polykowholsteins

This is a great article that was posted today at veryyoungkidsteeth
and alternativekidsteeth and the subject of taking care of kids teeth
has come up many times in these list.
The use of xylitol can be of great help for little ones that don;t
like brushing their teeth.
I hope it helps:

http://www.angelfire.com/az/sthurston/xylitol_natural_sweetener.html


Xylitol - All Natural Sweetener
Xylitol - Our Sweet Salvation?


Xylitol is not only a safe, natural sweetener without the bad side-
effects of sugar and artificial substitutes, it's also good for your
teeth, stabilises insulin and hormone levels and promotes good
health.



Americans have a mighty hankering for sugar. It seems that we just
can't get enough of the stuff. On average, a half a cup of sugar is
consumed per person every day. It is estimated that the average
American eats, drinks, slurps, stirs and sprinkles about 150 pounds
of it annually. Never in modern history has a culture consumed so
much sugar.

Sugar truly does deserve its reputation as a "white poison". Thinking
of sugar as a food is really a stretch of the imagination, because it
is more a chemical that is difficult for our bodies to utilise and
digest. Humans were really not designed to eat large amounts of sugar
in whatever form it may take: white and brown, corn syrup, sucrose,
dextrose, glucose, fructose, lactose, maltose, barley malt, honey,
rice syrup and maple syrup. Sugar is also highly seductive, acting
like an addictive drug that lures even the most well-intentioned
person back into its sweet clutches.

According to Chinese wisdom, sweetness is one of the flavours
necessary for maintaining balance in the body. But regularly eating
large amounts of sugar will cause serious harm. Sugar can cause
hypoglycaemia and weight gain, leading to diabetes and obesity in
both children and adults. It leaches the body of vital minerals and
vitamins. It raises blood pressure, triglycerides and the bad
cholesterol (LDL), increasing the risk of heart disease. It causes
tooth decay and periodontal disease, which leads to tooth loss and
systemic infections. It makes it difficult for a child's brain to
learn, resulting in a lack of concentration. Both children and adults
exhibit disruptive behaviour, learning disorders and forgetfulness
from sugar consumption. It initiates auto-immune and immune
deficiency disorders such as arthritis, allergies and asthma. It also
upsets hormonal imbalance and supports the growth of cancer cells.

So what are we to do? Will our sugar-cravings always hold us hostage,
or is there really a way to lick the sugar habit successfully?



Xylitol to the Rescue!

During World War II, Finland was suffering from an acute sugar
shortage. With no domestic supply of sugar, the Finns searched for an
alternative. It was then that the Finnish scientists re-discovered
xylitol, a low-calorie sugar made from birch bark. It had, in fact,
been known to the world of organic chemistry since it was first
manufactured in 1891 by a German chemist.

By 1930, xylitol had been purified, but it wasn't until World War II
that the sugar shortages forced researchers to look at alternative
sweeteners. It was only when xylitol was stabilised that it became a
viable sweetener in foods. It was also during this time that
researchers discovered xylitol's insulin-independent nature (it
metabolises in the body without using insulin).

By the 1960s, xylitol was being used in Germany, Switzerland, the
Soviet Union and Japan as a preferred sweetener in diabetic diets and
as an energy source for infusion therapy in patients with impaired
glucose tolerance and insulin resistance. Since then, many other
countries including Italy and China have been producing xylitol for
use in their domestic markets--and with remarkable health benefits.
It has been relatively unknown in the USA and Australia, primarily
because cheap supplies of cane sugar made the more expensive xylitol
less economically viable.

Xylitol is a natural substance found in fibrous vegetables and fruit,
as well as in corn cobs and various hardwood trees like birch. It is
a natural, intermediate product which regularly occurs in the glucose
metabolism of man and other animals as well as in the metabolism of
several plants and micro-organisms. Xylitol is produced naturally in
our bodies; in fact, we make up to 15 grams daily during normal
metabolism.

Although xylitol tastes and looks exactly like sugar, that is where
the similarities end. Xylitol is really sugar's mirror image. While
sugar wreaks havoc on the body, xylitol heals and repairs. It also
builds immunity, protects against chronic degenerative disease and
has anti-ageing benefits. Xylitol is considered a five-carbon sugar,
which means it is an antimicrobial, preventing the growth of
bacteria. While sugar is acid forming, xylitol is alkaline enhancing.
All other forms of sugar, including sorbitol, another popular
alternative sweetener, are six-carbon sugars which feed dangerous
bacteria and fungi.

Approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1963,
xylitol has no known toxic levels. The only discomfort that some
sensitive people may notice initially when taking large amounts is
mild diarrhoea or slight cramping. Since the body makes xylitol
daily, as well as the enzymes to break it down, any discomfort
usually disappears within a few days as the body's enzymatic activity
adjusts to a higher intake.

Xylitol has 40 per cent fewer calories and 75 per cent fewer
carbohydrates than sugar and is slowly absorbed and metabolised,
resulting in very negligible changes in insulin. About one-third of
the xylitol that is consumed is absorbed in the liver. The other two-
thirds travels to the intestinal tract where it is broken down by gut
bacteria into short-chain fatty acids.

Xylitol looks, feels and tastes exactly like sugar and leaves no
unpleasant aftertaste. It is available in many forms. In its
crystalline form, it can replace sugar in cooking, baking or as a
sweetener for beverages. It is also included as an ingredient in
chewing gum, mints and nasal spray.



Xylitol and Oral Health

Tooth decay and gum disease are serious problems. According to the
American Dental Association, 75 per cent of American adults over the
age of 35 suffer from some form of periodontal disease.1 Needless to
say, diet plays a major role in dental heath. When there is an excess
of sugar in the diet, this weakens the immune system and creates an
acidic environment; thus oral health suffers. The mouth is home to
over 400 strains of bacteria. Most of these are benign, but when
sugar enters the scene it feeds the destructive strains, allowing
them to proliferate.

Periodontal disease is basically caused by bacteria. These deposits
permit the growth of bacteria that cause inflammation of the gums.
The bacteria also release minute amounts of toxins that break down
gum tissue, thereby helping the infection to progress. Plaque is an
invisible, sticky film of saliva and food residue that constantly
forms on the teeth. Ongoing low-grade bacterial infection also
burdens the immune system.

Bacteria help to create plaque and they also thrive within it. Unless
removed, plaque formed along the gum line can lead to gum disease.
When left untreated, plaque at or below the gum line hardens into
tartar. Periodontal disease takes two forms: simple gum inflammation,
called gingivitis; and a more severe gum infection, called
periodontitis, which may lead to tooth loss and receding gums.

Gingivitis results from the build-up of plaque and tartar which
irritate the gum or periodontal tissue. The more advanced state of
gum disease, periodontitis, occurs when inflammation of the gums is
accompanied by bone and ligament destruction. Bleeding gums are
usually the first indication that gum disease is developing, but
obvious symptoms may not always be present.

Gum infection can also lead to other serious health problems. It
doubles the risk of stroke, triples the risk of heart attack,
increases the incidence of premature, low-weight babies and also
contributes to bronchitis, pneumonia and emphysema. In fact, the same
bacteria that cause gum disease end up either directly or indirectly
infecting your heart and arteries. A study conducted at the
University of Minnesota in 1998 found that rabbits injected with
tooth plaque developed blood clots which led to heart disease.2 It
seems that the bacteria first attack the bones and gums in the mouth
and then enter the bloodstream through small cracks in the gums.

Eating sugar causes tooth decay by creating a highly acidic condition
in the mouth. Acidity strips tooth enamel of minerals, causing it to
weaken and making it more vulnerable to attack by bacteria, leading
to tooth decay or demineralisation. Ordinarily, saliva bathes the
mouth with an alkaline solution that neutralises all acidity and
actually remineralises the teeth. Saliva also washes away leftover
bits of food and helps the digestion process. But when saliva turns
acidic because of too many sweets, bacteria in the mouth have a
feeding frenzy. These nasty bacteria, along with carbohydrate waste,
stick to the teeth and tongue and hold the acid close to the teeth
where it eats away enamel. Virtually whatever food you ingest, the
remaining particles become food for plaque-producing bacteria. Using
xylitol helps to raise plaque pH, thereby reducing the time that
teeth are exposed to damaging acids as well as starving harmful
bacteria of their food source.

Xylitol is a dentist's dream. It reverses all these destructive
effects of sugar on oral health. Xylitol is non-fermentable and
therefore cannot be converted to acids by oral bacteria, thus it
helps to restore a proper alkaline/acid balance in the mouth. This
alkaline environment is inhospitable to all the destructive bacteria,
especially the worst variety, Streptococcus mutans. It also inhibits
plaque formation.

