Consuming large amounts of added sugars in foods and drinks has been linked to weight gain and an increased risk of heart disease among other negative effects on your health. Because of this impact on your health, the American Heart Association recommends no more than 25 grams of added sugar a day for women and no more than 36 grams of sugar for men. However, the AHA reported that the average American consumes more than double the added sugar that the AHA recommends, putting so many in danger of developing heart problems later in life. However, this doesn’t mean that you need to completely remove sugary foods from your diet. Instead, maybe all you need is a replacement for a healthy diet.
What is xylitol?
Xylitol could be just what you’re looking for if you’re trying to find a sugar alternative. Xylitol is a sugar alcohol that can be found naturally in some fruits and vegetables; it has also been processed into some gums, toothpastes, breath mints, baked goods, over-the-counter medications, and more. It is a carbohydrate that sweetens food just like sugar. It can be a great substitute for sugar because it contains 40% fewer calories than sugar does and doesn’t have the negative effects on the body that sugar has.
What are the benefits of xylitol?
Xylitol doesn’t spike blood sugar or insulin like sugar does.One of the health benefits of xylitol is that it has a much lower glycemic index—how quickly food raises one’s blood sugar—than sugar does. If you have diabetes or other metabolic issues, xylitol may be the perfect sugar replacement for you. While sugar can increase your risk for heart disease and diabetes, xylitol doesn’t.
Xylitol helps prevent tooth decay.Many dentists recommend cutting back on sugar for good reason—large amounts of sugar have contributed to cavities and tooth decay. However, xylitol, just like other sugar alcohols, does not have this same negative effect on your teeth. The bacteria in your mouth don’t feed on xylitol like they do on glucose, killing the bacteria that are responsible for plaque buildup and tooth decay.
Xylitol had fewer calories than sugar.Since it has 40% fewer calories than sugar does, xylitol may be the perfect sugar substitute for you if you are trying to lose weight because of its low glycemic index.
Xylitol can help prevent ear infections.Just like how xylitol kills the bacteria in your mouth by starving it, xylitol starves the bacteria in your ear as well.
How to Use Xylitol
Xylitol can be used in baking and for sweetening coffees, teas, and more as a 1:1 sugar replacement. It also mixes and dissolves just like common sugar.
SweetLeaf’s brand new xylitol reduced-calorie sweetener may be the perfect sugar replacement for your recipes. Whether you’re stirring up your own drinks or baking a fresh batch of cookies, SweetLeaf Xylitol can give your recipe the same great taste as sugar without the negative effects of sugar on your health. It is keto friendly, gluten-free, and has no fillers, flow agents, or other additives.