Hi,
I am unclear on how much xylitol one should consume daily. At first I thought you were recommending 6.5-10 grams per day which would mean 13 mints in one day to meet the 6.5 gram requirement… Though you say online to consume at least 6.5 grams 5 times per day. So, that would mean someone would need to eat 13 mints at once 5 times per day? Which is correct? Are dosages different for kids vs. adults?
Thanks
K
Hi K,
Initially studies suggested the importance of having ENOUGH xylitol each day. There was a study in 2001 that told us it was important to have between 6.5 and 10 grams a day.
NEW RESEARCH, since then, indicates FREQUENCY may be more important. Now we suggest you try to have at least 5 exposures to xylitol each day.
In other words, putting two teaspoons of xylitol (10 grams) into ONE cup of tea probably will not help you ….BUT the same amount, eaten as 2 grams x 5 times a day would work well ! Xylitol is best after meals and snacks.
I usually suggest you think how many times a day you eat or snack.
I have 3 meals a day and 4 snacks.
I usually have one gram of xylitol after everything I eat or drink 7 times a day.
(This is usually two Zellies mints or sometimes a piece of gum).
This means that at the end of the day I have had 7 grams of xylitol total (by having 7 x one gram exposures).
More than this is safe but more than 10 grams a day will not make your teeth any stronger or healthier
(according to the studies). The studies showed that at 10 grams a day there are no more benefits for teeth!
This is called the palateur effect.
Hope this answers the question and clarifies the dosage! For smaller children I would focus on frequency and not worry too much about the total amount. For infants, wiping the childs teeth would be counted as an exposure.
Ellie
Ellie Phillips DDS
http://www.zellies.com/
Dental Health for Everyone!
author, Kiss Your Dentist Goodbye
Categories: Xylitol
Given the five exposures vs. 6.5-10 grams daily, would it be okay to reduce the "dose" to five exposures of .5 grams (1 Zellies mint) five plus times per day in an effort to economize (for a family of five)?
The question is, "how at risk are you? People at low risk may be OK with a small amount: for example ~If you have been on a xylitol program for years, if you use great mouth cleaning techniques, have a good diet, understand acidity ( and how to protect your teeth from acidity day and night) and have never had a cavity in the family – then this small amount may be all you need to STAY healthy.If you are at moderate risk: ~For example if your family has some dental issues(cavities or potential cavities), a history of dental problems, or if gum problems run in the family…… then you would be gambling with this low dosage. 5x zellie mints is only 2.5 grams of xylitol per person/ per day.If you have recently had cavities in the family and have needed extensive work in the past ten years – then I would rather see you think about inexpensively ways to add extra xylitol to this regimen. In addition to one Zellie mint after meals and snacks ( 5 times a day) simply add one teaspoon of xylitol into water, on cereal or in milk as a supplemental way to add xylitol. Two pounds of xylitol is approximately 224 teaspoons (well over a month's worth of xylitol for the family of five!). The extra 4 grams in the teaspoon will take you to 6.5 grams a day – where you need to be! Don't forget to pay attention to diet, and cleaning your toothbrushes daily etc…Here is a review of my recommendations:https://www.zelliescleanwhiteteeth.com/Ellie-Phillips-My-Recommendations.aspx
… You need to have adequate daily amounts – as well as frequency.Your ideas will not provide enough to prevent re-infection.Granular xylitol offers a good alternative.Put a teaspoon in water and sip this – or just eat a little from a teaspoon at the end of a meal.I think a mix and match idea will give you the least expensive way to get xylitol to your family.Remember that Zellies are available in bulk quantities – hope this helps!