Using xylitol right before bedtime, after brushing and flossing,
protects and heals the teeth and gums. Unlike sugar, it can even be
left on the teeth overnight. With proper use, xylitol actually stops
the fermentation process leading to tooth decay. Long-term use
suppresses the most harmful strains of oral bacteria, making a long-
lasting change in those bacterial communities. Xylitol even has the
ability to enhance the mineralisation of the enamel. It is most
effective in treating small decay spots. Although larger cavities
won't go away, they can harden and become less sensitive.

Consistently using small amounts of xylitol tends to increase
protective factors in saliva. Xylitol stimulates saliva flow and
helps keep salivary minerals in a useful form. Prolonged xylitol use
increases the buffering capacity and protective factors in saliva.
Increased saliva production is especially important for people
suffering with a dry mouth due to illness, ageing or drug side-
effects.

Since the oral environment becomes less acidic with continued xylitol
use, it is advisable to chew xylitol gum or suck a xylitol mint after
every meal or after eating sweet snacks. The best news is that
studies have shown that xylitol's effect is long-lasting and possibly
even permanent.

Xylitol has recently received positive support in the Journal of the
American Dental Association. "Xylitol is an effective preventive
agent against dental caries ... Consumption of xylitol-containing
chewing gum has been demonstrated to reduce caries in Finnish
teenagers by 30&endash;60 per cent. Studies conducted in Canada,
Thailand, Polynesia and Belize have shown similar results..."3 A
study conducted at Harvard School of Dental Medicine concluded
that "xylitol can significantly decrease the incidence of dental
caries".4

Another unexpected benefit came from a Finnish study which showed
that children whose teeth are colonised between 19 and 31 months of
age by Streptococcus mutans bacteria are more likely to have a large
number of cavities. Most children acquire this bacteria from their
mother's saliva through food tasting, sharing cups and kissing. The
study showed a dramatic 70 per cent reduction in tooth decay among
children whose mothers chewed xylitol gum.5

Xylitol, however, isn't just for the young. In a paper published in
the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, researchers tested
111 adults aged 60 and older over a 12-month period. All were frail
but healthy adults. In the study, one group of volunteers chewed no
gum, a second chewed gum containing xylitol, and a third group chewed
gum containing both xylitol and an antimicrobial. In the two groups
receiving gum, the participants chewed two pieces for 15 minutes, two
times per day. At the end of the study, the researchers reported that
the group who received xylitol gum had substantially lowered their
risk of developing thrush, a fungal or yeast infection that can cause
mouth soreness. (The group who received xylitol plus the
antimicrobial had equal benefits.) It had also reduced their risk of
developing angular cheilitis, a condition in which sores develop in
the corners of the mouth. The researchers noted that xylitol gum can
provide a "real clinical benefit" to frail, elderly people.6



Xylitol and Ear, Nose and Throat Infections

Recurring middle ear infections pose a great health threat to
children. Tubes are often inserted into the ear drum in children with
these recurring infections to reduce the fluid that is attempting to
wash out the infection from the middle ear. While this procedure
sometimes helps to reduce the frequency of infections, it is also
designed to help with hearing.

Language, a critical part of learning, is built by auditory input
during the first two years of life--the same period when ear
infections are most common. If this input is dampened by infection or
fluid in the middle ear during this important period, it can cause
learning problems. One researcher demonstrated that even when
properly treated, recurrent middle ear infections during the first
two years result in significant impairment in reading ability up to
the age of nine.7 Another study followed children longer and showed
significant learning and social problems extending up to age
eighteen.8

One of xylitol's versatile benefits is its ability to inhibit the
growth of bacteria that cause middle ear infections in young
children. In two recent studies involving over 1,000 children,
xylitol-flavoured chewing gum was found to reduce the incidence of
middle ear infections by 40 per cent, significantly decreasing
ongoing middle ear complications and the need for antibiotics.

Regularly washing the nose with a spray containing xylitol decreases
the number of harmful bacteria and stimulates normal defensive
washing of this area. A clean nose reduces problems with allergies
and asthma that originate from nasal irritants and pollutants.
Current research shows how bacteria attach to cells in the body,
causing infection. Some sugars like xylitol are known to be able to
interfere with this binding, blocking the attachment of the major
infection-causing bacteria that live in the nose. Dr Lon Jones, a
physician in Plainsview, Texas, reported that the use of a xylitol
nasal spray in his practice prevented 93 per cent of ear infections
and resulted in comparable reductions in sinus infections, allergies
and asthma.9

Xylitol has been shown to be effective in inhibiting Candida
albicans, a serious systemic yeast problem, and other harmful gut
bacteria including H. pylori, implicated in periodontal disease, bad
breath, gastric and duodenal ulcers and even stomach cancer.



