Like to chew but don’t want the sugar, aspartame, sorbitol or other ingredients that wreak havoc with your health?

Try gum sweetened with xylitol.  It’s absorbed much more slowly than sugar and is teeth-friendly—meaning that studies have shown xylitol to protect against cavities, not promote them.

Dosage is key here, as it is with almost everything:  We’re talking  6 grams a day to protect your teeth. That’s 12 sticks or breath mints, assuming that’s all the xylitol you’re consuming. You can also find it in toothpaste and mouthwash, or buy it in powder to use as a sweetener. But not too much, please.  In huge dosages, xylitol can cause bloating and diarrhea—65 grams a day in one study involving kids. That’s the equivalent of more than 5 packages of gum daily. Thanks for the parameters, guys.