Benefits of xylitol for the body
1. Xylitol can reduce the accumulation of fat in the body. The taste and sweetness of xylitol are similar to sucrose, but its calories are only 60% of sucrose. Based on this, many friends believe that it is precisely because xylitol has lower calories that it can lose weight. Actually, that's not the case. If the body is regulated normally, it is sufficient for adults to consume 10-20g per day, which has little impact on the total calorie intake of the human body during the day. Therefore, the low calorie content of xylitol is not the main reason why it can help people lose weight.
(1) The metabolic products of xylitol can promote the synthesis of lipase. The function of lipase is to degrade fat in the human body. Therefore, an increase in lipase in the human body will promote the consumption of fat and reduce the accumulation of fat. Xylitol produces an intermediate product called 5-phosphate D-xylulose during metabolism. This substance can promote the transcription of lipase genes in the human body, thereby increasing the number of mRNA that can be translated to produce lipase, ultimately leading to an increase in the number of lipase synthesized in the human body. The synthesized lipase will promote the degradation of fat in the human body.
(2) Xylitol can slow down the rate of gastric emptying and increase the feeling of fullness. As we all know, if the rate of gastric emptying slows down and the feeling of fullness increases, people will not feel hungry, thus effectively reducing the amount of food they consume and naturally controlling their weight. American scientists Rex B Shafer et al. conducted a special study on the effect of xylitol on increasing satiety. Rex B Shafer's study found that xylitol can effectively slow down the rate of gastric emptying. In this way, adding xylitol to food can increase a person's satiety and reduce excessive calorie intake, which has a positive effect on weight management and human health.
2. Xylitol promotes bone health. As age increases, osteoporosis and decreased bone density will have a serious impact on human health. This is also one of the important factors that elderly people are prone to fractures, affecting their quality of life and even lifespan. Reducing bone resorption and promoting bone health will be important measures to improve people's quality of life. Xylitol plays an important role in maintaining human bone health, and many experts are actively studying its effects on bone health. The research results published by Mattila PT et al. in Metabolism indicate that adding 10% xylitol to food will effectively reduce bone resorption; If 10% xylitol is added to food, along with 10% ethanol, it will greatly improve the effect of xylitol on reducing bone resorption.
3. Xylitol is beneficial for improving the body's immune system. White blood cells are the last barrier of the body's immune system, and the fundamental way to improve the body's immune system is to increase the activity of white blood cells. Marjo Renko et al. conducted experimental validation on the effect of xylitol on enhancing the body's immunity. Experiments have shown that xylitol has a significant effect on improving the body's immune system.
Of course, xylitol also has certain hazards:
1. Xylitol has a cold nature and is not easily broken down by enzymes in the stomach. It generally enters the intestines directly, and the absorption rate of xylitol in the intestines is less than 20%, making it easy to affect the intestinal wall. Excessive intake of xylitol can cause irritation and damage to the gastrointestinal tract, leading to abdominal discomfort, bloating, bowel ringing, and diarrhea.
2. Xylitol is a low calorie food, but it is not without any calories. Eating too much Xylitol can also release a large amount of calories, leading to obesity or high blood lipids. For people with diabetes, this sugar alcohol will cause the increase of triglycerides in the blood, which will lead to arteriosclerosis and bring a lot of losses to people. Therefore, it is not advisable to consume too much xylitol.