Xylitol Among Healthy Sweeteners.

Xylitol Among Healthy Sweeteners.

In a lengthy article titled “A Healthy Candy Revolution,” Canadian Manufacturing (5/13, Hein) reports on several sugar alternatives that candy manufacturers are turning to in their attempt to move their products in a more healthy direction. The article notes that one of those sugar alternatives is xylitol, which “is safe for diabetics and provides substantial oral health benefits.” One manufacturer of the sweetener, has a line of candy that uses xylitol and includes lollipops, gum, hard candy, mints, and taffy that is available at Whole Foods, the article notes. Moreover, “Xylitol has received positive support in the Journal Of The American Dental Association and from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine” and a recent paper in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that xylitol chewing gum “can provide a ‘real clinical benefit’ in terms of several oral health issues that commonly affect many seniors.”