Is xylitol a sugar?

Xylitol (C5H12O5) is a five-carbon sugar alcohol and an intermediate product of xylose metabolism. It appears as white powdery crystals and is easily soluble in water. It is widely found in fruits, vegetables, cereals, fungi and other foods and It is a natural and healthy sweetener found in wood, straw, corncob and other plants.

Its sweetness is very similar to sucrose, but it has the advantage of being low in calories compared with sucrose, so it is often used as a sugar substitute and is favored by diabetic patients.

So is xylitol a sugar?

The sugar we usually refer to refers to monosaccharides and disaccharides, such as sucrose, white sugar, glucose, and fructose. Xylitol is a sugar alcohol compound and is the product of the reduction of monosaccharides. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization According to the latest report, sugars include monosaccharides, disaccharides and sugar alcohols. Therefore, xylitol also belongs to sugars.

However, the metabolism of xylitol does not require insulin promotion and can directly provide nutrients to tissues through the cell membrane. After the human body ingests xylitol, the blood glucose content increases very little, which is not enough to cause an increase in blood sugar levels. This is why blood sugar can be stabilized after eating the sweet taste of xylitol.

Can people with diabetes eat more xylose?

In clinical practice, we often hear people with diabetes refer to xylitol foods as "sugar-free foods". In fact, this statement is inappropriate. The so-called "sugar-free" is just because xylitol food contains less sucrose than ordinary food. However, xylitol is also a carbohydrate composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen elements. It can also release heat energy after oxidation in the human body.

In addition, staple xylitol foods (biscuits, pastries, etc.), while reducing sucrose, often increase the amount of starch and oil in order to pursue taste, resulting in higher calories. Sugar is not the only substance that causes our blood sugar to rise. Overall calories are also the "culprit", so excessive consumption of xylitol foods should be avoided.

Application of xylitol in food

1. Substitution in baked goods

Application in sugar-free pastries. Sugar-free pastries do not use sucrose from filling to dough. Various "sugar-free sweeteners" that are both sweet and produce no or very low calories are used instead of sucrose. Sugar-free cakes made with liquid xylitol will not cause Metodactyl browning after baking. The surface color is lighter and the taste is better.

2. Xylitol can be used as an additive to wine to improve the quality of wine

Japanese research believes that adding 0.15% to 3% xylitol can improve the color, aroma and taste of wine. For example, adding 0.13% xylitol to synthetic alcohol instead of glucose can make the sake have a mellow aroma, soft sweetness, and have the property of reducing microbial spoilage.

Similar results were achieved by adding 0.15%-2% xylitol to whiskey. Adding 1.15% xylitol to liquor can make the liquor taste smooth and mellow. Baoding Winery in my country applies xylitol to Hongliang Daqu at a dosage of 1% as a flavoring agent. After tasting, it is believed that the aroma is richer and fuller than before preparation, and the taste is mellow, and the aftertaste is sweet and long.

3. Application of xylitol in chocolate products

Chocolate made with xylitol is suitable for diabetics. Like fructose, sorbitol or mannitol, xylitol can replace sucrose in chocolate products. However, xylitol must be finely ground powder, and the relative humidity of the air must be adjusted during the production process. If the relative humidity of the air exceeds 80%, the produced product will have a rough "sandy" structure after being stored for a period of time.

4. Application of xylitol in beverages

Ordinary beverages are generally made by adding sucrose and a certain amount of acid and other ingredients. Sugar-free beverages can be combined with xylitol and maltitol under low temperature conditions to achieve a soft and mellow taste of the finished beverage without adding any high sweetness. Flavor agent, the finished product is refreshing and pleasant.

Xylitol can be formulated with other sugar alcohols and fructose, or it can be used alone in sugar-free tea drinks, fruit drinks and health drinks. In addition, xylitol can also control caloric value, stabilize and protect nutrients from damage, and improve the aftertaste, texture and cooling feeling of beverages.

5. Application of xylitol in dairy products

As a new type of functional factor that can improve gastrointestinal function, xylitol has high functional properties and is a promising functional additive factor. Sugar-free yogurt made with xylitol has the nutritional value of milk, can promote the proliferation of bifidobacteria, digestion and absorption of nutrients, and improve human immunity and other health functions. It is increasingly becoming a favorite among middle-aged and elderly people and children. Dairy products.

And because of its weight loss effect, it is especially popular with women. If jam, fruit pieces, natural pigments and flavors are added to make yogurt with different flavors, it can meet the needs of consumers with different preferences for nutritional and health-care functional yogurt.

6. Application of xylitol in candies

Chewing gum and candies containing xylitol as the primary sweetener have been officially recognized by six national dental health associations. Ordinary hard candies usually contain sucrose and glucose syrup, which prevents crystallization and makes the product a non-crystalline, transparent solid.

Low-energy candies have become a hot consumption and development focus in today's international candy market. Xylitol is used as a bulking sweetener instead of sucrose to produce candies. There is no need to add other powerful sweeteners such as aspartame and saccharin, and there is no need during the manufacturing process. Boiling will occur, and recrystallization requires less space, equipment, time and energy. The candies produced have a better taste than other "non-sucrose" candies, with pure sweetness, refreshing and cold taste, and no bad aftertaste.

Due to the special molecular structure,Maillard reaction does not occur. When sugar is boiled, the sugar body has a stable color and can withstand the high temperatures during sugar boiling and is not prone to decomposition. However, powerful sweeteners have poor thermal stability and are prone to decomposition at high temperatures, resulting in loss of sweetness. Xylitol alone cannot yet create a malleable product, but it can if mixed with sorbitol.