Xylitol: Should We Stop Calling It Natural?

crunched by Crunchy Betty on June 15, 2011
filed under Home Remedies, Life, Consciously

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:

"Excessive use of Xylitol may cause a mild laxative effect." I nominate this the understatement of my life.

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.

Natural? You decide.

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.)

Trying and Troubleshooting the Oil Cleansing Method: Tips For Flawless, Oil-Cleansed Skin

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Kate

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.
Lauren @ DessertsByLauren.com

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.
Natalya

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.
- SlG
  
  Doesn’t sound to me like you would make a good lawyer, just an annoying one
  - Natalya
    
    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.
- Anonymous
  
  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.
- LGF
  
  Couldn’t help noticing Betty didn’t reply to your well thought out rebuttal.
  - http://www.crunchybetty.com CrunchyBetty
    
    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.
- Auspiciousbunny
  
  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.
  - ChristinaBerg
    
    Xyltiol is not for everyone but the resulting chemical is the same corn or not.
Leefjl

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?
- Nirea1982
  
  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.
Slneedles

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.
Karen

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!
Taralrich

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.
Danielle

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!
Encentrios

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…
Robynn

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!
http://profile.yahoo.com/YIRJHZ5PHZFD2SUFH6WQ3DT2WY Proud2BAmerican

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! :)
Jquiqly

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!
- Jquiqly
  
  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.
  - Sdittrich
    
    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.
http://www.crunchybetty.com CrunchyBetty

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.)
Auspiciousbunny

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!
- Jordan
  
  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.
Dragonfishxx

All I can share is my own
Dragonfishxx

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!
Dragonfishxx

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!
Mary

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…
- Concerned about xylitol!!
  
  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”
  - ChristinaBerg
    
    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.
DocHarris

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
Rachel

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.
- Heather
  
  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.
Mark

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.
Liz

Thanks for your article, I too have violent reaction to xylitol and was wondering if it was just me..
Thanks for doing the research..
BlackSwan

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.
PaulW

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.
Lisa

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!!