What is xylitol

Xylitol (also called pentapentol) is a five-carbon sugar alcohol. Its molecular formula is C5H12O5. It is a normal intermediate product of xylose metabolism. It looks like a crystalline white powder and is widely found in fruits, vegetables, and cereals. , mushrooms and other foods and wood, straw, corn cobs and other plants. It can be used as sweeteners, nutrients and pharmaceuticals and is widely used in chemical, food, pharmaceutical and other industries. As a functional sweetener, xylitol can participate in human metabolism. After entering the blood, it can penetrate into cells without insulin and is metabolized quickly. It will not cause blood sugar to rise. It is a nutrient that is more suitable for diabetic patients. type sugar substitute. However, xylitol, like glucose, is a carbohydrate composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen elements. Xylitol may not require insulin to participate in the initial metabolism, but in the later stages of metabolism, it requires the promotion of insulin. Therefore, xylitol cannot replace glucose to correct metabolic disorders, nor can it reduce blood sugar, urine sugar, or improve clinical symptoms. Clinical practice shows that xylitol cannot treat diabetes, and eating too much xylitol can increase blood triglycerides and cause coronary atherosclerosis. Therefore, people with diabetes should not eat more xylitol. Compared with ordinary sugar, xylitol has the advantage of being low in calories, and it can also help clean teeth to a certain extent. However, excessive consumption may also cause side effects such as diarrhea, which cannot be ignored.