Tuesday, February 8, 2011

About Xylitol for baking

There was some questions on Facebook about Xylitol and it was mentioned that it can cause GI upset after doing some reading I have found that it is safe to use in small quantities and to start out with small amounts and see how you react to it. For me I have been fine so far as have the kids but my recipes don't call for a large amount. I have found one Site that explains Xylitol which you may want to take a look at. Also looked it up in my Maximized Living Nutrition Plans book and this is what they have to say; "Xylitol, a natural sugar alcohol, is also a safe replacement for sugar and will not increase blood sugar. Some people prefer the taste of Xylitol over stevia - this is an individual preference. The main sources of commercially produced Xylitol are birch trees and corncobs. In the form that comes from corn, the grain of the corn is never used. However, people sensitive to corn might look to other forms of Xylitol or use stevia instead. Note: Xylitol is typically sweeter than stevia; therefore, less Xylitol is needed when you would otherwise use sugar or stevia.

I also looked it up on Wikipedia too and here is what they have to say;

Xylitol

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Xylitol[1]
Identifiers
CAS number 87-99-0 YesY
ChEMBL CHEMBL96783 YesY
Properties
Molecular formula C5H12O5
Molar mass 152.15 g mol−1
Density 1.52 g/cm³
Melting point

92-96 °C

Boiling point

216 °C

Related compounds
Related alkanes Pentane
YesY(what is this?) (verify)
Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa)
Infobox references
Xylitol crystals

Xylitol (from Greek ξύλον - xyl[on], "wood" + suffix -itol, used to denote sugar alcohols) is a sugar alcohol sweetener used as a naturally occurring sugar substitute. It is found in the fibers of many fruits and vegetables, including various berries, corn husks, oats, and mushrooms.[2] It can be extracted from corn fiber,[3] birch, raspberries, plums, and corn. Xylitol is roughly as sweet as sucrose with only two-thirds the food energy.

As with other sugar alcohols, with the exception of erythritol, consumption in excess of one's laxation threshold (the amount of sweetener that can be consumed before abdominal discomfort sets in) can result in temporary gastrointestinal side effects, such as bloating and diarrhea. Adaptation, an increase of the laxation threshold, occurs with regular intake. Xylitol has a lower laxation threshold than some sugar alcohols, but is more easily tolerated than others such as mannitol and sorbitol.[4][5]

Xylitol is an organic compound with the formula (CHOH)3(CH2OH)2. This achiral species is one of four isomers of 1,2,3,4,5-pentapentanol.

So in conclusion I think it is safe to use in small amounts and if you don't want to try or have unpleasant symptoms change it in my recipes for Agave Nectar, Stevia, or Sugar Cane.

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