• Welcome to Phoenix Rising!

    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of and finding treatments for complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

    To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.

Anybody else react badly to xylitol?

Messages
88
Location
Oxfordshire, UK
Hi, I made a cake yesterday and used 3 tablespoons of xylitol .
I had weird tingling in my face, feet and hands last night but didn't link it with xylitol and put it down to another weird reaction to "something unknown".

However, I have just had 2 slices of cake- it is very good as dairy free and "sugar" free cakes go. Just ground almonds, eggs, xylitol.
Have just experienced the tingling again along with altered heart beat, slight tightening of throat, an ache in my shin which I have linked to possible allergic reactions before and strange sensation in mouth.

Anybody experienced similar reactions to xylitol and anybody got any theories as to why? Have used in small doses to no affect at all but what is in it that my body is shouting "NO" to?

Oh my word , have just thought - I had terrible gastric distress last night too- awful gallbladder and pancreas pain. Hasn't flared like that for ages......could it be the xylitol?

Have been researching it and it doesn't seem like the innocent sugar replacement that I naively thought it was. When will I stop making these errors- we must research everything!!!!
 
Last edited:

L'engle

moogle
Messages
3,196
Location
Canada
I eat candies made with xylitol but in any large quantity it hurt my stomach. I haven't had the other symptoms you had but I wouldn't be surprised if they are caused by xylitol. There seems to be no easy answer to the sugar replacement. Too bad, xylitol actually tastes good.
 

SpecialK82

Ohio, USA
Messages
993
Location
Ohio, USA
I haven't had a problem with it in gum or mints, but have never experimented in higher doses. It does sound like it could only be the xylitol, sorry to hear of the reaction.
 

Sushi

Moderation Resource Albuquerque
Messages
19,935
Location
Albuquerque
Xylitol for the most part used to be a safe sweetener.
It is derived from corn. Now that corn is GMO, Xylitol and many other things are no longer safe for a lot of people. I developed a terrible allergy to corn starting about two years ago.
You can get xylitol from a health food store that is not made from corn or anything else GMO.

Sushi
 

perchance dreamer

Senior Member
Messages
1,691
The xylitol I use is from birch and non-GMO. It's Global Sweet. It's also available on AZ:

http://www.globalsweet.com/p/GRX1.html

I've always read that some people are sensitive to sugar alcohols and can't tolerate large amounts. I've never had a problem, but I don't bake with it. I just use 1 tsp a day in a cup of coffee.

It might be you'll be fine with small amounts, but will need to find another type of sweetener such as stevia to bake with.

Xylitol does taste really good. Most of the stevia I've had tastes horrid, like an artificial, bitter taste, but there must be some brands that are good. One of my supplements is NeuroBiologix Super Greens, which is sweetened with stevia, and it's tasty. I just don't know what the quality brands of stevia are.
 
Messages
15,786
Actually stevia doesn't work well in most baking due to the bitter aftertaste. But it does great with tea, hot cocoa, or coffee since the bitter flavor fits in there. Xylitol is one of the nicer ones to bake with, from what I recall, though it does an unpleasant minty thing when combined with chocolate.

Splenda might be a decent alternative for baking.
 

Crux

Senior Member
Messages
1,441
Location
USA
Xylitol is a FODMAP, a sugar alcohol.

It isn't digested by the body, but by the gut microbes. If there's dysbiosis, SIBO,etc., then there could be reactions to the metabolites from the bacteria.
 
Messages
15,786
I don't have any negative reactions to xylitol, but splenda gives me gas, and stevia gives me some acne breakouts. I'd rather just do regular sugar.
Yeah, that was my ultimate decision as well. If I bake, I use maple syrup or raw (brown) cane sugar. I just don't have baked goods very often.
 
Messages
88
Location
Oxfordshire, UK
Thanks everybody, will just steer clear of it . Who needs the comfort of gluten, dairy and sugar free cake with herbal tea anyway..........over rated!