Xylitol is a natural sugar found in fruits that has been shown to decrease cavities by changing the types of bacteria that grow in your mouth. It has a glycemic index of 7, so it is safe for diabetics and hypoglycemics. In taste tests it does well, and is the sugar used in “sugarless” gum. The only downsides that I know of are its cost, that large amounts of it can cause diarrhea and gas, and the fact that it’s very bad for your dog if he eats it. Sucrose on the other hand has a host of bad health effects for us. For more information here is the Wikipedia article on Xylitol. Iherb.com sells Xylitol, and I have found them to be an excellent and inexpensive source of health supplements.
Tags: Dental Health, Diet
I was interested to read this post; I personally chew xylitol-containing gum frequently.
It’s true, however, that while harmless for humans, xylitol is extremely toxic to dogs (and possibly other pets as well). Since the sweetener is becoming more common in snacks and other foods, it’s imperative to avoid sharing any processed food with pets without checking its ingredients first. (Especially since most processed foods aren’t healthy for pets, and aren’t necessarily good for people, either.)
For those interested, a USAToday article provides more information: “Popular Sweetener is Toxic for Dogs”, at http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-03-18-xylitol-sweetener_N.htm