can be debilitating, not to mention difficult for other people (namely those without them) to truly understand.
I would also like to add one more sweetner to your list and it’s brown rice syrup, specifically made by Suzanne’s Specialties and available for order directly from the makers at http://www.suzannes-specialties.com . It is the best tasting rice syrup out there as well as organic and made solely from brown rice.
Have a allergen free day!
I think you need to re-read my comment. I was very clear that “MANY people who react to dairy are actually reacting to the GMO corn additives hidden in it” and went on to specify “If you react to xylitol, you probably are sensitive to GMO corn additives at least a little bit.” This information comes from years of experience. Nowhere in my comment did I say that corn is the only factor in dairy sensitive individuals or that someone can’t be allergic to casein. I’ve read my comment three times and I still can’t figure out how you got that from it. BTW, Crunchy Betty said she was LACTOSE INTOLERANT which isn’t the same thing as dairy allergy at all.
I think I’ve just decided that if it has to be made in a factory I probably shouldn’t be eating it. not that i don’t ever buy things that are processed, but that theory at least released me from the up and down of the fake sugar nightmare. I am trying (unsuccessfully) to grow a stevia plant so I can crush it up and all sweeten my tea that way, but the white powdery chemically made stuff in tiny packets I skip. go maple syrup and honey. if i had maple trees or honey bees I could technically make you.
I like stevia, or REAL sugar (like the crystallized kind straight from the sugar cane), agave, honey, and real maple syrup. I’ve become skeptical of stevia, though, and agave. I think my real, raw sugar is good, and of course raw honey and real maple syrup, are probably safest because they are in their purest state 🙂
I am going to share this with my brother who suffered severe gastro-intestinal issues that caused him to be unable to process sugar. He’s been using splenda and xylitol…and still has stomach issues. No wonder!!!
Yikes! Thanks for this post and all the work you put into it,very informative!
I’ve always wondered about that stuff..*shiver.
I use raw honey or agave to sweeten my stuff, when I need to.
One again, thanks for the well-researched info, Betty. My sister-in-law bought 5 pounds of xylitol and made a delicious chocolate cake with it, and 3 out of 4 people in our household suffered from reactions to it (and we all ate the same amount of cake). One person just had stomach cramps, one person had really stinky gas along with gas pain, and the third person had diarrhea. My sister-in-law, however was unaffected and assumed everyone else was overly-sensitive to xylitol. I had no clue it was made in a factory! Wow. Sure fooled me.
My question for you is this: should I continue to brush my teeth with xylitol in your homemade toothpaste recipe, given that I’m not swallowing it and they still say it’s beneficial for your teeth?
My aunt actually HAD to take xylitol instead of other artificial sweeteners for some reason (I don’t know the details). Not that she wanted to, and it’s not that she takes it by the handfulls. The one story my cousin told me (her son) was that while housesitting, the dog got into it and ingested some. I don’t know the amount. When my cousin got home, the dog was on the floor and in convulsions. He raced the dog (my aunt and uncle’s “baby”) to the vet. Apparently, xylitol raises the insulin levels in dogs and can KILL them. Their dog was very, very lucky because my cousin found him in time.
My aunt still takes it, but keeps it on the top shelf far, far away from their dog.
I know that dogs also have a bad reaction to chocolate and grapes. However, anything that can KILL an animal, shouldn’t be ingested by us!
I know your post was a year ago… but just because Dogs are not supposed to eat Chocolate NOR GRAPES because it can kill them does not mean that those things will KILL A human being!!!
Animals are clearly different from a human being.
I’m a fan of xylitol and have used it for a few years now, and its my favorite sweetener. The xylitol company whose products I use are sourced from non-GMO corn cobs. From what I understand, xylitol is a molecule. The way that its extracted for commercial use vs. the way it shows up in nature still results in the same molecule. My family and I have had great life changing results from the use of xylitol like cheaper dental bills every year (since its loaded with dental benefits), lower free radical count (since it generates NADPH), and overall better systemic health (since sugar wreaks havoc on the body).
Xylitol was first discovered in a laboratory in the 1890’s, not invented. It occurs in nature in just about all fruits, vegetables and fibrous tissue of hardwoods. The human body also produces xylitol as a by-product of normal metabolism. I think that’s why is called natural.
The origins of the name xylitol are: xylose:”wood” -itol: used to denote sugar alcohols (polyols)
I’m not big on stevia since it doesnt really have any health benefits since I’ve read in multiple places that its a non-nutritional food additive that just sweetens and passes thru. The bitter after taste also steers me away.
