Xylitol and Diabetes
Xylitol has a glycemic index of 7 which is very small compared with sugar that has a glycemic index of 100. That means that is very slowly metabolised and it doesn't cause the rapid elevation of glucose blood levels.
It has been demonstrated in several studies that a high glycemic index diet can help the prevention of type 2 diabetes. That means that replacing sugar with xylitol may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
As we mentioned when we were discussing the chemical composition of xylitol is that it has 40% less calories compared to sugar. This may not be a huge difference but the replacement of sugar with xylitol may have a small but important effect in the reduction of obesity which is the number one risk factor for diabetes and many other diseases.
In addition to that, since xylitol doesn't cause the rise of glucose blood levels, it is an attractive alternative for diabetics. So not only can xylitol help in the prevention of diabetes but it can also help in the management of diabetes.
