Is Xylitol Bad for You? Here’s How It May Affect Your Health

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHealth BenefitsWho Should AvoidSide EffectsWhere It Comes FromToxic to Dogs

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Health Benefits

Who Should Avoid

Side Effects

Where It Comes From

Toxic to Dogs

Xylitolis a natural sugar-free sweetener derived from fruits and vegetables. It tastes as sweet as sugar and is well-known for being diabetes-friendly and improving dental health. It’s one of many sweeteners classified as asugar alcohol.

While it has some clear health benefits, xylitol also has some drawbacks, especially for certain people—and if you have a dog or ferret, you need to know that it poses a real danger to them.

1. Doesn’t Spike Blood Sugar or Insulin

Xylitol is considered diabetes-friendly because it’s very low on theglycemic index (GI), which is a measurement of how fast a food raises yourblood sugar. Sugar’s GI score is about 60, while xylitol’s is just 7.

A lower GI score means the food is associated with sustained energy instead of the spike and sudden drop experienced with sugar.

Xylitol also has fewer calories and carbohydrates than sugar. This is believed to be beneficial for people who:

Using Xylitol at HomeYou can buy xylitol powder to use in your coffee, tea, and baked goods. It’s a one-to-one sugar replacement in recipes, meaning the same amount of xylitol as sugar can be used.

Using Xylitol at Home

You can buy xylitol powder to use in your coffee, tea, and baked goods. It’s a one-to-one sugar replacement in recipes, meaning the same amount of xylitol as sugar can be used.

Glycemic Index vs Glycemic Load: Controlling Blood Sugar

2. Xylitol Boosts Dental Health

Compared to sugar, xylitol is good for your dental health because it doesn’t increase harmful bacteria. Studies show a marked difference in oral health between people who use gum, candy, and lozenges containing sugar and those who substitute xylitol-containing products.

Researchers say xylitol should be part of a plan to preventdental cavitiesand promote oral health.

3. Helps Prevent Ear and Yeast Infections

It may also inhibit the growth of:

4. Other Potential Health Benefits

While limited, research has linked xylitol to potential health benefits such as:

Preliminary research into these benefits is promising, but more research is needed to confirm these results.

Who Should Avoid Xylitol?

Xylitol may not be safe for everyone. So far, problems with the sweetener have been found in people withirritable bowel syndrome (IBS)andheart disease.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

IBS is a disorder of communication between the gut and the brain, with digestive symptoms including abdominal pain and constipation and/or diarrhea. With IBS, you may have unpleasant digestive side effects from xylitol.

Cardiovascular Health

Early research suggests higher blood levels of xylitol may worsen heart disease. It’s been linked to an increased risk ofheart attackandstrokeand to increased blood clotting in mice and extracted human blood.

In one study, high xylitol consumption made people about 50% more likely to have a cardiovascular event in the next three years.

More research is needed to confirm these findings. Meanwhile, if you have heart disease or are at high risk for it, you may want to avoid ingesting large amounts of xylitol.

Other Possible Side Effects

If you notice digestive symptoms, eliminate xylitol and then add it back in small, slowly increasing amounts to see if your body can adjust to it.

Where Does Xylitol Come From?

Thefibrousportions of some fruits, vegetables, and the cellulose of certain wood species naturally contain trace amounts of xylitol. The xylitol found in commercial products comes from birch sap and corn.

The production of commercial xylitol from its natural sources may involve a chemical reaction called hydrogenation or a microbial process.

Not That Kind of AlcoholDon’t let the term “sugar alcohol” scare you—it won’t make you intoxicated. The type of alcohol in beer, wine, and liquor is ethanol, which is not present in sugar alcohols.

Not That Kind of Alcohol

Don’t let the term “sugar alcohol” scare you—it won’t make you intoxicated. The type of alcohol in beer, wine, and liquor is ethanol, which is not present in sugar alcohols.

Where Do You Find Xylitol?

Xylitol is commonly used in products such as sugar-free/diabetes-friendly:

You can also find it in healthcare products, including:

In ingredients lists, xylitol may be called:

Warning: It’s Highly Toxic to Dogs

It’s vital to keep xylitol away from your canine companions—it can kill them. Dogs’ digestive systems absorb xylitol differently than humans’ do, and it can cause a rapid increase in insulin levels that profoundly decreases blood sugar levels.Insulin is a hormone that allows cells to take in glucose (sugar) from the blood to use for energy.

Untreated, this can be a fatal reaction, and it happens fast. Signs of xylitol poisoning can start within 20 minutes of your dog ingesting it.

Watch for:

If you know or suspect your dog has eaten xylitol,immediatelycall a veterinarian, an emergency vet, or an animal poison control center. Your quick action may save your pup’s life.

Also Toxic to Ferrets

After eating xylitol, some ferrets have had reactions similar to that in dogs. It’s best to keep xylitol away from them and watch for symptoms if they ingest some.

What About Cats and Other Pets?Cats and other common household pets have not been shown to have an adverse reaction to xylitol.

What About Cats and Other Pets?

Cats and other common household pets have not been shown to have an adverse reaction to xylitol.

