No serious health risk exists in most humans for normal levels of consumption. The European Food Safety Authority has not set a limit on daily intake of xylitol. Due to the adverse laxative effect that all polyols have on the digestive system in high doses, xylitol is banned from soft drinks in the European Union. Similarly due to a 1985 report, by the E.U. Scientific Committee on Food, stating that "ingesting 50g a day of xylitol can cause diarrhea", tabletop sweeteners, as well as other products containing xylitol are required to display the warning: "Excessive consumption may induce laxative effects". [18] Metabolism [ edit ] All sweeteners in Great Britain undergo a rigorous safety assessment before they can be used in food and drink. All approved sweeteners are considered a safe and acceptable alternative to using sugar. The law determines how much sweetener can be used and in which products. A 2018 study suggests that xylitol is safe in cats in doses of up to 1000mg/kg; however, this study was performed on only 6 cats, and should not be considered definitive. [40] See also [ edit ] Xylitol may be useful as an alternative to sugar for people with diabetes as it does not raise blood glucose or insulin levels, and has a reduced caloric value (2.4 kcal/g compared to 4.0 for sucrose), which is consistent with the objective of weight control.

Xylitol is also found as an additive to saline solution for nasal irrigation and has been reported to be effective in improving symptoms of chronic sinusitis. [14] If you suspect that your dog has eaten something containing xylitol, you need to get them to the vets straight away as it can be absorbed into the blood stream rapidly.Studies carried out in the United States to analyse the effect of xylitol and sorbitol blends in chewing gum and mints on dental plaque (the main cause of tooth decay and gum disease ) showed a considerable decline in plaque growth. Stimulates salivary flow Sugar Alcohols (PDF) (Report). Canadian Diabetes Association. 1 May 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 April 2012 . Retrieved 14 March 2012. Marom, Tal; Marchisio, Paola; Tamir, Sharon Ovnat; Torretta, Sara; Gavriel, Haim; Esposito, Susanna (12 February 2016). "Complementary and alternative medicine treatment options for otitis media". Medicine. 95 (6): e2695. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000002695. ISSN 0025-7974. PMC 4753897. PMID 26871802. EFSA panel (April 2011). "Scientific opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to the sugar replacers xylitol, sorbitol, mannitol, maltitol, lactitol, isomalt, erythritol, D-tagatose, isomaltulose, sucralose and polydextrose and maintenance of tooth mineralisation by decreasing tooth demineralisation, and reduction of post-prandial glycaemic responses". EFSA Journal. 9 (4): 2076. doi: 10.2903/j.efsa.2011.2076. Products sweetened with xylitol such as mints and chewing gum produce a pleasant cooling effect which, combined with their sweetness, creates an increase in salivary flow that helps repair damaged tooth enamel. Helpful for diabetics

Keep xylitol products out of reach of all pets in the home What should I do if my dog has eaten xylitol? This means that most of those sweet coatings on pills, and also one of the ingredients in many chewy vitamins is an artificial sugar substitute, and this is often xylitol. Wrolstad, Ronald E. (2012). Food Carbohydrate Chemistry. John Wiley & Sons. p.176. ISBN 9780813826653 . Retrieved 20 October 2012– via Google Books. EFSA pannel (June 2011). "Scientific opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to sugar-free chewing gum sweetened with xylitol and plaque acid neutralisation (ID 485), maintenance of tooth mineralisation (ID 486, 562, 1181), reduction of dental plaque (ID 485, 3085)". EFSA Journal. 9 (6): 2266. doi: 10.2903/j.efsa.2011.2266. Whilst the amount of xylitol that any dog would have to consume to be dangerous can vary depending on the amount of xylitol in the product itself and the size of the dog in question, dogs should never be given or allowed to eat anything containing xylitol, and if you know or suspect that your dog has eaten xylitol, you should speak to your vet immediately.After this, your dog is likely to be put on a sugar intravenous drip to regulate blood sugar levels and kept under close monitoring for two to three days. If the liver is affected, it's far more serious and will normally require specialist lifesaving treatment. Is xylitol dangerous to other pets in the household? The substance occurs naturally in many fruits and vegetables and is even produced by the human body during normal metabolism. Xylitol is stable enough to be used in baking, [16] but because xylitol and other polyols are more heat-stable, they do not caramelise as sugars do. When used in foods, they lower the freezing point of the mixture. [17] Food risks [ edit ]