Xylitol is a sweet substance with nutritional value and a normal intermediate of carbohydrate metabolism in human body. Even if a healthy person does not eat any food containing xylitol, his blood contains 0.03-0.06 mg/100 mg of xylitol. In nature, xylitol exists widely in all kinds of fruits and vegetables, but its content is very low. Commercial xylitol is made from corn cob, bagasse and other crops through deep processing. It is a natural and healthy sweetener.
Xylitol is white crystal, and its appearance is similar to sucrose. It is the sweetest sweetener among polyols, with cool taste, sweetness equivalent to sucrose and calorie equivalent to glucose. It is a future sweetener and a substitute for sucrose and glucose.
Xylitol is a white crystal, which looks and tastes like sucrose. From the food level, xylitol can be divided into broad sense and narrow sense. Carbohydrates in a broad sense and polyols in a narrow sense. Because xylitol can only be slowly absorbed or partially utilized. Low calorie is one of its major characteristics: 2.4 calories per gram, 40% less than other carbohydrates. Xylitol has been used in food since 1960s. In some countries, it is a popular sweetener for diabetics. In the United States, it can be used as a food licking additive for some special purposes and added to food without dosage limit.
Xylitol is the best sweetener to prevent dental caries and has been certified for 25 years in different situations. Xylitol can reduce dental caries, which is suitable for people with high risk rate (high incidence of dental caries, low nutrition level and low oral hygiene level) and people with low risk rate (using all the current dental protection measures to protect teeth and low incidence of dental cavities).
Chewing gum and candy with xylitol as the main sweetener have been officially recognized by six national oral health associations.
● Functions of xylitol
1. Xylitol is a sweetener, nutritional supplement and adjuvant therapy for diabetic patients: Xylitol is an intermediate of carbohydrate metabolism in human body. Under the condition that insulin deficiency affects glucose metabolism in vivo, xylitol can be absorbed and utilized by tissues through cell membrane, providing nutrition and energy for cells, without causing an increase in blood sugar value, thus eliminating more than three symptoms (polyphagia, polydipsia and polyuria) of diabetic patients after taking it, which is most suitable for diabetic patients.
2. Xylitol improves liver function: Xylitol can promote the synthesis of hepatic glycogen without increasing blood sugar. It can improve the liver function of patients with liver diseases, resist fatty liver, and has obvious curative effect on persistent hepatitis B, chronic hepatitis B and liver cirrhosis. It is an ideal adjuvant drug for patients with hepatitis complications.
3. Anti-caries effect of xylitol: The anti-caries effect of xylitol is the best among all sweeteners. Firstly, xylitol can't be fermented and utilized by bacteria producing dental caries in oral cavity, which inhibits the growth and acid production of streptococcus. Secondly, it can promote saliva secretion, slow down the decline of PH value, reduce the acid erosion of teeth, prevent dental caries and reduce the formation of dental plaque, and strengthen teeth.
4. Weight loss function of xylitol: xylitol provides energy for human body, synthesizes glycogen, reduces the consumption of protein in fat and liver tissue, protects and repairs the liver, eliminates the generation of harmful ketone bodies in human body, and will not worry about getting fat because of eating. Can be widely used in food, medicine, light industry and other fields.
● Application scope of xylitol:
1. Xylitol can eliminate diabetes (polyuria, polyuria and polyphagia) without insulin participating in metabolism and raising blood sugar level in the body. It is a safe sweetener and a nutritional supplement and adjuvant therapy for diabetic patients.
2. Eating xylitol will not cause dental caries and can be used as a sweetener for chewing gum, chocolate, hard candy and other foods.
3. Because of its unique function, it can be mixed with other sugars and alcohol, and can be used as a sweetener for low-sugar foods.
4. Xylitol has a cool taste and a better effect after freezing, and can be used in industries such as cool cold drinks, desserts, milk, coffee and the like. It can also be used in health drinks, throat lozenges, cough syrup, etc.
5. For the sake of health, it can be used as a substitute for sucrose at home to prevent diabetes and obesity caused by excessive consumption of sucrose.
6. Xylitol is a polyol, which can be used as a moisturizing regulator of cosmetics and has no irritation to human skin. For example: facial cleanser, beauty cream, make-up water and so on.
7. Xylitol has hygroscopicity and anti-caries function, and liquid xylitol has good sweetness, so it can be used as flavoring agent, antifreeze and humectant for cut tobacco, anti-caries toothpaste and mouthwash instead of glycerol.
8. Liquid xylitol can be used to manufacture battery plates with stable performance, simple operation and low cost, which is superior to glycerol.
● Health care function of xylitol:
1, the sweetness is equivalent to sucrose at room temperature, and the sweetness is 1.2 times of sucrose at low temperature.
2, easily soluble in water, absorbs a lot of heat when dissolved, and tastes particularly cool when eaten.
3, it is not fermented and utilized by bacteria in the oral cavity, which can inhibit the growth of bacteria and the generation of acid and prevent dental caries.
4. The blood sugar level will not rise after eating xylitol.
5. Good biological stability.
6. Good hygroscopicity.