during a dentist visit, I was chatting with an assistant about chewing gum. she explained how gums like trident and spry not only loosen food stuck to your teeth and cause you to salivate more (saliva = good, it neutralizes acids), but since they contain xylitol, they can prevent cavities if you chew them after every meal.

The icing on this cavity-reducing cake? Xylitol is a sugar alcohol, so it tastes sweet and makes your mouth feel cool and fresh. So finally, a dentist-approved reason for chewing gum all the time. So I checked the candy isle to see if I could find some trident with this magical sugar in it, and there it was, in plain sight:

Xylitol’s awesomeness does not stop there. I’m presenting the reasons I think xylitol is so awesome. xylitol is pronounced like Xylophone. you’ll need to know this when you tell your friends and family how awesome it is.

xylitol is a warrior against bacteria.

so you have probably have bacteria feasting on your teeth right now. bacteria loves sugar, and xylitol is no exception. except when they feast on xylitol they get an unpleasant surprise because xylitol does not contain the nutrition that a growing bacteria needs to become big and strong. in fact it starves the bacteria.

xylitol, the silent killer. of bacteria that is.

you can shoot xylitol up your nose to prevent bacteria infections

perhaps this applies to other body parts too, but so far, I am only aware of nasal wash being readily available. google it. can’t say that about other sugars.

xylitol won’t cause brain damage or cancer

studies have been done to prove xylitol is harmless to humans, and for what its worth, the FDA has approved xylitol as a sweetener, even giving it the safest rating that a food additive can get.

the only known side-effect of xylitol is it acting as a laxative in large quantities.

warning: don’t feed to dogs. it can cause low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia) and even liver failure. its bad news for dogs. even one pack of trident.

and this is not to say other sugar substitutes cause brain damage and cancer, but if you are interested, you can read more about aspartame (a.k.a. Nutrasweet or Equal) and saccharine (a.k.a. Sweet ‘N’ Low) on wikipedia:

Aspartame Controversy
Saccharin and Cancer

to prevent brain damage and cancer, i never had aspartame or saccharine as a kid. love ya mom!

xylitol can be used to combat constipation

if you can get your hands on enough of it, xylitol can act as a laxative. around 30-40 grams a day should do the trick.

xylitol has fewer calories than sugar

….about 40% fewer calories than sugar. that means you could eat 1 cup of sugar at about 770 calories OR 1 cup of xylitol at about 462 calories. after a year, that is 281,050 calories of sugar (80 pounds) versus 168,630 calories (48 pounds) of xylitol. by substituting xylitol for sugar, you could lose 32 pounds!

fight bacteria and weight gain at the same time. and constipation, if you are really eating 1 cup a day.

xylitol in your clothes makes you cool

yes, you can currently buy clothes that have xylitol in them. from a clothing website:

Xylitol, which is manufactured from natural white birch or corn, absorbs the heat of perspiration…Regardless of the ambient temperature, Xilitol-impregnated Very Cool clothing lowers body heat by 3 degrees for cooler play.

can other non-magical sugars do that?

xylitol on wikipedia
xylitol.org