Kickas.org Forums Treatments, Drugs and Alternatives NSD and diet-related; Xylitol [sugar substitute]

The biofilms and attachment thing is the same as the microbes in the urethra thing for women and NSU/bladder infections. Simple sugars fill the molecular holes in the lectins and surface liners where the bugs get their footholds.
It is beleived that the fructose in cranberry helps the women's problems, but also beleived that mannose is better, so all simple sugars probably do this job and therefore allow bugs like E.coli and Kp to be flushed away by urine or by food, depending on where they are...

Thanks la monty,

When I go to the toilet I can see that my digestion had improved markedly.. and that is despite the laxative effect [which I think has lessened with regular use]. I know it is gross but.. I think I really should make note of it. I had been wondering for a week or two now whether the Xylitol had anything to do with it, and then I went and read the back of a packet this morning. The last sentence seems to confirm my suspicions..

Here is the text on the back of a packet of Xylitol [PerfectSweet]:
"Xylitol is a sweetener that occurs naturally in many vegetables, fruits and hardwoods. Xylitol is extracted from plants such as birch tree and corn cobs. Xylitol has a very low Glycemic Index (GI) 7. GI is the ranking of carbohydrate foods based on their immediate effect on blood sugar (glucose) levels. Xylitol promotes healthy teeth and gums, intestinal flora and helps stabilize blood sugar and insulin levels."

-=-=-
From: http://www.sweetlife.com.au/books.html
"Unlike sugar, xylitol does not require insulin to be metabolized. Xylitol is an all-natural sugar substitute derived from birch tree bark or from corncobs. It is teaspoon-for-teaspoon as sweet as sugar, and has the added quality of binding to saliva, leaving a sweet taste lingering in the mouth. ..."

From: http://www.sweetlife.com.au/faq.htm
[re. insulin + flora]
"..They are both nutritive sweeteners, however xylitol is not classed as a sugar like fructose because of its 5-carbon structure (fructose has a 6-carbon structure). The metabolism of xylitol is mostly insulin-independent, whereas that of fructose is not (the GI of xylitol is 7, compared to 23 for fructose). Fructose can be metabolised by harmful bacteria and is as cariogenic as sugar, whereas xylitol cannot be metabolised by harmful bacteria in the mouth and gut because of its 5-carbon structure. Xylitol protects the mouth against plaque and tooth decay, and helps keep the natural flora balance in the gut by allowing friendly bacteria to flourish."
"Xylitol consumption has a number of health benefits, both dental and medical. Teeth are protected not only because plaque accumulation and tooth decay are diminished (6-10), but because xylitol remineralises and strengthens tooth enamel (11-13). In addition, xylitol helps keep the intestines healthy because friendly bacteria which metabolise xylitol can flourish. In Europe in the 1970’s, xylitol was referred to as “glucose with delay” because of its slow and steady conversion to glucose, without impacting on insulin, and hence its use in parenteral nutrition."

[re. gut flora + candida]
"Thrush is caused by an overgrowth of the yeast-like fungus, Candida albicans. Yeast thrives on sugar. Substituting xylitol for sugar helps lessen the incidence and severity of thrush by depriving yeast of its food source. Xylitol also helps reduce thrush through its fermentation in the gut by friendly bacteria, which proliferate and whose increased numbers then crowd out growth by pathogenic micro-organisms like C. albicans."

"Is xylitol safe?
Yes it is. The oral and metabolic safety of xylitol has been exhaustively assessed by various international and national regulatory authorities. It was approved for use in the United Sates by the FDA in 1963, and in 1983 the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). A collaboration between the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) recommended that no daily limit be placed on xylitol consumption (the safest category for a food additive), It was further approved in 1994 by the UK Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Foods (MAFF), and also the EU (although prior to this date xylitol was approved at national level in more than 40 countries). In 1997, approval was given by the Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare."

Still doing well on this. Putting on weight too, which for me is a very good thing! I have been trying to put on weight for years.. have been stuck at about 49 kilos for 2 years. I am nearly 51 kilos now which for me is really good to achieve in just a few weeks

== probiotics + prebiotics ==
Suggestion: try mixing xylitol with a probiotic in some water [I just open up the capsules and mix them in a glass]. Xylitol should help feed the good flora and thus help them to colonise the gut [substances that feed good flora are called 'prebiotics']. Also can try adding xylitol to yoghurt for the same reasons.

