Xylitol - clarification help please

[Guest guest]

Hi all

I saw this advice given about xylitol on another message board

'Xylitol is a sugar alcohol and its metabolism does not require

insulin. It is commonly made from wood (birch, hardwoods etc.) or

corn which may or may not be gm free'.

'......grave concerns over its use with our children (actually with

its use fullstop).

Wood alcohol or ethanol is one of the things that aspartame breaks

down into in the human body & its one of the substances our children

seem not to be able to deal with. Ethanol has long been associated

with visual disturbances - prolonged use causes blindness (hence the

term blind drunk)'

and 'I suppose most people are steering clear of it anyway because

of warnings about the other processed sweetners.'

Confusing.....anybody got any comment on this please?

Thanks

Zoe

[Guest guest]

Zoe,

Our daughter has experienced much calming from the low oxalate diet.

Trying_Low_Oxalates/

After reading on line that xylitol was high, I withdrew it from her

diet. We'd not been using much for food but she'd been going through

a xylitol gum stash like crazy. That was 4 -5 months ago and she's

still begging for the gum. The searching/begging mentality is always

a tip off here that the item is not good for her.

>

> Hi all

>

> I saw this advice given about xylitol on another message board

>

> 'Xylitol is a sugar alcohol and its metabolism does not require

> insulin. It is commonly made from wood (birch, hardwoods etc.) or

> corn which may or may not be gm free'.

> '......grave concerns over its use with our children (actually with

> its use fullstop).

>

> Wood alcohol or ethanol is one of the things that aspartame breaks

> down into in the human body & its one of the substances our

children

> seem not to be able to deal with. Ethanol has long been associated

> with visual disturbances - prolonged use causes blindness (hence

the

> term blind drunk)'

>

> and 'I suppose most people are steering clear of it anyway because

> of warnings about the other processed sweetners.'

>

> Confusing.....anybody got any comment on this please?

>

> Thanks

>

> Zoe

>

[Guest guest]

Zoe,

Xylitol is something we have used and i think you will find it is a

sugar alcohol not a wood alcohol and is relatively harmless and

without side-effects, the main side-effect being loosening of the

bowels, which when you have a child with chronic constipation as we

have is a good side-effect!!!

Although we have had to reduce using it because of issues with

oxalates, xylitol is High Oxalate. I was adding it to drinks because

of its caries preventing properties but have had to reduce to just

using xylitol containing gum instead which does not seem to cause us

problems and still helps with keeping the teeth clean.

Here is a good matter-of-fact, fairly unbiased site that i have

found that explains the differences and will hopefully put your mind

at rest, i think some of the things expressed in the post that

concerned you are inaccurate and emotive IMHO.

http://www.biocrawler.com/encyclopedia/Xylitol

http://www.biocrawler.com/encyclopedia/Alcohol

Hth, Nikki

>

> >

> > Hi all

> >

> > I saw this advice given about xylitol on another message board

> >

> > 'Xylitol is a sugar alcohol and its metabolism does not require

> > insulin. It is commonly made from wood (birch, hardwoods etc.)

or

> > corn which may or may not be gm free'.

> > '......grave concerns over its use with our children (actually

with

> > its use fullstop).

> >

> > Wood alcohol or ethanol is one of the things that aspartame

breaks

> > down into in the human body & its one of the substances our

> children

> > seem not to be able to deal with. Ethanol has long been

associated

> > with visual disturbances - prolonged use causes blindness (hence

> the

> > term blind drunk)'

> >

> > and 'I suppose most people are steering clear of it anyway

because

> > of warnings about the other processed sweetners.'

> >

> > Confusing.....anybody got any comment on this please?

> >

> > Thanks

> >

> > Zoe

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks Nikki, that was just the reassurance I was looking for! It

was the comment about xylitol breaking down into a substance that

aspartame breaks down into that worried me.........also that this

comment had no further explanation and people were just supposed to

take it as read.

Great links - thanks again

Zoe

> > >

> > > Hi all

> > >

> > > I saw this advice given about xylitol on another message board

> > >

> > > 'Xylitol is a sugar alcohol and its metabolism does not

require

> > > insulin. It is commonly made from wood (birch, hardwoods etc.)

> or

> > > corn which may or may not be gm free'.

> > > '......grave concerns over its use with our children (actually

> with

> > > its use fullstop).

> > >

> > > Wood alcohol or ethanol is one of the things that aspartame

> breaks

> > > down into in the human body & its one of the substances our

> > children

> > > seem not to be able to deal with. Ethanol has long been

> associated

> > > with visual disturbances - prolonged use causes blindness

(hence

> > the

> > > term blind drunk)'

> > >

> > > and 'I suppose most people are steering clear of it anyway

> because

> > > of warnings about the other processed sweetners.'

> > >

> > > Confusing.....anybody got any comment on this please?

> > >

> > > Thanks

> > >

> > > Zoe

> > >

> >

>