Xylitol is a sweetening agent used in foods since the 1960s. It is an odourless, white crystalline powder with the same sweetness as sucrose, but one-third fewer calories. It is found in many fruits and vegetables (strawberries, raspberries and plums) and is produced by the human body during normal metabolism. Xylitol currently is approved for use in foods, pharmaceuticals and oral health products in more than 35 countries. It is a naturally occurring sweetener available in chewing gum, candy, and toothpastes, and is an effective preventive agent against dental cavities. A series of studies have concluded that the full or partial substitution of xylitol for sucrose or the addition of xylitol to the diet reduces cavities. The between-meals consumption of xylitol-containing chewing gum has been demonstrated to reduce cavities in teenagers by 30 to 60 percent in studies conducted in Canada, Thailand, French Polynesia and Belize.

Mary Ellen Breckenridge
www.smilevictoria.ca