A good prebiotic is one with a whole bunch of different bacteria strains since our guts are an eco-system and not a mono-culture.

Hey Zark.. here's an article about Splenda & other 'fake sugars'... http://www.drwardbond.com/sweetners.html

definitely stay away from them!! I use Xylitol quite a bit, esp when making my own mouthwash and even in some cooking when I can afford it. I figured the chemical structure that would kill bacteria in our mouth would also help in the gut too.... glad to see my thoughts confirmed!

Thanks trudi . I am doing really well and the xylitol is still working in consistent way, which is really giving me a lot of hope.

I have tried quite a few things that would often work at first and then either stop working or bring about nasty side effects..
eg:
* Ginkgo : stopped working after 1 or 2 weeks
* Bromelain : stopped working after about a month
* Coffee : stimulant effect got me run down, also gives me urinary problems [painful urination, either a UTI or prostate issue i think.. dont know..]
* Rutin : always worked for peripheral pain [enthesitis i believe], i seem to recall it worked only briefly for central areas [spine, hips, neck, rib]
* wheat germ : i think it helped moderately, perhaps due to laxative effect, also it is kinda glue like and abrasive so may have scrubbed the gut clean. however it is starchy and tastes bloody awful and rancid-like. I thought maybe it accelerated weight loss, which is very undesirable for me.
* UV therapy : I recall this being effective. I also recall becoming ill with a flu after about 2 or 3 days, I figured that the UV had irradiated and killed too many immune cells leaving me immune compromised. Done in moderation UV can actually stimulate and strengthen the immune system [just like muscles and exercise].. however i over did it!
* NSAID's : worked great at first, then I started getting ulcers, dehydration at night [polyuria / polydipsia], and also confusion.. it also started to be less and less effective at bringing down the inflammation

* fasting / mono-diet : works brilliantly. obviously not workable in the long term !
* NSD : wonderful . problems are initial tiredness and mild weight loss.. both of which can be resolved on the NSD if you really put your heart into it!
* Xylitol : relieves the back and neck inflammation. perhaps helps with lethargy and brain fog. helped me to get used to sugar again without the candida issues. .. if you take too much you will be running to the toilet! [if i take over 3 teaspoons on an empty tummy then it has a laxative effect, with food I think it takes more]

i think thomas edison said it wasn't that he had 1000 failed attempts at making a light bulb.. rather that he discovered 1000 ways not to make a light bulb, and that it was a 1000 step process. Well, i found a whole bunch of ways not to heal myself, and a few ways to heal myself..with plenty of help from you guys

.. ahh found it:

http://www.hyperhistory.net/apwh/bios/b4edisont.htm
"I have not failed 700 times. I have not failed once. I have succeeded in proving that those 700 ways will not work. When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the way that will work." –Edison.

Hmm.... I read my last post and it didn't quite come out right! . Just wanted to say that.. well.. things seemed hopeless for a while.. but if you try and fail a thousand different ways then just keep on at it bcos once you succeed it is worth it.

... ending a flare ...
If you want to end a flare up using xylitol I have found it just doesn't help at all if you take small amounts. You need to take about 4 teaspoons of it [i mix it with water].. it has to be enough to get the laxative. An hour or so after taking the dose my tummy starts to rumble.. then I fart ! hehe oh well, it's better than being in pain

It isn't the laxative effect on its own however. I am sure of this as I haven't found other laxatives [eg. epsom salts] to be much good at bringing down a flare. I think the laxative effect of xylitol is needed in order to get it working deep down in the gut and quickly cleaning up those nasty bio-films.

btw, it still works. of course I still react to starch but I can end the reaction nice and fast. very handy

== warning : don't use with big meals ==

If I take a large enough dose (1.5 teaspoons) with a large meal I have found that I can get quite nauseous. I suppose that might be true of any laxative. So only take a laxative dose on an empty stomach. .. well actually fruit isn't so much of a problem, but if you have eaten anything fatty then be careful. It can take quite a few hours for the tummy to fully clear after a big dinner.

ok, I just bought a big 3 lb. bag of xylitol at a local health food store. It cost a little less than $20. I will take my first glass tomorrow after I get off work. Wish me luck!!