The best part of research is when you encounter a serendipitous finding. This is what happened to me as I was researching this great little product known as xylitol.

I thought it to be merely a safer sweetening substitute; an alternative for refined sugar and aspartame (this evil invention will be a later topic). The serendipitous part is this: xylitol detains and/or thwarts cavities!

Xylitol is a most interesting substance. It was discovered in 1891 by a German chemist named Emil Fischer and has been in use since the 1960s.

Xylitol is odorless, quick-dissolving and naturally found in many fruits and vegetables. It has a sweet taste similar to sucrose.

Frequent consumption of foods high in sugar and starches promotes tooth decay. The sugar alcohols in xylitol do not promote tooth decay. And, it has 33 percent fewer calories than the same amount of sugar. This product is making strides in gaining acceptance mainly for its role in reducing the development of cavities.

As well as naturally occurring in many fruits and veggies, xylitol is produced in our bodies during normal metabolism. The commercial processing of this wonder substance comes from birch and other hardwood trees and fibrous vegetations. It produces a cooling sensation in the mouth.

More than 35 countries have approved the use of xylitol, which is combined with pharmaceuticals, chewing gums, gum drops/hard candy, and oral-health products such as cough syrups, throat lozenges, children’s chewable multi-vitamins, toothpastes and mouthwashes.

Study findings

According to the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, the role of sugar substitutes such as xylitol in the prevention of cavities has been investigated in several studies that concluded the following:

* Extensive dentin caries (cavities) were totally re-hardened (re-mineralized) after use of xylitol gum.

* Xylitol is as effective as a dental sealant.

* Xylitol reduces plaque

* Children had 70 percent fewer cavities when their mothers chewed xylitol gum while pregnant, even though the children themselves did not chew the gum!

* Xylitol can reduce ear infections and can inhibit viruses and bacteria (unlike refined sugar!)

Cooking with xylitol

If you are interested in trying xylitol powder for cooking, I’ve located a very good source online, and they seemed to have the best prices.

As with all healthier options, for some reason (and hopefully one day this will change drastically), it is always more expensive. The name of the company is Vita Net and their toll-free number is (800) 877-8702. You could also visit your local health food markets — if they don’t carry xylitol products, I’ll bet they would order them for you.

It would be wise to start slow with xylitol as there have been complaints from a small percentage of takers that diarrhea occurred. Remember, not everything bothers everyone, but some things do bother some folks. Start conservatively and work up to regular amounts.

With the holidays nearing, here is a “mostly” sugar-free pecan pie recipe.

Almost sugar-free pecan pie

3 large free-range eggs, beaten

3 tablespoons melted butter (not margarine)

1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup of erythritol (xylitol kicked up a notch)

2 tablespoons sprout spelt flour

1/4 teaspoon stevia powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix the first five ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Mix remaining ingredients in a separate bowl and add to the moist ingredients.

Stir all together and pour into an unbaked store-bought pie crust (this is much quicker!). Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees and bake for 45 minutes more. (The baking could be a few minutes longer or shorter depending upon your oven type). The pie will swell slightly before it is done. Allow to cool one hour prior to cutting.

All these ingredients should be found at your local health food market of choice.

Baking tip: If you can afford it, use pure vanilla extract. The very best vanilla extract comes from Madagascar, but Mexico makes very good extract too. However, make certain that the extract purchased is not derived from the tonka bean! These beans have been banned from human consumption by the FDA because they contain coumarin, which is a powerful blood thinner. You can expect to pay from $10 to $20 per 16-ounce bottle of Mexican vanilla extract.



Address correspondence to Jody Godfrey, c/o The Joplin Globe, P.O. Box 7, Joplin, MO 64802.