It is unusual for a week to pass by without someone asking me whether they can use the ‘natural’ sweetener Xylitol while on the yeast-free and sugar-free anti-candida diet.
The argument presented is that Xylitol doesn’t feed and encourage intestinal yeast in the same way as sugar. I actually put this to the test in a kitchen experiment. When making yeasted bread, yeast should be mixed with warm water and some form of sugar, to activate it. I made three samples of yeast with warm water. One I kept as a control, one I added half a teaspoon of honey, and the other I added a teaspoon of Xylitol. I covered the bowls, and left them in a warm place for 30 minutes.
The results were interesting. The control, as expected, showed no frothing of the yeast. The yeast with honey had frothed and risen considerably. The yeast with the Xylitol showed now activation or growth. So while this may support the fact that Xylitol doesn’t feed and encourage yeast such as Candida, should we include it in an anti-candida diet?
The advice from Nutritionhelp regarding any form of sweetener is ‘NO’!
The first problem with using a sweetener, even if it does not encourage intestinal yeast, is that it will encourage your sweet tooth. And your sweet tooth is, more often than not, a major influence in encouraging Candida in the first place! My suggestion is that you re-educate your taste buds to enjoy the flavours in natural foods. It is amazing how your taste buds can come alive to appreciate the savours of vegetables, whole grains, oils and seeds, once sugar and sweeteners are out of the diet. The more we allow ourselves sweet foods, the more we want them. Therefore, if you regularly use Xylitol, you will find it very hard to lose your sweet tooth and to develop eating habits which will encourage health and discourage Candida.
The decision not to use Xylitol has further weight when you consider what it actually is. Xylitol is a sugar alcohol, a carbohydrate with the characteristics of both sugar and alcohol, although it doesn’t contain ethanol as found in an alcoholic drink. The body cannot completely digest sugar alcohols, therefore it adds fewer calories to the diet. Xylitol is similar in sweetness to sugar, but other sugar alcohols are less sweet. However, it is the lack of digestibility that can be a problem in the gastrointestial tract, particularly if, like many Candida sufferers, you experience IBS, intestinal bloating or cramping. It is important to note, that children may be particularly susceptible to gastric discomfort with Xylitol due to their still-developing digestive systems.
Sugar alcohols, such as Xylitol, ferment in your gut, so while they may not provide a food source for Candida, they may well exacerbate yeast overgrowth. Sugar alcohols are also known as Polyols – which contribute the P in acronym FODMAP. A low FODMAP diet may be of value for those with ongoing digestive complaints, and avoids: Fermentable (foods broken down by bacteria in the colon), Oligosaccharides (single sugar chains), Disaccharides (double sugar molecules), Monosaccharides (single-sugar molecules) and Polyvols (sugar alcohols). The sugar alcohols can pull water into the large intestine, leading to diarrhoea, while Xylitol can also contribute to acid reflux. Reactions to Xylitol may increase with increased consumption, so it is generally recommended to keep intake under 40 or 50 grams a day.
Xylitol is made by extracting a compound called Xylan from birch trees or sweet-corn cobs, much being manufactured using GMO corn. To convert xylan into xylitol it goes through a process called hydrogenation – where it is treated with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst. Since we know that hydrogenated oils are far from healthful, and can play a part in a number of health concerns, we may want to think again before using new products which have undergone hydrogenation before the test of time highlights any issues. The catalyst required is frequently the metal Raney nickel . Nickel can be toxic and high levels associated with a number of health complaints.
This process means that Xylitol cannot really be thought of as a natural product.
Another sugar alcohol is erythritol, which is considerably less sweet than sugar and thus is often found in combination with Stevia. Erythritol is produced by fermenting cornstarch and yeast. This may be better tolerated than Xylitol, but its origin from fermentation and yeast should put up warning bells for anyone with a Candida overgrowth. It is also highly manufactured, so cannot really be considered a ‘natural’ product.
Stevia is a plant leaf, and while it can be purchased as pure herb powder, many find that this has a bitter after-taste. Commercial Stevia contains isolates of the plant’s compounds (steviol glycosides) instead of the whole leaf. As this is intensely sweet, it is mixed with erythritol, cane sugar, dextrose, xylitol, cellulose, or inulin, to help ‘bulk’ it out. Research seems to indicate that Stevia doesn’t negatively impact blood sugar or encourage intestinal yeast, but one study found that stevia may kill a specific type of beneficial gut bacteria called Lactobacillus reuteri.
So rather than try to find an ‘allowable’ sweetener, why not retrain your taste buds to enjoy foods without additional sweetening? It can take up to a month to get through withdrawal from sugars, but then taste buds come alive again. Clients find they able to enjoy flavours in a whole new way! When coming off sugars it is important to keep blood sugar as balanced as possible using plenty of healthy fats (avocado, seeds, extra virgin olive oil, fresh-cracked nuts), protein (organic meat & chicken, wild fish, organic eggs, beans and seeds), non-starchy veggies, and high-fibre carbohydrates, such as quinoa and buckwheat. After 2-4 weeks people generally find that their sugar cravings have gone.