Xylitol and Osteoporosis

Another exciting benefit from xylitol is its role in reversing bone
loss. Studies in Finland found that xylitol maintained bone density
in rats that had their ovaries removed. Without ovaries, oestrogen
levels plummeted and so did the bone density in rats that were not
given xylitol. However, in the rats that had ovaries removed and were
given xylitol, bone density actually increased.10 Another study
showed that xylitol was effective in decreasing age-related bone loss
in older male rats by 10 per cent.11

In an unprecedented action, the Finnish researchers made bold
recommendations for human application of their studies. They
suggested that an effective human dose would be about 40 grams daily.
The scientists speculated that xylitol's bone density enhancing
properties are due to its ability to promote intestinal absorption of
calcium. Including xylitol in one's diet is certainly an enjoyable
way to reap the benefits of greater bone density, along with other
health benefits.



Xylitol and Insulin Resistance, Diabetes Hypertension and Hormonal
Imbalances

Consuming sugar and other refined carbohydrates results in the rapid
release of glucose, or blood sugar. In response, the pancreas
secretes insulin to usher glucose into the cells, where it is burned
for energy. Excess glucose stresses the system, and over time the
cells become less responsive to insulin. This condition, known as
insulin resistance, is a huge health problem and it is estimated to
affect half the American population. Insulin resistance is associated
with abnormalities in cholesterol and triglyceride levels,
hypertension, increased risk of heart disease and diabetes.

The dramatic rise in type-2 diabetes since the mid-1900s directly
coincides with our increased consumption of sugar. One long-term
study of more than 65,000 women demonstrated that a high-sugar, low-
fibre diet increased the risk of type-2 diabetes by 250 per cent.
Another recent study found that excessive intake of sugar was the
single most important dietary risk factor for heart disease in women
and for men. It has been estimated that sugar intake may account for
more than 150,000 premature deaths from heart disease in the United
States each year.12

Xylitol has been demonstrated in repeated clinical studies to be very
slowly metabolised. In fact, on the glycaemic index, which measures
how quickly foods enter the bloodstream, sugar is rated at 100 and
xylitol at just seven! Xylitol is a natural insulin stabiliser,
therefore it causes none of the abrupt rises and falls that occur
with sugar. In fact, it actually helps in stopping sugar and
carbohydrate cravings. Foods sweetened with xylitol will not raise
insulin levels. This makes it a perfect sweetener for people with
diabetes as well as those wanting to lose weight. There is a growing
consensus amongst anti-ageing researchers that maintaining low
insulin levels is a key to a successful anti-ageing program.

Insulin resistance also plays a significant role in hormonal
imbalances, including those that lead to breast cancer. High insulin
levels increase the production of oestrogens, leading to an oestrogen-
dominant condition, and also interfere with healthy ovarian function.
Insulin resistance is a major cause of a growing hormonal problem
called polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). PCOS causes the ovaries to
become anovulatory, which means that the normal cyclic production of
oestrogen followed by progesterone either ceases or becomes
dysfunctional. Insulin stimulates the ovaries to produce
predominantly male hormones, which, in combination with higher
insulin and glucose levels, increase weight-gain around the waist--a
body type that is a risk factor for breast cancer. Signs that the
body is being exposed to higher levels of the male hormones include
acne, loss of head hair and an increase in body hair. Lowering
insulin levels is crucial for not only treating PCOS but also
resolving most other hormonal imbalances, including those leading to
breast cancer.13

Dr John Lee, author of What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Breast
Cancer, explains the connection between insulin resistance and breast
cancer:
"Overeating junk food makes you fat. Increased body fat and lack of
exercise lead to insulin resistance. Insulin resistance leads to
further craving of sugary carbohydrates to generate energy for the
body. More insulin is released in response to increased carbohydrate
intake, leading to more weight gain. More fat leads to more
estrogens, which, in turn, lead to earlier breast development and
menstruation. Earlier onset of menstruation leads to more ovulatory
cycles and a greater lifetime exposure to oestrogens without adequate
progesterone. A greater lifetime exposure to estrogens increases
breast cancer risk.

