Xylitol?

[Anela]

Is this really as good as sugar? I bought some weeks ago and then read that I should convert to it over a long period of time (about six weeks), and that it shouldn't be used in large amounts. I also recently found out that it's dangerous to dogs - I have three in the house.

[carhill]

As an older guy, your posting caused me to review the balance of information and decide to experiment. I've been wanting to get away from beet and cane sugar and artificial sweeteners give me headaches. Diabetes and dental health can become more 'real' for we older folks.

 

IMO, regarding the dogs, if it's treated like any other substance injurious to dogs, chocolate being an example, it'll be a non-issue. Keep it in a container out of their reach.

 

Of course, it's horrendously expensive compared to beet/cane sugar but I'll spend the money in the name of 'science'

[Anela]

As an older guy, your posting caused me to review the balance of information and decide to experiment. I've been wanting to get away from beet and cane sugar and artificial sweeteners give me headaches. Diabetes and dental health can become more 'real' for we older folks.

 

IMO, regarding the dogs, if it's treated like any other substance injurious to dogs, chocolate being an example, it'll be a non-issue. Keep it in a container out of their reach.

 

Of course, it's horrendously expensive compared to beet/cane sugar but I'll spend the money in the name of 'science'

 

 

I can't usually afford it, so I'm concerned about that, too. We're always scraping by, but I need a sugar replacement.

 

I have a dog who gets into my tea at times - that's why i was concerned there.

[carhill]

For the dog, I'd suggest a latching container that is animal-proof and/or storing it out of their reach, like in an upper kitchen cabinet.

 

As to the product, my trusty fulfillment people at Amazon tell me it'll be here Wednesday. Out here in the country, one would never find such a product locally. However, they do have 10lb sacks of sugar on the shelf

[Feelin Frisky]

I used to chew gum flavored with that way back in the day. It's in the family that include "sorbitol" and "manitol". I don't know where it fits in the pecking order of good and bad sugars or sugar substitutes. I just know that the best right now is the "stevia" extracts. Before that "sucralose"--sold as "Splenda" was the leading alternative to aspartame and saccharin (with saccharin being carcinogenic). I hope aspartame isn't terrible for you because I drank two liters of diet soda with it in there for many years. I now avoid it and use the stevia products. But most diet sodas still are aspartame.

[Anela]

I was looking at a product that was a mixture of cane sugar and stevia, this evening, but I decided against it because I remembered more than one report of it still tasting odd.

 

I bought something that's too expensive, called Swerve, but Dad insisted I try it, because he doesn't like the fact that I drink four to six teaspoons of sugar every day, in my tea - depending on how much I drink. I tried it a little while ago - one teaspoon of Swerve, mixed with one teaspoon of regular sugar (just in case of any bad effects), and I have a slight feeling of.. that feeling you usually get when you're getting sick and have to run to the bathroom, but I'm also very emotional right now, so that can do the same thing. It did taste slightly different, but I was okay with it.

 

I now hate health food stores. I tried a new one, because I had heard the people were nicer than at the usual one, and that they had better prices. Unless things have gone up in all of them, they were worse than the two stores we usually use (and rarely use). We were scared when we thought the total of our small amount of shopping would be $40 - it was $60. Surprised us both.

[Anela]

I think this Swerve stuff is giving me a headache. I've used it twice tonight, combined with regular sugar. I'm tired, so that might be it, but thi just came on after the last mug I had (the one before was around 910pm).

[carhill]

My 5lb bag arrived a day early and I must say the crystals have a consistency and flavor very similar to the cane/beet sugar I normally use, but are a little more coarse, kind of in between processed sugar and raw sugar.

 

I'm starting out slow, just one teaspoon a day, and will track digestive issues. At my age, any assistances to 'regularity' can be a good thing If it works, I may recommend it to some friends who are battling peristalsis issues. I'll be especially interested in how it and the flaxseed flour/oil I use for gall bladder issues interact. Doctor, heal thyself

[Anela]

My 5lb bag arrived a day early and I must say the crystals have a consistency and flavor very similar to the cane/beet sugar I normally use, but are a little more coarse, kind of in between processed sugar and raw sugar.

 

I'm starting out slow, just one teaspoon a day, and will track digestive issues. At my age, any assistances to 'regularity' can be a good thing If it works, I may recommend it to some friends who are battling peristalsis issues. I'll be especially interested in how it and the flaxseed flour/oil I use for gall bladder issues interact. Doctor, heal thyself

 

I've been okay so far, with the other one - not xylitol - but only had two teaspoons yesterday, and none today (so far). Someone noted that it has a cooling effect, in a review on Amazon, and I noticed that it lightens the drink, and leaves residue at the bottom of the cup, that I didn't want to swallow. As long as the headaches don't continue, at the moment I'm happy to at least use it to halve my intake of sugar.

[Anela]

I stopped using this briefly, because I think it's contributing to keeping me awake (more so than regular sugar), but it certainly does help move things along... I tried more tonight.

[carhill]

After use for a couple of weeks, I've noted that it tastes 'sweeter' than sugar so less is used, volume-wise. Also, it appears to impart a 'funny' aftertaste to iced tea (I make sun tea out on the patio and sweeten it lightly while hot), so am experimenting with different teas and no sweetener.

 

A few digestive issues occurred during the first week but none since. Other than being expensive, overall, it seems to work OK. I haven't yet tried it in baking but will try a test batch of cookies to see how it works.

[sillyanswer]

saccharin (with saccharin being carcinogenic).

 

Not really, unless you have the biology of a rat. (Other rodents may need to take care, too.)

 

Artificial Sweeteners and Cancer - National Cancer Institute

[FitChick]

Any sugar substitute, natural or artificial, tastes strange to me. I just need to be more disciplined with sugar eating. Fortunately I don't sweeten tea or coffee.

 

I will be buying brown rice syrup when my agave runs out, since now agave syrup isn't supposed to be that good for you. I personally think it's all pretty much the same, probably all high glycemic foods.

Edited May 23, 2013 by FitChick

[Anela]

After use for a couple of weeks, I've noted that it tastes 'sweeter' than sugar so less is used, volume-wise. Also, it appears to impart a 'funny' aftertaste to iced tea (I make sun tea out on the patio and sweeten it lightly while hot), so am experimenting with different teas and no sweetener.

 

A few digestive issues occurred during the first week but none since. Other than being expensive, overall, it seems to work OK. I haven't yet tried it in baking but will try a test batch of cookies to see how it works.

 

I've been using the erythritol (Swerve) and you need to use a little more of it. It also leaves a slight aftertaste, but at the moment, I need to deal with it, because I need to cut back on the regular sugar. I haven't tried the xylitol - I'm going to use it for a toothpaste.

 

Any sugar substitute, natural or artificial, tastes strange to me. I just need to be more disciplined with sugar eating. Fortunately I don't sweeten tea or coffee.

 

I will be buying brown rice syrup when my agave runs out, since now agave syrup isn't supposed to be that good for you. I personally think it's all pretty much the same, probably all high glycemic foods.

 

I've wondered if it's okay in the long-term. In the martha's Vineyard Detox book, they point out that anything sweet triggers something that makes you want more sweet/sugary foods.