It is a fact that the Covid-19 pandemic has got everyone in the UK thinking a great deal more about their health and wellbeing. With excess weight linked to increased risk of severe Covid-19 illness, the government has actively sought to crackdown on the nation’s obesity epidemic with renewed vigour, particularly since prime minister Boris Johnson’s hospitalisation with the virus in April of last year.
In July 2020, the government launched a major campaign to encourage millions in the UK to shed the pounds. Now, 12 months later, ministers are weighing up plans to take that health drive even further by bringing in a government-backed rewards programme for families increasing their daily exercise time and switching to healthier food options.
While the government is looking at how it can entice Brits to opt for healthier diets, questions that are perhaps not asked as much as they should be are: what makes a food unhealthy, and why are we so often drawn to these?
The answer is sugar.
Alan Martin is a director at Food for Thought, a long-established chain of health food stores in the UK which sell a range of organic health foods, including some products that are not generally available in an everyday supermarket. Writing in a blog on the Food for Thought website, Alan explains that many diseases, including dental cavities, chronic inflammatory diseases, diabetes and obesity, are all conditions associated with sugar consumption.
Even when we are looking to switch to a healthier lifestyle, there are those instances where we have something of a sweet tooth that needs to be satisfied, and so we turn to our favourite unhealthy treats to feed the craving.
However, so often thanks to our bodily processes, sugar leads to even more sugar and that one treat we have can send us down a slippery slope. The answer to swerving the long and winding road to regression, as Alan outlines, was once believed to lie in artificial sweeteners. Yet, these have now been found to have a negative effect on appetite control and the composition of the gut microbiota, possibly leading to glucose intolerance, insulin resistance and weight gain.
So, to really make the nationwide health kick work, how can we say no to the sugar but still satisfy that craving for something sweet? Xylitol, a chemical compound found in fruits, vegetables and woody plant material, is Alan’s answer.
Alan writes: “Commercially xylitol is extracted from corn cobs or hardwood trees. Corn cobs are the preferred choice for sustainability. Xylitol is also made in our bodies during normal metabolism. Pure xylitol is a white crystalline substance that looks and tastes like sugar but is about 40 per cent lower in calories than regular sugar.”
Xylitol is also said to be beneficial for the body’s digestion processes, weight management [by helping control blood sugar], helps improve lipid metabolism, and inhibits the growth of troublesome bacteria in the gut while helping beneficial microbiota thrive.
Xylitol, as Alan highlights, has also been found to have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory potential, which renders it beneficial in the battle against a respiratory disease such as Covid-19.
Alan explains: “Xylitol has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory qualities which may be useful in the treatment and prevention of things such as respiratory tract infections, sinusitis, and middle ear infections. It also modulates the immune system, making it even more useful in fighting off disease.”
In addition, xylitol helps reduce gingival inflammation and has an anti-plaque effect on teeth, could help improve bone density, and suppresses the growth of potential skin pathogens while improving barrier function.
It is important to note, however, that like all things, xylitol is to be used in moderation. Possible side effects of overuse include gas, bloating and diarrhoea, and it is not a chemical that is recommended for use or consumption in high quantities.
Alan adds: “Xylitol can be best used in moderation in place of sugar in many recipes that don’t require the sugar to break down into liquid form. Things like cakes and biscuits work really well.”
With the nation looking to embrace healthier ways of living, swapping our daily dose of sugar in sweet treats and home recipes for xylitol could help us beat the sweet craving and give us a major boost as we look to keep the weight off and reduce health risks.
