Sweet Surrender — Xylitol and Whey Low, Part 3
Xylitol (Malitol, and anything else ending in "…ol")
These sweeteners are known as sugar alcohols. Xylitol is found naturally in a few foods, like beets and corn. It is also used to as a sweetener in many low sugar, "low carb" items … sugar free gums and many "energy bars" come to mind, but also some beverages and other products as well.
So what’s the deal? Is THIS the best sweetener that’s out there?
Xxylitol does have a few calories (about half that of sugar). It’s almost as sweet as sugar and is only partially absorbed by the body. Most packages suggest you can substitute for half the sugar in a recipe if using it as a replacement.
There are some solid data suggesting xylitol prevents bacteria from causing plaque to stick to teeth (hence its use in gums). On the downside, too much of this stuff will make you a very unpleasant dinner guest as you’re running to the bathroom. Remember, it’s not digested well by the body — good for calorie control, bad for, well, causing gas, bloating, and diarrhea. Not sure those few extra calorie "savings" are worth it — just eat a little less to save the calories!
This last negative effect shouldn’t be an issue if you’re chewing some sugar free gum, but be careful eating too many "sugar free" type bars or other products, as they may have a pretty good amount of this stuff.
Whey Low
This one is a new kid on the block. Many may not have even heard of it.
Basically it’s a unique combination of different naturally occurring sugars — fructose (fruit sugar), sucrose (table sugar), and lactose (milk sugar).
While that doesn’t sound that "special" — the unique combination of sugars is supposed to make them interfere with each other so they’re not fully absorbed, meaning less calories, but the same sweetness.
It can be used as a sugar substitute in cooking since its flavor and texture are so similar; the problem is it’s a bit more difficult to find.
Whole Foods and similar stores often carry it. Let’s see if it makes it a little more mainstream …
…to my knowledge, there’s no research using Whey Low vs. other sweeteners, but the concept is good. I like "real" ingredients vs. the artificial stuff.
So that’s a wrap on the sweeteners — from sugar to xylitol and most in between!!!
Take home points? Eat real foods and if you can’t pronounce the name, keep it on the shelf!
August 25th, 2009 at 10:39 am
Kara – I heard that dogs have suffered liver and kidney damage from chewing gum with xylitol. A vetrinarian was online advising people to keep all types of gum away from their pets as several had died from this. Did any of your research discuss this subject?
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August 25th, 2009 at 2:07 pm
Dogs also get adverse reactions to chocolate and onions
yet we eat both. We\’re not dogs. However, I do see your point. If it is that bad for your pet, why should you want to eat/ ingest it yourself?
Sometimes I\’ll have a \"no-no-food\" and my dogs will look up at me seemingly saying \"hey, I want some too\" and I catch myself telling them it\’s not healthy … then I think \"why in blazes am I eating it if I wouldn\’t even give it to my dogs!?\" The end of that story is usually the garbage
So I guess I can say my dogs are keeping me from indulging, even occasionally! Thank you, Dani and Sheba
you\’re great girls!
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August 26th, 2009 at 7:02 pm
It concerns me how many \"safe\" foods first are deemed safe, only to be pulled from the shelves down the road when further studies reveal them to be harmful. I appreciate you all keeping us informed and helping us to make the best informed decisions we can.
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August 28th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
The emergency vet asked me if there was any way my cat had gotten hold of gum with xylitol when cat went into seizures from kidney failure. She hadn\’t, but until them I had no idea the gum could be fatal to pets.
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