Xylitol, a 4 carbon sugar, tastes and looks like cane sugar, but it is from birch and other hardwood trees and apparently is processed by the body differently than granulated cane sugar which I have read is a 3 carbon sugar. (Chem classes were too long ago for this to be meaningful to me beyond the fact that the molecules, being different from each other, have a good chance of affecting the body's cells differently from each other.) It's also reported not to increase the glycemic index, though I saw one chart which showed it to raise it by 12%, which is very low compared to cane or beet sugar. I try to use some every day.
Claims are that it is safe for use by diabetics. Other reported benefits of xylitol are restoration of calcium to bone and prevention of dental caries. Both of the latter benefits have European studies behind them, but neither is reported to do the whole job alone. I have to say that it may have been 20 years since I learned about Xylitol when I was researching means of calcium retention in people at high risk for fractures. I am working from memory except for the reference to the glycemic comparison chart.
There also are chemically produced xylitol products, but they are discouraged on the Budwig protocol.
Claims are that it is safe for use by diabetics. Other reported benefits of xylitol are restoration of calcium to bone and prevention of dental caries. Both of the latter benefits have European studies behind them, but neither is reported to do the whole job alone. I have to say that it may have been 20 years since I learned about Xylitol when I was researching means of calcium retention in people at high risk for fractures. I am working from memory except for the reference to the glycemic comparison chart.
There also are chemically produced xylitol products, but they are discouraged on the Budwig protocol.