Dear Dr. Ellie:
I make a health smoothie daily. Would Xylitol be effective mixing it in? Thanks.
– R.
Dear R.
I view xylitol as a healthy sugar-alternative : stevia and xylitol provide good natural sugar-alternative choices.
I also think raw honey, maple syrup and maybe other raw sugars can be used.
In the drink you will have the dental antibacterial effect of xylitol but not its remineralizing and tooth-protecting effects. I prefer to encourage people to eat a little xylitol after meals, snacks and drinks. If you want to sweeten your drink I think xylitol is a great choice, but I also think there are a several other good alternatives.
Hope this helps!
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Categories: Remineralization, Xylitol
Dear Dr. Ellie,You say in this post that by using xylitol to sweeten a drink " . . you will have the dental antibacterial effect of xylitol but not its remineralizing and tooth-protecting effects."Is this also true when I make "zellie water" by stirring a teaspoon of xylitol in a cup of water to drink? I really don't understand how you have to use xylitol to get all its benefits including remineralizing and protective effects.I'm sorry if you have this elsewhere in your blog or book and I haven't found it yet — this all a wonderful new discovery for me. Thank you very much for this blog and making your Kiss Your Dentist Goodbye book available on Kindle :)djean
hanks for your question – I will try to make this clear!Xylitol is a food – a healthy sweetener – and it is OK and safe to add it into coffee, tea, bake with it, make cookies, smoothies or ice cream with it.(Karen Edwards is a lovely lady who has written a great book with xylitol recipes. Her recipes taste great and we make brownies and cakes with xylitol to serve after my seminars!)http://www.amazon.com/Sweeten-Your-Life-Xylitol-Way/dp/0974604526When you bake with xylitol or add it to drinks like tea or coffee you WILL get plaque-reducing effects. – which MAY be enough to keep teeth healthy.On the other hand, if you have problems like weak teeth, stained teeth or cavities – you need more help than just "less plaque".To strengthen teeth you must build minerals back into your teeth.Xylitol has the power to do this for you – but it cannot do this rebuilding when it is an ingredient (baked inside foods or mixed into acidic drinks).The general rule is that strength will be built into teeth ONLY in an alkaline mouth.If your mouth is acidic – minerals will flow OUT of your teeth – which makes teeth weaker – (not stronger).The more often your mouth is alkaline – the more minerals will go INTO your teeth.(This is an excellent reason for nibbling cheese when drinking something acidic like wine! I view cheese as another great helper in the war of acid vs. alkaline)Dumping your daily xylitol into coffee WILL help reduce infectious plaque BUT in an acidic drink like coffee – xylitol is helpless and unable to build minerals back into teeth.The coffee makes your mouth too acidic – and this acidity will prevent the mineralizing process.So…….my suggestion is NOT to count on xylitol baked into products, drinks or smoothies.My advice is to use the sweetener of your choice in brownies, smoothies etc. ( and xylitol may be your choice, but I am ok with other sweeteners like honey, cane sugar etc- in reasonable amounts.)THEN it will be important to have some xylitol AFTER this drink, smoothie or food.Xylitol eaten in this way will make your mouth alkaline.Xylitol after foods, drinks etc . will not only get rid of plaque, but will strengthen and heal your teeth.Hope I have explained this better here!EllieDr.Ellie Phillips DDSSolutions for Oral Healthwww.DrEllie.comDr Ellie@drellie.com