off the beaten path here
So I’ve been hearing some rumblings about xylitol, and decided to really look into it.
Is it natural? Is it a chemical? What’s the deal?
The truth seems to be that while xylitol is an organic substance found occurring in nature, it is a processed product. So all the xylitol we buy is is “produced by the industrialised process of sugar hydrogenation. In order to hydrogenate anything, a catalyst is needed, and in the case of xylitol, Raney nickel is used which is a powdered nickel-aluminum alloy.” (ref http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/xylitol-not-as-sweet-as-its-cracked-up-to-be/)
Sadly, most xylitol is made from GMO corn, so be on the look out for Birch Xylitol if you can – at least you’ll be avoiding GMOs… Remember, if you have too much, xylitol can have a laxative effect. And it is toxic to our pets 😦
That being said it does have it’s virtues – it doesn’t raise your blood sugar levels like normal cane sugar does, and it’s good for your teeth!
Personally, I’ll keep having a spoon in my coffee in the morning, but it’s good to be more informed about what we’re eating.
According to their websites:
- Sweet Nothings xylitol is made from the corn cob
- MojoME xylitol is made from the birch trees
References
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