SUNDAY July 6, 2008 (foodconsumer.org) -- Xylitol may be a
new weapon to fight tooth decay in toddlers, according to a new study presented
during the 86th General Session of the International Association for Dental
Research.
The trial was conducted in the Republic of the Marshall
Islands involving children age 6 to 15 months to determine whether the substance
can prevent early childhood tooth decay.
In the trial, participants were given oral doses of xylitol
in fruit-flavored syrup daily.
Researchers found among those who received xylitol, 76
percent were free of tooth decay by the end of the study compared to 48 percent
of the children in the control group who did not receive the sugar.
Researchers were from the Northwest/Alaska Center to Reduce
Oral Health Disparities and the Department of Dental Public Health Sciences at
the University of Washington, Seattle.
Xylitol is a naturally occurring non-cavity-causing
sweetener, and commonly used by people with diabetes.
Early studies have already showed that this
substance is tooth-friendly and even prevents tooth decay.
Finnish studies conducted in the 1970s found those who used
chewing gum with xylitol had 1.04 decayed, missing, or filled teeth compared to
2.92 in those who used chewing gum with sucrose, according to Wikipedia.
Another study showed that the xylitol group had their risk
of cavities reduced by 70 percent compared to those who did not use xylitol.
The Food and Drug Administration reportedly has allowed the
claim that xylitol-based products do not promote dental cavities.
It is unknown whether use of xylitol caused any side or
adverse effects in toddlers in the current trial.
Caution needs to be exercised because Xylitol,
like most sugar alcohols, can cause a laxative effect, according to Wikipedia.
The free online cyclopedia also cited a study saying that
dogs ingesting foods containing high doses of xylitol experienced low blood
sugar (hypoglycemia), which can be life-threatening.
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