After some research it looks like Dupont just bought (or merged) with Danisco last month (May 2011), so I dont think that Dupont has a whole lot to do with the xylitol business prior to last month.
All that said, I love your blog and how you ask questions to us!
Interesting, Drake. Out of curiosity, what is the brand of xylitol you buy?
Xylitol may very well be an organic compound that’s present in many living things in miniscule amounts (especially the human body). But it’s present in miniscule amounts for a reason, no doubt.
There are thousands of other compounds that plants contain (and our bodies produce in metabolism) that we wouldn’t ever dream of manufacturing and then consuming in high quantities.
Natural xylitol? Not bad at all – in small amounts, the way nature intended, ingested with all the other healthful properties a piece of fruit has. Manufactured xylitol? Sketchy, not particularly natural in its production, and more than questionable in its healthfulness if it’s consumed in large quantities (like a packet of sweetener).
You’re right about Danisco/DuPont, btw. I didn’t know it was so very recent. (Although I must say that the merger only worries me more about the future of xylitol, now.)
As far as stevia goes, studies have actually shown it DOES have health benefits (like lowering high blood pressure, regulating high glucose levels, AND inhibiting bacteria growth, especially orally, just like xylitol has shown).
Plus, it doesn’t make me double over in excruciating pain when I eat it.
To each their own. 🙂
Manufactured or natural is the same end chemical.
Good to hear someone seems to know what I have learned as well, I started using Xylitol after Agave made me get super wired and crash. I have the same information that it is natural because it’s naturally produces in our bodies as well as in berries and birchwood. I’ve never heard that it comes from corn? Maybe cheap rip-offs? and I agree stevia tastes horrible I’ve tried using it but it’s way to sweet. I used to love things really sugary and now if I have much sugar I get physically sick. I feel a lot of benefits avoiding sugar. I was actually surprised to see such a negative blog on Xylitol, I was researching it because I used it to make cookies and lets just say I ate a few too many forgetting abou tthe side effects. Sounds like Betty might have a reaction similar to being alergic doesn’t mean it won’t be good for others. Also I hate when people compare different species if I fed a dog chocolate he would probably die definitely wouldn’t kill me lets stick to what it does to people not mice or some completely different species.
I’ve been using Xlear which is a nasal decongestant made with Xylitol (http://www.xlear.com/nasal-spray.aspx?gclid=CPm2r7umuKkCFcgZQgodkh9A9Q ). It works so much better than Ocean (saline spray) but now I’m a bit freaked out!
Have you tried using a neti pot instead?
I love your passion! Keep it up! I have never been able to bring myself to use xylitol…even when it was in gum or mints. I would BUY them, TASTE one, but then would not go back to it. Something in my body said not to go there. So, I stick with stevia, agave and honey. I’m not even really sure I trust stevia anymore, since it has gone so mainstream. But…I’ll give it a little longer. THANK YOU for sharing this information. It’s so important for us to be aware…I’ll start spreading the news!
You’re very welcome! I HATE to say this, because I’m so madly in love with and devoted to stevia, too, but I’m starting to feel a bit more wary of it, as well. UNLESS using the dried leaves (sparingly) taste good. I’ve been saying for months that I want to try just the leaves from the plant, but I haven’t ever picked any up at the natural foods store.
I’m thinking about maybe trying to make my own extract with the leaves by soaking them in alcohol for a few weeks. What do you think?
I was also thinking about trying it. Now that I have read what everyone has said about Stevia in the Raw…which is what I have been using…I’ll be throwing that out. EEP. thank goodness it was cheap (should that have been a sign??) ha ha ha ha
I just bought some French Vanilla flavored Stevia liquid extract last night. The ingredient list looks ok…although the flavoring ingredients don’t leave me with a warm fuzzy feeling…and I was surprised howt hink and overly sweet it was.
It’s all an adventure, right?
Let me know how the growing thing goes….and by the way, I don’t put any sweetener in the homemade toothpaste recipe you posted. Just the peppermint drops…and that works out really well for me. Just sayin. 🙂
thanks again!
The Stevia plant tastes sweet, but it still has a taste. I use the leaves or the leaves ground and dried as a sweetener. They are green though so the color can be a bit strange. I got both the plant and the powder at MOMs.
