Hoxsey Cancer Diet Blog

 I wasn’t familiar with Xylitol until I read the Hoxsey Treatment Diet Guidelines.  Seeing it listed as an allowed sweetener quipped my curiosity.  I’ve done a bunch of research and am really excited about the health benefits of Xylitol!

How Does It Taste?

First let’s address the matter of taste.  I can’t stand the taste of Stevia, which is another allowed sugar alternative.  To me it has a strong licorice aftertaste that ruins the flavor of anything I put it in.  Xylitol doesn’t have any aftertaste and in fact tastes just like regular refined sugar.  It has a sweet, clean taste that doesn’t interfere with the flavor of whatever you use it in.  Xylitol can be used at a 1 to 1 ratio to replace sugar and works well in all baked goods (except hard candy).

Where Does It Come From?

Xylitol is a natural substance found in fruits and vegetables, corn cobs, and hardwood trees like birch.  It also occurs naturally in our bodies - during normal metabolism we make up to 15 grams a day.  It is a five-carbon sugar, which means it is an antimicrobial and prevents the grown of bacteria.  It has no known toxic levels, but some folks might notice slight cramping, gas, or mild diarrhea if large amounts of Xylitol are taken all at once.  It’s better to ease into Xylitol usage so that your body’s enzymatic activity can adjust to your increased intake.  Xylitol is often listed as having 40% less calories than other carbohydrates because it is slowly absorbed and only partially utilized by the body.

Xylitol and Insulin

Insulin resistance is linked to abnormalities in cholesterol levels, triglyceride levels, hypertension, diabetes, and an increased risk of heart disease.  Insulin resistance is commonly caused by eating too much refined sugar and too many refined carbohydrates.  These cause a rapid release of glucose, which in turn causes the pancreas to secrete insulin in order to push glucose into your cells.  Over time too much glucose causes stress on your system and your cells become less responsive to insulin  - which is known as insulin resistance.

High insulin levels can lead to hormonal imbalances because high insulin levels increase the production of estrogens and can interfere with healthy ovary functions.  Lowering insulin levels can play a significant role in treating polycystic ovarian syndrome and other hormonal imbalances.

Xylitol is metabolized very slowly.  On the glycemic index refined sugar is rated anywhere from 50 to 100 while Xylitol is rated at 7.  Because it is a natural insulin stabilizer it doesn’t cause an abrupt rise and fall of insulin.  Xylitol won’t raise insulin levels and it helps stop sugar and carbohydrate cravings. 

Xylitol and Your Teeth

Never heard of a sweetener that is actually good for your teeth?  You have now!  Xylitol has been proven to prevent and even reverse tooth decay.  Because Xylitol is non-fermentable and can’t be converted to acids by oral bacteria, it helps to restore the proper alkaline/acid balance in your mouth.  An alkaline environment doesn’t foster bacteria so Xylitol helps prevent tooth decay, gum disease, gingivitis, and periodontal disease.

As you can see, there are a number of great reasons to use Xylitol.  Not only is it ‘legal’ on the Hoxsey Diet, it has many health benefits.  It’s the kind of thing you’d want to recommend to friends and family even if they aren’t on the treatment diet. 

We have several different sizes of Xylitol available at http://www.hoxseycancerdiet.com/.  All of our Healthy Pleasures mixes can be ordered with Xylitol instead of raw sugar.Â

This entry was posted on Saturday, January 12th, 2008 at 5:53 pm and is filed under Sweeteners. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.