What is Xylitol?

When I started the Dukan diet, a lot of the recipes called for artificial sweeteners. I don't like the taste of these, they always seem to leave a chemical aftertaste. There is a lot of reading to be done on the risks and benefits of these sweeteners, but I don't use them because they make my food taste bad.

In speaking with a friend, she recommended a naturally-occurring sweetener, called Xylitol.

Doing some reading on this sweetener before I bought it, I learned it is a naturally-occurring sugar substitute that can be found in things like oats, fruits and the mighty birch tree!

It is an organic compound that when extracted and processed creates a white granule (that looks like a finer sugar).

There are dentists that say it is good for the health of your teeth as it, unlike sugar, does not convert to an acid in your mouth and therefore does not promote tooth decay. Reports say it helps to stabilize insulin levels without the negative side effects of sugar. It is low in calories and, in baking and cooking, tastes just like sugar without a chemical aftertaste.
When limited in quantity (under 50g a day) everything I have read says it is a completely safe alternative to sugar and artificial sweeteners. It is not, however safe for pets - so don't sneak Fido anything you make using it.

Here are some of the best sources of information I have found, if you would also like to do some research of your own:
Wikipedia

Xylitol Canada
WebMD

My favourite brand of Xylitol, as I have mentioned in my Almond Flour, Sugar-Free Cookie recipe below, is Ideal No Calorie Sweetener. It is one of the only brands you can buy in the Netherlands and you can buy it in portable packets or in pouches for baking. It is not 100% xylitol, but it has zero chemical after-taste.

I think Martha would be down with xylitol, so the Stewart Score for Xylitol is:
Appearance: 2
Taste: 2
Ease: 1 (It is not easy to find in The Netherlands, but perhaps in other parts of the world you don't have to order it online and can find it in stores).