What Is Xylitol And Why I Love It As A Type 1.5 Diabetic (Mixed-Type Diabetes)
As a type 1 diabetic, more specifically a type 1.5 diabetic (mixed-type diabetes), xylitol is a blessing. I love it. I have been using it for years now and have gradually incorporated it into my life in many different ways while managing my Red Sugar Life day-to-day.
Xylitol in its pure form is not an artificial sweetener. I actually try to avoid artificial sweeteners for many reasons as they are not good for me overall. Xylitol is a sugar alcohol that is similar in taste and form to sugar, but it is not table sugar. The xylitol that I use in food/beverages, is pure and extracted from birch.
Why I use it and love it:
As a type 1 diabetic, low-carb eating and low-carb foods are simply part of my Red Sugar Life, and xylitol fits into it perfectly.
- Xylitol does not spike my blood sugar or blood glucose. As a type 1.5 diabetic, I battle insulin resistance all day, everyday, so anything that does not make my struggle more difficult by spiking my blood sugar when I eat it is good. But when it is also something that actually tastes good TO ME, is a natural food, and is versatile? I have a winner on my hands.
- Xylitol does not harm my teeth, in fact, it helps my oral health. As a diabetic, I have to pay extra special attention to my oral care as I am more susceptible to oral problems than non-diabetics due to my type 1 diabetes being an autoimmune disease that affects my ENTIRE body.
- Xylitol does not give me adverse reactions or digestive/stomach issues. Throughout my journey as a type 1 diabetic I have tried foods and products with other sugar alcohols (that also had other chemicals and stuff in them) and have had bad reactions to them. Really bad. I mean, embarrassingly bad. But not with xylitol.
- Xylitol is very versatile and is used in things other than food/beverages: There are so many xylitol products I use/have used, including xylitol nasal sprays, xylitol toothpaste, xylitol mouthwash, xylitol chewing gum, xylitol mints, etc.
Real, pure xylitol from birch (from Health Garden shown in pic below) is what I use. There is no aftertaste. Really, there isn’t. I have made beverages for family to introduce them to xylitol and they LOVED it. They too can attest to there being no weird aftertaste or adverse reactions when using it. I use it in food and beverages, one of my absolute favorites being hot tea. Check out my awesome sweet xylitol tea recipe here!: I also use stevia at times as well. Different sweeteners do different things.
You do NOT need to be a diabetic in order to enjoy xylitol
I even have family members and friends using xylitol and xylitol products now as they see and feel some of the benefits of it just like I do even though they do not have type 1 diabetes or type 1.5 diabetes. Some of them LOVE the xylitol gum and mints, and also love the fact that it is actually GOOD for their teeth. I’m not much of a gum chewer, but in the occasions that I do chew gum, it is ONLY EVER xylitol gum, because the benefits are THAT great.
(I love these xylitol mints and gum)
Xylitol has become a staple in my Red Sugar Life
It is very rare that I come across something that is SO extremely helpful AND pleasant to use in managing my Red Sugar Life day-to-day. Even if I weren’t a type 1 diabetic, xylitol is extremely helpful anyway because of all of its beneficial properties. In fact, I am about to go make some tea with xylitol right now, yummy!
~Luna
