Xylitol - Is it Safe?

[Beau]

I've given it up. I can use erythritol, but it, too, causes SOME phlegm, though a lot less.

That's good to know about erythritol. We have a big bag of it but it hasn't been used very much. I think most peeps prefer xylitol over it. I was considering trying it to see if it had the same effect on me, so good to know it does cause the phlegm/drainage. I'll just go cold turkey.

We've discussed just going back to using very limited amounts of raw sugar or honey in anything that really needs to be sweetened and just making sure that we keep track of carbs. It makes you have to reduce your amount of anything with sugar or honey in it, but we don't eat much of that sort of thing anyway.

Yeah. I don't either. I've just been going with lots of butter at meal time for fat, plus obviously fatty bacon/sausage/egg yolks and mayo too.

 

[NormaRegula]

Never had any problems with xylitol. Even my husband who is not on a strict Paleo diet uses it more often than his raw cane sugar.

A while ago I would use too much xylitol...like 2-3 teaspoons in my black tea! Now I only use a scant teaspoon of the stuff with my tea. I sometime do without it at work if I run out of my packets or bag. I also use xylitol in the butter chocolate recipe which is only for special occasions.

Have had erythritol and it upsets my stomach terribly. Stevia is fine, but I really dislike the aftertaste.

 

[Mrs.Tigersoap]

Heimdallr, I was wondering if you are sensitive to pollens perhaps? I'm asking since xylitol is supposed to be made from birch bark so cross-sensitivity could be an issue?

Now, xylitol can also be made from corn. :/

But in any case, xylitol is a highly processed product. I read somewhere that xylitol's leading manufacturer is Danisco, which is part of DuPont. Not exactly people who usually have our best interests at heart...

I stopped eating xylitol a while ago, first because it's sooo expensive here (24 euros a kilo! ) and second because I never got used to that 'cold' taste it gives to food.

 

[Beau]

Heimdallr, I was wondering if you are sensitive to pollens perhaps?

I don't think so. I've never had any issues with allergies in my life. I'm really curious what it is in xylitol that causes this though. I use the Xyla brand made from birch bark, so it could be related to that.

 

[Chrissy]

Have had erythritol and it upsets my stomach terribly. Stevia is fine, but I really dislike the aftertaste.

Yeah, erythritol makes my stomach blow up like a hot air balloon. I don't like that aftertaste with Stevia either, but I recently read that KAL brand is debittered and was thinking about trying it. The regular version has maltodextrin in it, but they say the organic doesn't. It's manufactured in China though.

Very interesting about the xylitol and phlegm. I've been noticing increased phlegm these days. No runny nose though. I thought it might be all the butter I eat. It would make sense if I was reacting to the xylitol, because I finally got the fat bomb recipe right and have been making a lot of them. I stopped eating them for a few days, trying to decrease my glucose levels. This morning I tasted some of a batch I had just made and, yeah, I have the phlegm back.

 

[hlat]

I was wondering why I have been getting some congestion. Time to go back to raw sugar and see what happens.

 

[Mrs.Tigersoap]

I'm really curious what it is in xylitol that causes this though. I use the Xyla brand made from birch bark, so it could be related to that.

Or to anything used in the processing, apparently sulfuric acid, calcium oxide, phosphoric acid, activated charcoal?

 

[hlat]

I wonder if the phlegm is some sort of reaction to sugar alcohols, since the reaction occurs with both xylitol and erythritol.

 

[PopHistorian]

I've been using xylitol for several years with no issue - at least, none that I can tie to it.

 

[Redrock12]

Good news to hear that xylitol is so effective. I've been chewing xylitol gum now for a couple of years and using it as a sweetener in berry fruits. I love the stuff.

 

[Meg]

I've had the same problems with congestion, sinus drainage and xylitol. Now that I've stopped using it, 90% of the symptoms are gone. I've been having the problems for several years. It's great to know the culprit.

 

[Jacques]

Have had erythritol and it upsets my stomach terribly. Stevia is fine, but I really dislike the aftertaste.

Xylitol and erythritol upset my body but stevia is fine.

By the way, Normaregula if you want to eliminate the aftertaste why not grow your own stevia. It is pretty easy and much more delicious. You don't have to transform it in powder, you just use the leaves.

 

[NormaRegula]

Have had erythritol and it upsets my stomach terribly. Stevia is fine, but I really dislike the aftertaste.

Xylitol and erythritol upset my body but stevia is fine.

By the way, Normaregula if you want to eliminate the aftertaste why not grow your own stevia. It is pretty easy and much more delicious. You don't have to transform it in powder, you just use the leaves.

That's a great idea, Gandalf. I'll check out my local Seed Bank and see if they have it on hand. :)

 

[Xico]

Hello Guys, I like to pinch in my two cents here:

Ever since I started using Xilitol, never had any problems with it, except at the beginning, but I guess it was because there were some critters in my system that were dying off, but after a few days my system is normal, besides I don't crave sugar as in ( soda, candy, or the like)... I feel great ...

 

[CNS]

I've been using xylitol for several years with no issue - at least, none that I can tie to it.

This had been my case as well...until yesterday, when I sorta went on a xylitol binge. I had 2 cups of coffee with coconut milk and heaping tablespoons of xylitol in the AM, then had a large cup of tea with the same in the evening. I went to bed coughing up so much mucous and phlegm that I was practically gagging on the stuff! I think for me, it's best left in moderation, say maybe 1 cup of joe and a fat bomb, but I have to limit it to that.