S. until it arrived in chewing gum in 1975. While Germans and Italians -- along with the Russians and Japanese -- were using it as a sugar substitute, Americans were still heaping piles of sugar on their breakfast cereal and in their coffee and ice tea. But today, Xylitol is marketed in the U.S. As "Miracle Sweet," "Perfect Sweet," and "Healthy Sweet" (Gare, 8). Is it more or less expensive than sugar? Gare writes that it is "far more expensive than sugar, albeit recently the price has been coming down low enough to be marketed in items like cake mixes, brownies, muffins, cookies, candies, ice creams and puddings; Gare asserts that Xylitol in these baked items make them taste as least as good as, of not better than, "the real thing" (8).

How exactly is it made? Already noted in this paper is the fact that Xylitol is present in hardwood like birch and beech, and it is found in wheat, rice, cottonseed hulls and corncobs. In fact, Gare suggests that since corncobs are "a major waste product" in the food industry, a great deal of the supply of Xylitol comes from corncobs. This is an appealing concept for those Americans conscience about recycling, global climate change, and conservation in general. If an effective product to reduce the amount of sugar people consume can come from corncobs, that is a very good sign that Americans are making the best use of their food chain items.

When it comes to the response of dentists to Xylitol, Antonio Mendez-Vilas writes that there has been an "alarming increase...

However, Mendez-Vilas continues, Xylitol -- a "sugar alcohol" -- can be an "appropriate" substance for use in the battle. It is safe, effective, and moreover, Xylitol is understood to have "anti-adherence property" which helps it fight against staphylococcus aureus in human mouths and teeth (Mendez-Vilas).
In conclusion, while Americans have not wholeheartedly embraced Xylitol, the product is now found in many food items in the U.S., and if the scientists and dentists are correct about the value of Xylitol, it could prevent millions of children and adults from having cavities. The bonus for this amazing product is that it can be obtained, among other things, from corncobs. Any helpful product that can be captured from food items that otherwise would be chopped up for cows' silage, or simply allowed to rot into the ground, is a wonderful idea.

Works Cited

Gare, Fran. The Sweet Miracle of Xylitol: Easyread Super Large 20pt Edition. 2009.

Mendez-Vilas, Antonio. Current Research Topics in Applied Microbiology and Microbial

Biotechnology: Proceedings of the International Conference on Environmental, Industrial and Applied Microbiology (Biomicroworld2007). Hackensack, NJ: World Scientific, 2009.

Moritz, Andreas. Timeless Secrets of Health and Rejuvenation. Landrum, SC: Ener-Chi

Wellness Center, 2007.