My neighbor grows stevia quite successfully in her front yard. I imagine it wouldn’t be that unreasonable to suggest keeping some in a window box along with your herbs. 🙂 Not only will it get rid of the questionable background, but you won’t have to shell out the big natural foods store bucks!
Have you tried stevia from body ecology. I think they have a brand of what about just growing it yourself and take a small piece and maybe bruise it and put it on liquid.
I use honey in my tea, sugar for cooking. I try to stay as natural as I can, we raise our own food, cook from scratch.
Have you tried Organic Coconut Palm? That’s what I use in my coffee and certain treats for my kiddo (like homemade Graham Crackers ::YUM::). It’s very delicious! It’s sweet yet it has a ‘deeper’, more complex taste, if that makes sense…Kind of like butterscotch 🙂 It’s pricey so I try to save it for the things I know I’d normally have to use white sugar for (like my coffee). Although the stuff at the Asian Markets is considerably cheaper (normally comes in lumps or rounds, or in a gooey liquid state) they are more often than not mixed fillers like white cane sugar. It’s totally worth looking in to & I’d love to know what you think 🙂
I haven’t, but I just read up on ’em a little bit and so far … wow! Sounds DELISH and a great sweetener alternative (in moderation, of course, as with everything). Thanks, lady. I cannot wait to try it.
I used coconut palm sometimes and it is really good, and stevia… I think it’s the pure stuff… it’s in a glass bottle with a dropper? Is that right? I was using a white powder stevia but I was pretty sure it wasn’t the healthy stuff. Also, Grade B Maple Syrup is better for you than Grade A because it has more good minerals! And of course raw honey. But yeah, sweets in moderation!
Thank you so much for taking the time to research and post FREE, straight up information that is so valuable!
Awesome article! I love that you are both informing and amusing us – and it doesn’t depress me. I feel empowered by the knowledge (-:
I do agree that the chemical extraction is undesirable at best. However, it is a step up in recommending alternatives for gum and mints. Too many children are consuming aspartame and this is an alternate for the less than hard core organic, natural food consumer.
Wow…now it makes sense! I had a coffee the other day with xylitol instead of stevia and I was SO sick to my stomache. I felt dizzy and disoriented and finally I couldn’t keep it down any longer…at which point it still took me a couple of hours to feel back to normal. Thank you for this information…I am throwing out the toothpaste that I just made with xylitol…!
You’re right: just the NAME sounds chemical-ly and “scientificky”, like it was created in a lab. Oh, wait, it WAS created in a lab! Um, no thanks.
I’ve always been partial to honey and maple syrup. I don’t THINK they need big chemical factories to be created.
For the most part I prefer to use sugar as a sweetener. I try to do all things in moderation and in my opinion I try to stick to the tried and true for me. Thanks for the great informative posts. I love your blog!
To Shonneky:
How much do you love your immune system? Manufactured sugar paralyzes the immune system for 4 to 5 hours every time you ingest it, and, by the way, it does this with a lot of sugar or a little — so-called “moderation”. Most people are going through the entire day with no functioning immune system.
Interesting, Kathie. I’d love to know more about this. Do you have any resources to point us to for more information?
Here’s one of many resources out there on sugar’s impact on the immune system. There are many more – but doing only a quickie search – this one mostly strongly supported their assertions by citing pertinent medical studies/publications.
http://www.unhinderedliving.com/sugardanger.html
I have done a lot of research on sweeteners and it is a discouraging study. (For example, the article I linked to above says Xylitol is okey-dokey.) I use stevia – but have to buy it pure and not cut with dextrose or other similar ‘ose’ ingredients.
The sweeteners I use right now (in no particular order) are stevia, coconut palm sugar, coconut nectar, honey, and maple syrup.
Erythritol is another sugar alcohol that, from what I’ve read, is more naturally produced… using plant sugars that are then fermented with a natural culture into erythritol. It is filtered, allowed to crystallize, and then dried. I know of several sources that are using it in conjunction with stevia (Zevia, Truvia, and others).
Truly, weaning our taste buds from sweet is by far the optimal choice… definitely not the easiest though – especially at first.
Wow. OKAY, I had no idea. Another reminder that I have to research EVERYTHING. I use xylitol in my gum (which I love, dang it) and I think it is in our current toothpaste. My favorite sweetener is agave, though I know that is controversial, however, I have done my research and I am happy with it. I may still use a bit of honey, maple syrup or succant as well.
Curious, because I’ve done tons of reading about agave over the last week or so, too, what made you decide you were okay with it?
