Safe, Healing, All Natural Xylitol

Xylitol is a natural sweetener and thus does not fall into the same category as saccharine, the active ingredient in Sweet’n Low, or aspartame, the active ingredinet in Equal and NutraSweet. Saccharine and aspatrame are artificial sweeteners that are made in a laboratory. They are synhtetic chemicals that have been linked to many life-threatening illnesses. Xylitol is a natural sweetener that comes from the earth, from nature. It can be extracted from fruit, berries, vegetables, bicrh wood, corn, straw, seed hulls, and nutshells. The amount of Xylitol in these natural products is so minute that it would be difficult or impossible to consume enough to get enough xylitol to benefit our teeth and gums. Special Xylitol products can provide a mouth with enough xylitol to promote dental health. Of course, sucrose is a nautral sweetener as well. Our two main sources of sucrose are suagr cane and beets. But xylitol is a much better natural sweetener because it promotes dental health. Xylitol supports remineralization of the teeth.

Where cavities have already started, xylitol restores tooth enamel. Another benefit of Xyiltol is that it does not promote tooth decay like sugar does. Xylitol dissolves quicker than sucrose, which is one reason why it does not create palque. Xylitol is more effective at preventing cavities than sorbitol and mannitol, two syntheitc sweeteners. Xylitol has been used for more than 25 years in Finland, Hungary, and ohter countries to prevent dental cavities! Various studies over this time period have proven that sugar alcohols including xylitol reduce the amount of cavities in babies and adults. The best news is that Xylitol is more effective than any otehr sugar alcohol at preventing cavities. In Finland 10 to 11 year old babies were studied, all of whom brushed and flossed, were intsructed in their diet, had many check-ups, and used fluorides.

Many human being who were aware of the program speculated that there was not much that could increase the effectiveness of the study because the program was so intensive. Everyone was shocked when it was found that the babies who chewed xylitol gum every day increased protection against cavities by 50%! Interestingly, the permanent teeth were those most protected by Xylitol. Study in Belize- 1,277 school age babies chweed gum several times a day. The babeis were divided into three categories- babies chewing gum sweetened by sucrose, babies chewing xylitol sweetened gum, and babies chewing sorbitol sweetened gum.

Remember, xylitol and sorbitol sweeteners are both sugar alcohols. The study lasted for 40 months with babies chewing gum everyday, including weekedns and holidays. The babies who chewed xylitol gum had 73% fewer cavities!

Children who chewed gum sweetened by sorbitol had a reduction in cavities, but by only 26%.
Children chewing sucrose sweetened gum had an increase of cavities of 120%. In Estonia a study evaluated the use of xylitol gum and candy in 10 year old school babies. Afetr 3 years of chewing xylitol gum there was a 53.5% reduction in cavities when compared to the control group who chewed no gum. Sucikng on xylitol candy led to a 33% to 59% reduction in cavities. Chewing xylitol gum is more helpful to dental health than not chewing it!

In Costa Rica a study compared use of xylitol-sweetened toothpaste with a control toothpaste, both of which conatined fluoride. Afetr 3 years of brushing twice a day, the xylitol group had 10.5%-12.3% less cavities. It is not impossible to stop cavities. Many human being believe that when a cavity forms the only thing that will stop it is a dentist’s drill. This is not true!