Fructivia crystallized Xylitol is a natural sweetener found in birch, corn, beech and fruit. It has a sweet flavor identical to sucrose with no aftertaste but with a 40% lower energy value. Birch xylitol can be used without problem in diabetics. This xylitol is obtained only from birch bark. Birch xylitol was discovered in the 1890s by German and French scientists. It was not until the 1970s that its beneficial effects on teeth were demonstrated by Kauko Mäkinen and Arje Scheinin of the Institute of Odotonology at the University of Turku. Birch xylitol interrupts the increase in acidity and prevents the formation of cavities. Birch xylitol reduces the amount of dental plaque and prevents the transmission of decay from mother to child. It also reduces the incidence of ear infections in young children. Birch xylitol is industrially made from birch bark, which is why it is also called "birch sugar". Unlike sugars, xylitol is non-acidifying for the body. In addition, birch xylitol has therapeutic virtues. Several studies on xylitol have shown that its regular use prevents tooth decay. Subsequently, researchers in Oulu (a university town in northern Finland) also demonstrated that the consumption of xylitol significantly prevented inflammation of the eardrum in children. It is advisable to use sugar as a substitute in cooking, both for making jams and for sweetening fruit. Store in a cool, dry place.