Xylitol
Also known as: Birch sugar
Sugar alcohol equal in sweetness to sucrose. Actively reduces dental caries. Lethal to dogs.
At a glance
How Xylitol compares to table sugar on the three numbers most people actually want.
Ten-metric breakdown
See methodology →- Taste qualityWeight 20%70
- Glycemic impactWeight 18%75
- NaturalnessWeight 10%60
- Tooth friendlinessWeight 8%85
- Overall safetyWeight 14%Pending
- Digestive comfortWeight 8%40
- Gut microbiomeWeight 8%Pending
- AftertasteWeight 6%Pending
- SustainabilityWeight 4%Pending
- Allergen safetyWeight 4%85
Source: public.sweeteners snapshot, refreshed 2026-04-27. "Pending" cells are catalogued but not yet graded by SweetSpot research.
What it actually is
Xylitol is a five-carbon sugar alcohol produced industrially from xylan-rich biomass (corn cobs, birch). It matches sucrose for sweetness, has a low GI of ~7, and ~40% the calories.
Its standout feature is dental: cariogenic Streptococcus mutans cannot ferment xylitol, and there is solid evidence that regular xylitol gum reduces cavity formation. This is why it is the dominant sweetener in 'tooth-friendly' chewing gum.
Two warnings. (1) Xylitol is acutely toxic to dogs — even small amounts cause hypoglycaemia and liver failure. Keep gum out of reach. (2) Above ~50 g/day in adults it causes osmotic diarrhoea; smaller doses cause bloating in sensitive people.
- Active anti-caries effect — cavity-reducing
- Sweetness equal to sucrose
- Low GI (~7)
- Lethal to dogs at very small doses
- GI upset above ~50 g/day
- More calories than erythritol or allulose
Regulatory status
In practice
- Chewing gum, mints, dental products
- Dog in household (unless securely stored)
- Sensitive gut
PUR Gum, Xyloburst, Spry mints, sugar-free toothpaste
The evidence
Selected peer-reviewed sources behind the score. Open access where possible. Read our scoring methodology for how we weight evidence tiers.
Recommended swaps
Higher-scoring alternatives that perform similarly in use.