Description | Xylitol is a five-carbon sugar alcohol. Xylitol is in a natural state in many fruits (strawberries, plums, raspberries) and vegetables (cauliflower...). The human body naturally processes 15gram xylitol per day during digestion. It can be produced industrially starting from primary matters rich in xylan which is hydrolized to obtain xylose. It is extracted from hemicelluloses present in the corn raids, the almond hulls or the barks of birch (or of the by-products of wood: shavings hard, paper pulp). Of all polyols, it is the one that has the sweetest flavor (it borders that of saccharose). It gives a strong refreshing impression, while remaining not cariogene; these three qualities make xylitol an ingredient of choice for the industry of chewing gums without sugar. In addition to his use in confectionery, one finds it in pharmaceutical industry, certain baths of mouth and toothpastes, in cosmetic (creams, soaps...). Xylitol is produced starting from xylose, the isomaltose, by enzymatic transposition of the saccharose (sugar). Xylitol is not metabolized by cariogenic bacteria and gum chewing stimulates the flow of saliva; as a result, chewing xylitol gum may prevent dental caries. Chewing xylitol gum for 4 to 14 days reduces the amount of plaque. The reduction in the amount of plaque following xylitol gum chewing within 2 weeks may be a transient phenomenon. Chewing xylitol gum for 6 months reduced mutans streptococci levels in saliva and plaque in adults. (PMID: 17426399, 15964535) |