Health Matters – An A to Z Guide to Good Health – X is for Xylitol 

X is for Xylitol but X has proved rather interesting. I could have chosen Xigua which is a Chinese watermelon or Xanthareel a yellow eel formerly used in medicinal foods, or Xiphias a type of swordfish or indeed Xylopia Aromatica, a strangely shaped fruit with numerous small lobes arranged in clusters, with light green skin, inside is a red pulp which surrounds black seeds which taste and smell like black pepper. There was also Xanthan gum a natural emulsifier and I am sure one of you may know another food beginning with X.

I decided to write about Xylitol because although it is a naturally occurring sugar it has been used as an additive in food manufacturing since the early 1960s. This made me think about and realise once again that when we buy processed foods we do not always know what we are really eating. Xylitol makes food taste sweet; in food manufacturing it is known as a bulk sweetener – it has about the same calorific value as sugar.

Xylitol is not a true sugar, it is metabolised differently which makes it more suitable for diabetics; it is also used in sugar-free sweets and in chewing gum. It has been said to reduce tooth decay and research indicates that chewing gum containing xylitol after meals helps reduce the number of cavities.  Xylitol is found naturally in some berries and fruits, and is made from substances extracted from birchwood, corn cobs and almond shells.  It is a waste product of the wood-pulp industry.

As with any food additive, I feel caution should be used and although Xylitol is found naturally in some fruits and vegetables that is different from it being used in bulk under manufacturing conditions.  I recommend everything in moderation including this sugar molecule with its unusual name.

Live with joy and health. 💚

Elizabeth Beetham