I’m thinking that using raw agave isn’t bad, in moderation (as is everything). Do you have a brand you particularly like?
I’m so put off after all the “sweetener reading” I’ve done lately. Makes me just want to eat spinach for the rest of my life.
Ok. I have to say… I appreciate your research and your fire for all of your recent posts and topics. Thanks! Now, the GENTLE criticism. I miss your positive up-beat posts and recipes. I know they’ve been on here but are definitely fewer and are more far between. Still a fan but wanted to put that out there. Also, in your research, have you come across a safe store bought product/toothpaste? It can be hard to find something that a 3 yo and a 5 yo will tolerate. The husband can be told to buck up and get used to the new “flavor” or texture! But the little guys, not so much. I REALLY REALLY do appreciate your research, informative posts. REALLY. I just miss the other too!
Lady, your comment was the push I needed, believe it or not. I’ve been really cranky lately, in general. Very defensive. Feeling very “put out” about a lot of things. I know where it started and after I read your comment, I saw how it grew and grew, because I held on to the instance that produced it instead of letting it go. So thank you. Reading what you said all of a sudden gave me the permission to let go of all of it. Hopefully. 🙂
As for toothpaste? I like Common Sense Mint (http://commonsensefarm.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=38) and Himalaya Neem and Pomegranate. Although, quite hilariously, I just double checked the ingredients list – which I hadn’t looked at since I started buying it occasionally last year – and the second ingredient is xylitol.
I do think it’s going to get harder and harder to find toothpaste that doesn’t use xylitol (much like, for a very long time it was impossible to find toothpaste without fluoride). BUT, like fluoride, I’m way more concerned about ingesting it (xylitol) in large amounts, rather than brushing teeth and spitting it out. Is it perfect? No. But it’s not a tragedy.
My big concern is seeing it on the road to taking over from HFCS as the “sweetener” that goes into everything.
Actually, there is a ‘natural’ toothpaste that is sweetened with stevia. It’s Estrella (or Estrella Brite) Natural toothpaste. It’s made by a dentist who specializes in bio-compatible dentistry (explained on the website). I found it in a natural life-style catalog, did further research online, and tried a tube (after I had to give up on other natural toothpastes that my dentist said were not doing my teeth any good). Even my husband likes it, and my dentist said things look good again. While a little expensive, you use about 1/3 compared to normal toothpaste, so it works out. We’ve been really happy with this toothpaste and now buy three tubes at a time, which saves on shipping while getting a small discount. I just wish I could get the local health-food stores to carry it!
I also was given a tooth paste made by Dental Herb company that is all natural, similar ingredients to EStrella. My holistic dentist gave it to me. YOu would need to ask your dentist as i don’t think they sell it online
I have been using Xyla which is made from the birch tree. I have not notice any stomach problems. Is it still processed the same way as the one that is made from corn. I have tried stevia and can’t stand the after taste. Is there a way to get rid of the after taste?
A excellent toothpaste is baking soda! I pour a little of it into the palm of my hand and then I dip my wet toothbrush into it and brush my teeth. I believe it may be high in sodium so just make sure you rinse well and don’t swallow. It is slightly abrasive to be able to whiten your teeth and it leaves your mouth fresh and clean
I have been using Stevia in the raw as my sweetener for my tea. I actually prefer the taste of it in there better than sugar.
Ah, this is the part that makes me sad about knowing too much. Stevia in the Raw is actually stevia combined with dextrose (which is made from corn). So it’s actually not particularly good. Interestingly, I tried Stevia in the Raw several months ago when I was really hurting for money and needed some stevia and couldn’t afford the pure stuff. It’s decidedly not NEARLY as sweet as some of the pure stevia extracts, which then makes it not as economical, because you have to use more to get the same amount of sweetness.
I gotta say, after doing all the research on xylitol, stevia, and agave over the last few weeks, I’m about to give up sweetening things all together (for the most part). I’m pretty sure we humans weren’t supposed to eat so many sweet things, anyway. If we were, there’d be more sweet things in nature.
There’s plenty of sweet in nature. fruit: it’s God’s candy. 🙂 Personally I would attempt to eat rocks if they were dipped in the right kind of chocolate. Lindor to be exact. I would totally eat a Lindor rock. Xylitol, however, is on my do not eat list. Perhaps a call to Marketplace is in order? Send out a request to news channels. And put a link up on your blog so we can see how it goes. pretty please.
try raw (uncooked) honey- it’s a superfood and super sweet!!!! great in all your baking, beverages and more!