Not all sugar substitutes are created equally...

To me, one of the worst effects of sugar substitutes is the bitter after-taste.  Not so with Xylitol, a nealthy, natural sweetener with the same wonderful taste as actual sugar.

According to Xlear.com, pure Xylitol is a white crystalline substance that looks and tastes like sugar. It is a naturally occurring 5-carbon sugar alcohol found in many fruits and vegetables and produced in small amounts by the human body. For commercial use, it is manufactured from xylan hemicellulose sources such as Birch trees, cane bagasse and corn cobs/stalks. It is the sweetest of the polyols with the same sweetness as sugar (sucrose) but with 40% fewer calories and none of the negative tooth decay or insulin release effects of sugar.

Xlear.com also reports these Health Benefits:
1. Xylitol is one of bacteria's natural enemies. When certain harmful bacteria enter the body, they attach to the membranes of the nose and throat. They begin to culture and grow, causing infection and sickness.

When exposed to Xylitol (specifically Strep pneumo and H Flu), these harmful bacteria lose their ability to adhere to infected membranes and are not able to grow. Unlike most antibiotics, which kill the majority of bacteria and leave the resistant "super bacteria" behind, Xylitol merely flushes harmful bacteria away.

2. Significant dental benefits. These benefits have been confirmed in numerous field studies conducted throughout the world and has lead to official endorsements by the dental association in Finland, Norway, Sweden, England, Ireland, Estonia and the Netherlands of products containing high levels of this sweetener.

Xylitol has been clinically proven to:

Xylitol is also:
Recommended by Dentists, Medical Doctors, Periodontists, Pediatricians and many health organizations and health professionals worldwide.

Recommended as a sweetener for diabetics and people with hypoglycemia. It has a LOW GLYCEMIC INDEX (7) and has little effect on blood sugar levels.

Recommended as a natural replacement for fluoride. Clinical studies show that Xylitol helps reduce cavities up to 80%. It reduces plaque and allows fluoride to more easily penetrate teeth.

Xylitol is available at most natural health food stores.