"Simultaneously, increased consumption of simple carbohydrates,
coupled with insulin resistance, leads to polycystic ovaries and lack
of ovulation during menstrual cycles, resulting in excess production
of androgens and estrogens, along with inadequate production of
progesterone. Excessive estrogen production in the absence of
progesterone production leads to estrogen dominance and increased
breast cancer risk. Use of contraceptive hormones increases insulin
resistance, exacerbating all the above problems."14

Using xylitol instead of sugar as well as reducing intake of high-
glycaemic, refined carbohydrate foods helps to lower the risk not
only of PCOS but also of ovarian cysts, fibroids, endometriosis, PMS,
hot flushes, weight gain and depression.



The Safer Sweetener

Increased sugar consumption has bedevilled Western cultures with more
and more health problems, many of which are putting an enormous
strain on health care systems. Finally, there is an answer to our
collective prayers for something truly healthy that can also satisfy
our sweet tooth. Over 1,500 scientific studies have found that the
more you use xylitol, the more you can eliminate sugar cravings,
reduce insulin levels and alkalinise your body. It's a great aid on
the way to good health and long life.

Imagine never having to feel those twinges of guilt when you bite
into a xylitol-sweetened brownie. Or how about increasing your bone
density while enjoying your favourite hot drink with two spoonfuls of
xylitol crystals, or knowing that xylitol-sweetened chewing gum is
preventing cavities and gum disease?

With xylitol, you can now have your sweet tooth and treat it, too!


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Footnotes:
1. Zeines, Victor, DDS, MS, FAGD. Healthy Mouth, Healthy Body.
Kensington Publishing Corporation, 2000, p. 55.
2. ibid., p. 29.
3. Beiswanger, BB, Boneta AE, Mau MS, Katz BP, Proskin HM, Stookey
GK. The effect of chewing sugar-free gum after meals on clinical
caries incidence. J. Am. Dent. Assoc. 1998;129:1623-6.
4. Hayes, Catherine, DMD, DMSc. The effect of non-cariogenic
sweeteners on the prevention of dental caries: A review of evidence.
Harvard School of Dental Medicine. See
http://www.lib.umich.edu/dentlib/ nihcdc/abstracts/hayes.html.
5. How Xylitol-containing Products Affect Cariogenic Bacteria. J. Am.
Dent. Assoc., April 2000.
6. J. Am. Geriatrics Soc. 2002;50. See
http://www.globalaging.org/health/world/medgum.htm.
7. Luotonen M, Uhari M, Aitola, L et al. Recurrent otitis media
during infancy and linguistic skills at the age of nine years.
Pediatr. Infect. J. 1996;15:854-8.
8. Bennett KE, Haggard MP, Silva PA, Stewart IA. Behavior and
development effects of otitis media with effusion into the teens.
Arch. Dis. Child 2001 Aug;85(2):91-5.
9. See website http://www.nasal-xylitol.com.
10. Svanberg M, Mattila P, Knuttila M. Dietary xylitol retards the
ovariectomy-induced increase of bone turnover in rats. Calcif. Tissue
Int. 60:462-466.
11. Mattila P, Svanberg, M, Knuttila, M. Increased bone volume and
bone mineral content in xylitol-fed aged rats. Gerontology
2001;47:300-305.
12. Carbohydrates: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Dr James
Whittaker Newsletter, vol. 13, no. 4, April 2000.
13. John, Lee MD. What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Breast
Cancer. Warner Books, 2002, p. 61.
14. ibid, p. 62.



Extracted from Nexus Magazine, Volume 10, Number 1 (Dec '02-Jan 2003)
PO Box 30, Mapleton Qld 4560 Australia. editor@...
Telephone: +61 (0)7 5442 9280; Fax: +61 (0)7 5442 9381
From our web page at: www.nexusmagazine.com

by Sherrill Sellman © 2002
GetWell International
PO Box 690416
Tulsa, OK 74169-0416, USA
Email: golight@...
Website: http://www.ssellman.com


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[Editor's Note: Several mentions of animal experiments are made in
this article. NEXUS does not agree with the practices of animal
experimentation and vivisection, but we also don't want to censor the
articles we publish.]

About the Author:
Sherrill Sellman is the author of the bestselling book, Hormone
Heresy: What Women Must Know About Their Hormones. She can be
contacted via her website, http://www.ssellman.com, or by email at
golight@.... To subscribe to her monthly HormoneWise e-
Digest, send an email to hwise@....