| Determining whether xylitol alone or mixed with inulin can be labeled as functional food, we tested their impact on several human health parameters (fecal weight, fecal pH, fecal % moisture, blood lipids, blood glucose, and fecal micro flora) within older and younger age groups. Participants were given two treatments (A, 7.5g xylitol and B, 7.5g of xylitol combined with 7.5g of inulin) with the following schedule: two weeks with one treatment, followed by a two week washout period, and two weeks with the treatment they had not previously taken. Our findings concluded that xylitol alone or with the addition of inulin do provide added benefits and can be labeled as functional foods. The benefits include decreased fecal pH, increased stool frequency, decreased post-prandial blood sugar levels, decreased VLDL levels while increasing HDL levels, and changes in fecal microflora. A negative side-effect however was an increase in flatulence. |
