It is widely known that sugar caused dental caries (decay), and so it is always good news to hear of pleasant tasting alternatives. Xylitol is not only an alternative, but it actually has BENEFITS to dental health:
- Xylitol is a natural sugar alcohol that helps prevents cavities.
- Xylitol is the sugar alcohol that shows the greatest promise for cavity prevention.
- It is equal in sweetness and volume to sugar and the granular form can be used in many of the ways that sugar is used, including to sweeten cereals and hot beverages and for baking.
- Xylitol inhibits the growth of the bacteria that cause cavities. It does this because the bacteria that causes cavities cannot utilize xylitol to grow.
- Over time with xylitol use, the quality of the bacteria in the mouth changes and fewer and fewer of the decay-causing bacteria survive on tooth surfaces. Less plaque then forms and the level of acids attacking the tooth surface is lowered.
I
have been trying been trying many xylitol products recently including gum and
mints which taste great, freshen breath and help prevent cavities. I have also
used xylitol in baking which turned out great! Xylitol looks and tastes just
like sugar so couldn’t be easier to use as a substitute, why not try it
yourself?
Xylitol
gum or mints used 3-5 times daily, for a total intake of 5 grams, is considered
optimal. Because frequency and duration of exposure is important, gum should be
chewed for approximately 5 minutes and mints should be allowed to dissolve.
Xylitol containing products can be found in most supermarkets these days and
bags of xylitol can be bought in most health food stores.
Please let us know if you would like any more information on this excellent product!
Carys
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