Xylitol Side Effects: Virtually None
New to xylitol? Our recommendation: Moderation. A little time and patience. You with us? Good!
Xylitol is considered a healthy alternative to sugar and lacks major side effects. In fact, most users experience no side effects when using the recommended dosage (usually 6-8 grams/day) for dental benefits.
However, beware too much too soon. For example, when using Epic’s xylitol-powered products for cooking and baking, some people who use xylitol in large quantities (usually more than 40 grams/day) may initially experience diarrhea. Many of these people report that the diarrhea subsides even as they continue to use large quantities of xylitol. Their digestive systems adjust to the xylitol.
Because it is a low glycemic sweetener, xylitol has only small effects on blood sugar and insulin release. Many diabetics consider it a safe alternative to sugar and many dieters use it in low carb diets.
Those initially worried about allergies or quality control typically count themselves among our biggest fans and customers.
If you’re simply looking for a new best friend to help you and your family protect your teeth, you might want to start by looking at our best-selling Dental Protection Kits, but we encourage you to browse through all our products.
Xylitol Side Effects FAQs
No way! On the contrary, xylitol is a great alternative to traditional processed sugar with the same texture, taste, sweetness and 40% fewer calories. Now, is eating 10 chocolate chip cookies baked to perfection using xylitol as a sugar replacement at midnight on a Tuesday bad for you..? We don’t judge. You do you, boo. Just make sure to follow-up whatever you’re indulging in with Epic’s xylitol gum to get that saliva flowing to help keep your teeth in tip-top shape.
Other than helping significantly with your oral hygiene and providing a great alternative for sugar, xylitol has a low glycemic index, making it a healthy carbohydrate, appropriate for many low carb diets. If taken in large quantities, xylitol can potentially cause digestive issues such as bloating and diarrhea in some people, but this is generally not the case. Using Epic’s xylitol products may also result in you landing your dream job, having people laugh at all of your jokes, winning the lottery, avoiding your awkward in-law get-togethers, and massive waves of euphoria (this may be a side effect of getting out of the in-law get-togethers). So, yeah… you should definitely get some Epic products ASAP.
Nope! Xylitol actually feeds the healthy bacteria in your gut, making your tummy happy and healthy! Now, if you order one of our 1000 count mint bags and eat the entire thing in one sitting (we know this can be tempting with how great they taste…), your tummy might not feel too hot. As long as you ease into it and give your bacteria time to adapt, you’ll be one happy camper.
There have been multiple studies that suggest that consuming 6g to 10g of xylitol per day can have a tremendous impact on your dental health. A study at the University of Washington confirms this 6 to 10 daily gram dose and recommends a 3 times a day frequency. Legend has it that Leonardo da Vinci, the Wright Brothers, Beethoven, Abraham Lincoln and Albert Einstein credit all their success to a strict daily intake of 6g to 10g of xylitol per day! Either that or enormous amounts of talent, hard work, and dedication to their craft. But we think it was the xylitol.
Xylitol is actually considered a weight-loss-friendly sweetener since it contains 40% fewer calories than sugar. Not only does it have drastically less calories, but it also has a glycemic index of 7! Just 7! For reference, table sugar has a glycemic index of 68 (gasp!). For people with diabetes, prediabetes, obesity or other metabolic problems, xylitol is an excellent alternative to sugar. Want to know what else is amazing? Xylitol tastes AMAZING! You won’t miss the normal sugar at all. It’s not like those other alternatives like tofurkey or cauliflower crust… (cauliflower? really!?)
Absolutely! Xylitol can be substituted for sugar at a 1:1 ratio. Keep in mind, like with any tweak to a recipe (different brand of butter, seasonality, etc.), you’ll potentially need to adjust your recipe a bit to make it taste just like how momma made it. This is due to how xylitol absorbs water differently than sugar absorbs water. Still, xylitol looks, tastes, and sweetens exactly like sugar. Too good to be true? Well, what if I told you that xylitol has 40% fewer calories than sugar? Way, way too good to be true? Nope! Try replacing your sugar with xylitol in your next baking session and see for yourself.
No. Xylitol is toxic for dogs. You might be asking yourself, “well why is it safe for me, but toxic to my fur baby?” While our dogs are in fact our soulmates and we often treat them better than our relatives (sorry, uncle Joe), there are key differences in how our respective bodies react to xylitol. In basic terms, it simply boils down to the fact that the biochemical response to xylitol between humans and dogs is very different. If Fido does consume a large amount of xylitol products, untreated, this can quickly be life-threatening. So make sure you keep any items that contain xylitol stored up where your doggos can’t reach them.
Look at you, overachiever! We applaud your desire to expand your knowledge and nomenclature of the world of xylitol! While xylitol is it’s most common name, it also goes by birch sugar, E967, Meso-Xylitol, Méso-Xylitol, Sucre de Bouleau, Xylit, Xylite, and Xylo-pentane-1,2,3,4,5-pentol. Feeling scholarly yet? Here’s another nugget that could help you win BIG on Jeopardy (you can thank us later); the name “xylitol” derives from Ancient Greek: ξύλον, xyl[on], “wood”, with the suffix -itol used to denote sugar alcohols. Dental Hygiene for $1000, Mr. Trebeck.