# Zylitol



## amcardon (Sep 1, 2005)

I was hoping to get some opinions/facts about zylitol.  I've used this in place of sugar and haven't really noticed a difference.  The reason I even tried it was because I researched it and found numerous references that stated the zylitol actually helps clean the mouth rather than decay teeth...  It comes from trees and seems to be quite a good alternate to sugar.  The only side-effect is that if you eat too much of it you will, uh, be running to the toilet...

The floor is open...


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Sep 1, 2005)

Zylitol is in the same family of sweeteners as are maltitol, manitol, etc.  These are sugar alcohols and are absorbed into the blood stream more slowly than are sugars and starches.  They are still metabolized by the body, but don't spike blood sugar levels, creating the insulin swings, which are so stressful on the body.  They are safer, but do contain calories, and as you said, have a laxative effect.  All sugar alcohols do that.  Kind of reinforces the "all things in moderation" idea, doesn't it?


Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


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## theislandgirl (Sep 9, 2005)

amcardon said:
			
		

> I was hoping to get some opinions/facts about zylitol. I've used this in place of sugar and haven't really noticed a difference. The reason I even tried it was because I researched it and found numerous references that stated the zylitol actually helps clean the mouth rather than decay teeth...



What differences were you hoping to notice?


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## amcardon (Sep 10, 2005)

theislandgirl said:
			
		

> What differences were you hoping to notice?


 
I guess my post was a little unclear.  I meant that I didn't really notice a difference in taste, which I expected there to be.  I am mostly curious as to why they taste so similar but have very different effects of the body...


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## theislandgirl (Sep 11, 2005)

amcardon said:
			
		

> I guess my post was a little unclear. I meant that I didn't really notice a difference in taste, which I expected there to be. I am mostly curious as to why they taste so similar but have very different effects of the body...



Oh dear, you're getting heavily in biochemistry here.  WAY too big a subject for a culinary perspective...


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## New2Science (Sep 29, 2007)

theislandgirl said:


> Oh dear, you're getting heavily in biochemistry here.  WAY too big a subject for a culinary perspective...



HA!  Cooking IS chemistry!  I don't know the answer either, but don't give cooks short shrift on chemistry!  Just kidding.  I love science and cooking and am being humorous.


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## fireweaver (Sep 29, 2007)

while i am NOT the aforementioned chem expert, here's the nutshell version of the sweetness concept:  your tastebuds have receptors on them that molecules of specific shapes fit into.  sweet-sensing tastebuds have a pocket that's shaped like a glucose molecule, so when those glucoses drop into the receptor, the info is passed along your tongue nerves to your brain, where you process it as being sweet.

things that are physically shaped like sugar molecules will also fit into those receptors, some better than others, some "sticking" in there longer than others - leaving an impression of being more or less sweet than other substances that trigger those same receptors.  artificial sweetners are of course imperfect fits, and are shaped like things other than just glucose, so you end up with odd "aftertaste" patterns for most of them.  the wikipedia article on xylitol claims that it has "vitually no aftertaste", which matches my experiences of the super yummy xylitol-based chewing gum i get at the asian market.

quick note from your friendly vet:  remember that xylitol is TOXIC to dogs, so don't feed this to your pooch friends.


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## YT2095 (Oct 1, 2007)

I couldn`t have explained it any better myself 
it is indeed the "Lock / Key" scenario for the molecules that determine taste, infact there are quite a few poly(many) OLs(the OH group on an organic molecule that makes it an alcohOL) that taste sweet.

Glycerol (glycerine) is another that has 3 OH groups whereas Xylitol has 5, one is a TriOL the other a PentOL.

and as far as giving you the Trotskis, you`de need to consume quite a bit for that happen with Xylitol, Sorbitol is much better if you need-to-go but cant 

nice post Fireweaver


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