Do stevia and xylitol kill oral bacteria?

As promised in Friday's article about stevia, today I am going to profile the sugar-free sweetener xylitol. Again, I want to ... While some studies find xylitol can improve overall oral health and others claim xylitol can prevent cavities, there are still some that find it has no cavity-preventative benefits. read more

Habitual use of xylitol-containing food and oral hygiene adjuvants has been shown to reduce the growth of dental plaque, to interfere with the growth of caries-associated bacteria, to decrease the incidence of dental caries, and to be associated with remineralization of caries lesions. read more

Since oral bacteria do not metabolize xylitol, they do not create the same cavity-producing metabolites as they would from sugar so replacing sugary foods with xylitol helps to prevent cavities and tooth decay. In addition, a study by Mäkinen found that chewing xylitol-containing gum has even been found to help with teeth re-mineralization. read more

Although xylitol can kill the "bad" bacteria in the mouth, it can also feed the friendly bacteria in the gut, which is a good thing . In this regard, it functions kind of like soluble fiber. Bottom Line: Xylitol may help to increase collagen production and reduce the risk of osteoporosis. read more