Xylitol

[DeeBee]

I recently bought a bottle of Xylitol to replace the sugar in my coffee -- yeah I know I should skip the coffee too, and I am seriously loving it. Has anyone else tried it??

Here's the blurb....
Benefits of Xylitol
TASTES GREAT!
Unlike artificial sweeteners, Xylitol tastes just like sugar, has a pleasingly cooling effect on the tongue, and has no aftertaste.

AWAY WITH DECAY!
Xylitol is a bacteria neutraliser, and is your mouth's greatest ally in the fight against plaque. It even helps to re-mineralise your teeth!

NAIL THOSE kg's!
Xylitol provides 40 percent fewer calories than sugar, so now you can feed your sweet tooth and protect it at the same time.

GREAT SWEETENER FOR DIABETICS!
With a low G.I. of 7 and G.L. of under 2, xylitol is one of the safest sweeteners for Diabetics and Hypoglycaemics.

EAR, NOSE AND THROAT SPECIALIST!
Xylitol as a mouthwash, gargled or used as a nasal wash has remarkable benefits like: Fighting bad breath, reducing the incidence of middle ear infections, naso-pharyngitis, sinusitis and even helping with hayfever and asthma.

[cyclefan]

Xylitol

Deebs, keep it away from your animals, Xylitol is toxic to them. From the Humane Society of America website:

The following foods may be dangerous to your pet:

* Alcoholic beverages
* Apple seeds
* Apricot pits
* Avocados—toxic to birds, mice, rabbits, horses, cattle and dairy goats
* Cherry pits
* Candy (particularly chocolate, which is toxic to dogs, cats and ferrets, and any candy containing the sweetener Xylitol)
* Coffee (grounds, beans, chocolate covered espresso beans)
* Grapes
* Hops (used in home beer brewing)
* Macadamia nuts
* Moldy foods
* Mushroom plants
* Mustard seeds
* Onions and onion powder
* Peach pits
* Potato leaves and stems (green parts)
* Raisins
* Rhubarb leaves
* Salt
* Tea (caffeine)
* Tomato leaves and stems (green parts)
* Walnuts
* Yeast dough

[DeeBee]

Xylitol

Thanks for that CF, it's so funny cause I've just recieved an e-mail from a woman who's puppy ate her box of chewing gum which was made from Xylitol and it I'm sad to report that the pup didn't make it.... lesson learnt .... dogs are not human!!

[peacenik]

Xylitol

while i like the benefits, i hate the after taste of the stuff...

[beatle]

Xylitol

Try Stevia (see explanation in my recent post in the "Sugar's Effect on you health" thread).

[Lila]

Xylitol

I like stevia for some things, but Xylitol for others. I think Xylitol bakes better. I was just about to order some from Vitacost. I just read Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes. A good reminder about the dangers of sugar.
But, I would say don't stop drinking coffee, there is a lot of health benefits to it.

[DeeBee]

Xylitol

Lila;641920 wrote:
But, I would say don't stop drinking coffee, there is a lot of health benefits to it.

No coffee?!?!!
My life would not be worth living!!:H

[~iirene~]

Xylitol

beatle;636760 wrote: Try Stevia (see explanation in my recent post in the "Sugar's Effect on you health" thread).

Stevia is very good. After a few days, taste buds adjust, its just making an effort to use it i lack. i go through spells eating chocolates at nite, only to wake up with a sugar hangover. YUCKAROO, i am so sick of it. Its like i am in need of something, and its not booze.

[beatle]

Xylitol

In reference to Lila's post, it is true that Stevia is not so good for baking. This is the main argument that sugar producers put forth to discourage the use of Stevia. I would recommend using Stevia for most other "sweet needs" (since it is actually good for you), but perhaps sugar could be better for baking.

[DeeBee]

Xylitol

Beatle, do you have any recipes that use Xlitol or Stevia instead of sugar -- i have googled but with not much success.
I like (correction LOVE) my sweet treats since giving up smoking and feel that the healthiest option is to bake myself as the sugar-free biscuits etc available at the health shop are just vile.

[beatle]

Xylitol

DeeBee, I'm not much of a baker (and I agree those sugar-free biscuits are often inedible) but I would recommend in baking to use a combination of sugar with Stevia to try and get a good result. I've actually never tried baking with Stevia (as I said, I'm not much of a baker), but I suspect it might work almost as well as sugar, as the only argument against Stevia I've heard comes from sugar producers. Still, I think it might be a good idea to make a gradual and careful changeover.