Summary

Xylitol is a sugar alcohol that’s commonly used to sweeten diabetes-friendly foods, oral-care products, liquid medicines, and dietary supplements. Compared to sugar, it has a minimal effect on blood sugars and helps reduce dental cavities.

Xylitol may have other health benefits, including preventing ear and sinus infections, increasing bone density, and relieving constipation. However, it may not be safe for people with irritable bowel syndrome or heart disease.

Possible side effects include gas, bloating, and diarrhea. Most people can consume xylitol safely. However, it’s highly toxic to dogs and ferrets, so act quickly if your pet ingests anything containing xylitol.

Artificial Sweeteners & Type 2 Diabetes

9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Harvard Medical School, Harvard Health Publishing.Xylitol: what to know about this popular sugar substitute.ALHumaid J, Bamashmous M.Meta-analysis on the effectiveness of xylitol in caries prevention.J Int Soc Prev Community Dent. 2022;12(2):133-138. doi:10.4103/jispcd.JISPCD_164_21Salli K, Lehtinen MJ, Tiihonen K, Ouwehand AC.Xylitol’s health benefits beyond dental health: a comprehensive review.Nutrients. 2019;11(8):1813. doi:10.3390/nu11081813Monash University.Sweeteners and the low FODMAP diet. May 20, 2020.Witkowski M, Nemet I, Li XS, et al.Xylitol is prothrombotic and associated with cardiovascular risk.Eur Heart J. 2024;45(27):2439-2452. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehae244AllXylitol.How xylitol is produced.University of Pennsylvania, PennToday.The ins and outs of sugar alcohol.U.S. Food & Drug Administration.Paws off Xylitol; It’s dangerous for dogs.U.S. Food & Drug Administration.Paws off! Xylitol is toxic to dogs.

9 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Harvard Medical School, Harvard Health Publishing.Xylitol: what to know about this popular sugar substitute.ALHumaid J, Bamashmous M.Meta-analysis on the effectiveness of xylitol in caries prevention.J Int Soc Prev Community Dent. 2022;12(2):133-138. doi:10.4103/jispcd.JISPCD_164_21Salli K, Lehtinen MJ, Tiihonen K, Ouwehand AC.Xylitol’s health benefits beyond dental health: a comprehensive review.Nutrients. 2019;11(8):1813. doi:10.3390/nu11081813Monash University.Sweeteners and the low FODMAP diet. May 20, 2020.Witkowski M, Nemet I, Li XS, et al.Xylitol is prothrombotic and associated with cardiovascular risk.Eur Heart J. 2024;45(27):2439-2452. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehae244AllXylitol.How xylitol is produced.University of Pennsylvania, PennToday.The ins and outs of sugar alcohol.U.S. Food & Drug Administration.Paws off Xylitol; It’s dangerous for dogs.U.S. Food & Drug Administration.Paws off! Xylitol is toxic to dogs.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Harvard Medical School, Harvard Health Publishing.Xylitol: what to know about this popular sugar substitute.ALHumaid J, Bamashmous M.Meta-analysis on the effectiveness of xylitol in caries prevention.J Int Soc Prev Community Dent. 2022;12(2):133-138. doi:10.4103/jispcd.JISPCD_164_21Salli K, Lehtinen MJ, Tiihonen K, Ouwehand AC.Xylitol’s health benefits beyond dental health: a comprehensive review.Nutrients. 2019;11(8):1813. doi:10.3390/nu11081813Monash University.Sweeteners and the low FODMAP diet. May 20, 2020.Witkowski M, Nemet I, Li XS, et al.Xylitol is prothrombotic and associated with cardiovascular risk.Eur Heart J. 2024;45(27):2439-2452. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehae244AllXylitol.How xylitol is produced.University of Pennsylvania, PennToday.The ins and outs of sugar alcohol.U.S. Food & Drug Administration.Paws off Xylitol; It’s dangerous for dogs.U.S. Food & Drug Administration.Paws off! Xylitol is toxic to dogs.

Harvard Medical School, Harvard Health Publishing.Xylitol: what to know about this popular sugar substitute.

ALHumaid J, Bamashmous M.Meta-analysis on the effectiveness of xylitol in caries prevention.J Int Soc Prev Community Dent. 2022;12(2):133-138. doi:10.4103/jispcd.JISPCD_164_21

Salli K, Lehtinen MJ, Tiihonen K, Ouwehand AC.Xylitol’s health benefits beyond dental health: a comprehensive review.Nutrients. 2019;11(8):1813. doi:10.3390/nu11081813

Monash University.Sweeteners and the low FODMAP diet. May 20, 2020.

Witkowski M, Nemet I, Li XS, et al.Xylitol is prothrombotic and associated with cardiovascular risk.Eur Heart J. 2024;45(27):2439-2452. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehae244

AllXylitol.How xylitol is produced.

University of Pennsylvania, PennToday.The ins and outs of sugar alcohol.

U.S. Food & Drug Administration.Paws off Xylitol; It’s dangerous for dogs.

U.S. Food & Drug Administration.Paws off! Xylitol is toxic to dogs.

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