Why may it be important to be able to eat xylitol only to ev

Why may it be important to be able to eat xylitol only to eventually use its part to form glucose?

Solution

Xylitol is a natural carbohydrate occurring freely in plant parts like fruits ,barks of certain plants like birch.

It is natural 5- carbon sugar alcohol which is normally oxidized into carbon dioxide and water by the normal pathway of the carbohydrate metabolism. It supplies large amounts of liver glycogen or the D- glucose and majority of it is degraded in the liver(85%) ,followed by the kidneys(10%) and only small amount is used up by the blood cells.

When compared to normal sugar the calories provided by Xylitol are less (2.4cals /gm)and is a refined sweetener without any vitamins or minerals.

One important fact about Xylitol is that it has low glycemic index and does not increase the levels of blood sugar and hence finds its use as an artificial sweetener and has no effect on the levels of insulin.Small amounts of Xylitol are known to improve diabetic symptoms..It is also known to reduce belly fat and prevent weight gain.

the other positive effects of Xylitol are that it is known to be antibacterial in mouth and thus prevents the growth of harmful bacteria in mouth, prevent plaque formation,known ot have pre biotic effect on the gut bacteria, reduces the risk of osteoporosis,increases absorption of calcium, and reduces the acidity of saliva.