Valid concerns about the dangers of aspartame have convinced millions of consumers to search for a healthy alternative. Aspartame has been linked to headaches, blurred vision, memory loss, multiple sclerosis, lupus, severe headaches, leg cramps, chronic fatigue and many other ailments. Recently Aspartame came under additional fire when researchers discovered that diet sodas containing the ingredient actually caused people to gain weight because it induces carbohydrate cravings. Children are particularly susceptible to Aspartame side effects and many who were diagnosed with ADD and ADHD became substantially better after this chemical was eliminated from their diets.
So how can you satisfy your family's sweet tooth without endangering their health? The safest way to sweeten anything is with a substance produced by nature. One natural sweetener that has gained popularity in recent years is Xylitol, which occurs naturally in the fibers of many fruits and vegetables, including various berries, corn husks, oats and mushrooms. It tastes like sugar, but has 40% fewer calories. Xylitol is not only a safe, natural sweetener without the bad side effects of sugar and artificial substitutes, it's also good for your teeth, stabilizes insulin and hormone levels, and promotes good health. Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1963, Xylitol has no known toxic levels.
Xylitol has been used in foods since the 1960s and is considered a safe food additive that does not affect insulin release or lead to tooth decay. In fact, using Xylitol instead of sugar has been shown to reduce tooth decay by 80%.
Pure Xylitol is a white crystalline substance that looks and tastes like sugar. Chemically speaking, it is not actually a sugar, but a sugar alcohol. It is different from other sweeteners because it has five, not six, carbon molecules. Sugar and artificial sweeteners are fermented by plaque-forming organisms in the mouth. When the same bacteria ingest Xylitol, their growth and ability to produce plaque becomes severely impaired. Streptococcs mutans, a bacteria commonly associated with tooth decay, is also linked to bronchial infections, pneumonia, sinusitis and middle ear infections.
Xylitol is one of bacteria's natural enemies. When certain harmful bacteria enter the body, they attach to the membranes of the nose and throat and cause infection and sickness. When exposed to Xylitol, harmful bacteria lose their ability to adhere to infected membranes and the bacteria are not able to grow. Unlike most antibiotics, which kill the majority of bacteria and leave the resistant "super bacteria" behind, Xylitol merely flushes harmful bacteria away.