Xylitol - good or bad?

[mrsspenny]

Hello Keepers Of Wisdom, since I cleaned up my act a month or so ago I have been using 100% pure xylitol (about four teaspoons per day) to sweeten yogurt and cocoa. I just googled it and came up with some rather alarming links to tumours when eaten in quantity. However ‘quantity’ was not really defined so wondered if anyone knew whether it is safe? Thankyou

 

[Mr_Pot]

Hello Keepers Of Wisdom, since I cleaned up my act a month or so ago I have been using 100% pure xylitol (about four teaspoons per day) to sweeten yogurt and cocoa. I just googled it and came up with some rather alarming links to tumours when eaten in quantity. However ‘quantity’ was not really defined so wondered if anyone knew whether it is safe? Thankyou

There seems to be conflicting opinions about the safety of xylitol but one thing is certain, it is fatal for dogs and cats. Personally I don't use any sweeteners, as I don't want to retain a taste for sweet things.

 

[Brunneria]

My take on sweeteners in general is as little as possible, if your body tolerates them.

Can't speak to tumours and xylitol, but I can say that I won't have it in the house, because I know that sooner or later a fragment of something would fall on the floor and would get cleaned up by one of the dogs. Also worth bearing in mind that some food manufacturers have started using it in choc bars, peanut butter and other items - with no warning about it being toxic to our canine friends, so there have been cases (mainly in America) where dogs have been given treats of peanut butter, and died.

Sorry, that is off topic to your concerns about tumours.

 

[Brunneria]

Here is a bit more info about safe amounts, and the length of time it takes to get tumour risks

https://www.livestrong.com/article/85091-dangers-xylitol/

and here is a link to an article about various sweeteners and their risks
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/...03/30/artificial-sweeteners-cause-cancer.aspx

Personally, I use erythritol, probably 1-2 teasp a day, in hot drinks.

 

[hankjam]

Never thought of sweeteners when I was coming off sugar, the taste for me was all wrong. As my taste buds have adapted I find the "natural" sweetness of foods to be increasing... Black coffee has all the taste I need and is pretty sweet to me.
Good luck.

 

[mrsspenny]

Here is a bit more info about safe amounts, and the length of time it takes to get tumour risks

https://www.livestrong.com/article/85091-dangers-xylitol/

and here is a link to an article about various sweeteners and their risks
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/...03/30/artificial-sweeteners-cause-cancer.aspx

Personally, I use erythritol, probably 1-2 teasp a day, in hot drinks.

Thank you for these links Brunneria, I read through them both and think that I need to reduce my use of sweetener each day, not because the quantity I am having is excessive but because ultimately I need to discourage my craving for sweet things. The point Dr. Mercola makes about artificial sweeteners tricking the brain into thinking it is getting a sweet fix which never arrives, then increasing the carb craving as a result is a sobering thought.

 

[mrsspenny]

Never thought of sweeteners when I was coming off sugar, the taste for me was all wrong. As my taste buds have adapted I find the "natural" sweetness of foods to be increasing... Black coffee has all the taste I need and is pretty sweet to me.
Good luck.

I know what you mean about black coffee Hankjam, I love it. In fact I was just reading this morning (over my coffee) about how it stimulates the production of dopamine in the brain to make us feel happy.

 

[mrsspenny]

My take on sweeteners in general is as little as possible, if your body tolerates them.

Can't speak to tumours and xylitol, but I can say that I won't have it in the house, because I know that sooner or later a fragment of something would fall on the floor and would get cleaned up by one of the dogs. Also worth bearing in mind that some food manufacturers have started using it in choc bars, peanut butter and other items - with no warning about it being toxic to our canine friends, so there have been cases (mainly in America) where dogs have been given treats of peanut butter, and died.

Sorry, that is off topic to your concerns about tumours.

I had read about its danger to dogs, and as we have two I am really careful, but it is a worry.

 

[Mongolia]

I use liquid stevia if I do any baking that requires sugar. Don't need much and is plant extract so no nasty side effects that I can find evidence of.