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|Section2= |Section3= |Section8= }} Xylitol is a sugar alcohol used as a sweetener. The name derives from (ギリシア語:ξύλον), ''xyl(),'' "wood" + suffix -''itol'', used to denote sugar alcohols. Xylitol is categorized as a polyalcohol or sugar alcohol (alditol). It has the formula CH2OH(CHOH)3CH2OH and is an achiral isomer of pentane-1,2,3,4,5-pentol. Xylitol is roughly as sweet as sucrose (table sugar), with about 33% fewer calories per unit weight. Unlike other natural or synthetic sweeteners, xylitol is actively beneficial for dental health by reducing caries (cavities) to a third in regular use and helpful to remineralization. Multiple studies utilizing electron microscopy have indicated that xylitol is effective in inducing remineralization of deeper layers of demineralized enamel.〔http://www.drellie.com/pdfs/The-Remineralization-effects-of-XYLITOL.pdf〕 Fair evidence was found that xylitol (as chewing gum, lozenges, nasal spray, etc.) reduced the incidence of acute middle ear infection in healthy children. Xylitol is naturally found in low concentrations in the fibers of many fruits and vegetables, and can be extracted from various berries, oats, and mushrooms, as well as fibrous material such as corn husks, sugar cane bagasse, and birch.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.xylitolcanada.com/faq/ )〕 However, industrial production starts from xylan (a hemicellulose) extracted from hardwoods or corncobs, which is hydrolyzed into xylose and catalytically hydrogenated into xylitol. A study in rats found that xylitol had reduced or nonexistent side effects compared to other artificial sweeteners, and lower caloric value and cariogenicity than sucrose. ==Production== Xylitol was discovered almost simultaneously by German and French chemists in the late 19th century,〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://xlear.com/xylitol-faq.aspx )〕 and was first popularized in Europe as a safe sweetener that would not affect glucose or insulin levels of people with diabetes. Xylitol is produced by hydrogenation of xylose, which converts the sugar (an aldehyde) into a primary alcohol. It can also be extracted from natural sources, and is often harvested by tapping birch trees to produce birch sap. Another method of producing xylitol is through microbial processes, including fermentative and biocatalytic processes in bacteria, fungi, and yeast cells, that take advantage of the xylose-intermediate fermentations to produce high yield of xylitol. Common yeast cells used in effectly fermenting and producing xylitol are ''Candida tropicalis'' and ''Candida guilliermondii''. Its dental significance was researched in Finland in the early 1970s. There, scientists at University of Turku demonstrated dental benefits in what became known as the "Turku sugar studies".〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「xylitol」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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