I wanted to find a natural, aspartame free xylitol chewing gum because I chew a lot of gum and do not like artificial flavors or colors, artificial preservatives nor artificial sweeteners like aspartame or sucralose.
I like to chew sugar free gum after meals because it is
good for your teeth, good for digestion, helps you focus on mental tasks (so says Dr. Oz) and it gives me a sweet ending to a meal that I crave, instead of dessert, without a lot of calories.
So I did some research and comparisons on xylitol gum and here is what I found…
Brands of Xylitol Gum
There are lots of gum brands that contain xylitol, some of which are all-natural and contain only 100% xylitol as the sweetener while others contain xylitol and other sweeteners such as mannitol, asparatame and sucralose, like the Trident brand.
I wanted gum that just contains xylitol and is all natural.
There are also xylitol gums that contain 100% xylitol as the sweetener, but aren’t necessarily all natural. If I have a choice of all-natural or artificial xylitol gum, I’m going to choose all-natural of course.
Xylichew vs Spry Xylitol Gum
Two of the most popular xylitol gums that I came across are Xclear Spry and Xylichew.
I mostly have liked mint-flavored gums mostly because I cannot find a sugar free fruit-flavored gum I like. But since I never tried a fruit-flavored xylitol only sweetened gum, I decided to try it first over mint.
I chose Fruit Xylichew over Fresh Fruit Spry or Epic Xylitol Fruit-Flavor primarily because they both use artificial flavors in the fruit version which kind of defeats part of the reason why I wanted to switch to a xylitol gum.
On a side note, I see that peppermint flavored gum versions from both companies use only natural flavors, but I still probably won’t try them since they are made in China (a food-safety issue more so than any other reason).
There is also B-Fresh gum which is all natural, 100% xylitol, kosher, vegan, gluten and soy free and also gives 100% of recommended daily allowance (RDI) of vitamin B12 (hence the name B-Fresh). I have also recently tried Sugar-Free Glee Gum which is made in the USA.
Comparison of Peppermint flavored Spry, Xylichew, Epic Dental and B-Fresh Spearmint Xylitol Gum
Xclear Spry Dental Peppermint Gum
- Ingredients: Xylitol, gum base, peppermint oil (natural flavor), vegetable glycerin (humectant), gum Arabic (texturizer), non-GMO soy lecithin (emulsifier) and beeswax (glazing agent).
- Amount of xylitol per piece of gum: .72 grams
- Calories in 1 piece of gum: 1.7 Piece weight size (for comparison to others): 1.08 g
- Retail Price: $8.95/100 pieces
- Made in China
- Xclear Spry fruit gum had artificial banana and pineapple flavorings.
Xylichew Peppermint Gum
Xylichew Fruit Gum Pieces. No artificial colors added.
- Ingredients: Sweeteners (xylitol 70% weight), gum base (i.e. original latex from sapodilla tree), natural flavor, gum arabic, lecithin, glycerin, beeswax, carnauba wax.
- Amount of xylitol per piece of gum: .77 grams
- Calories in 1 piece of gum: 1.3 Weight/piece: 0.6 g
- Wheat, gluten, and corn free.
- Price: $10.49/100 pieces
- Product of Finland
I choose the fruit flavored Xylichew which had all natural flavorings as opposed to Spry’s fruit flavored xylitol gum. Edit: I also recently tried Xylichew’s peppermint gum which I think the flavor lasts a little longer than the fruit-flavored.
B-Fresh Spearmint Gum
B-Fresh does not have a peppermint gum so here are the ingredients for their spearmint gum:
- Ingredients: Xylitol, gum base, natural spearmint flavor, vitamin B12, gum arabic, carnuba wax, calcium citrate, calcium gluconate.
- Amount of xylitol per piece of gum: .88 grams
- Calories in 1 piece of gum: 2.5 Weight/piece: 1.25 g
- $12.95/100 pieces
- Kosher, vegan, gluten and soy free
- Made in USA
- B-Fresh fruit flavored gum had natural fruit flavors like mandarin, lemon, orange and grapefruit.
EpicDental Xylitol Gum
- Ingredients: Xylitol, gum base, natural flavors, lecithin, gum arabic, titanium dioxide, carnuba wax
- Amount of xylitol per piece of gum: 1.06 grams
- Calories in 1 piece of gum: 2.4 Weight/piece: 1.5 g
- $4.99/50 pieces
- Gluten free
- Made in China, packaged in the USA
- Epic Dental’s fruit flavored gum had artificial flavors.
I accidentally ordered the fruit flavored, missing the fact that it has artificial flavors. I won’t order it again. The flavor is okay upfront, but doesn’t last long at all and I have preferred the texture of Xylichew more so anyway.
The other thing is I somehow thought Epic was made in the USA, but it’s not. It’s made in China.
When you go to Epic’s “About” page on their website, it doesn’t say anything about their products being made in China.
They talk about being a small company based in Utah, so I made the assumption that their products were made in Utah as well. In fact, when you go to a product detail page it still doesn’t mention anything about made in China. It’s on the bottle label, but not in the description or photos.
Sugar-Free Glee Gum with 100% Xylitol Sweetener
Ingredients: Xylitol, gum base (chicle, calcium carbonate, candelilla wax, dehydrated citrus peels), natural peppermint flavor, gum arabic, resinous glaze, beeswax, carnuba wax and titanium dioxide – yay! glee gums no longer contain titanium dioxide!
- Amount of xylitol per piece of gum: 0.8 grams
- Calories in 1 piece of gum: 1.25 Weight/piece: 2.5
- $11.45 for 12-Pack of 16 pieces/pack (192 pieces)
- GMO free, aspartame free, no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives
- Sweetened with 100% xylitol
- Made in the USA
The serving size of glee gum is 2 pieces, so one piece is only 1.25 grams which is on the smaller size compared to some of the others.
I like that it is all natural, although the peppermint does have the added titanium dioxide to whiten it. The lemon-lime flavor, on the other hand, does not. For coloring they have added beta carotene and chlorophyll – nice move instead of using Yellow #5! Glee Gum is also made in the United States and the xylitol and all the ingredients are NOT sourced from China.
Trident Gum
For a comparison of gum that contains xylitol, but other artificial ingredients, here is the list on a pack of Trident Original Flavor gum:
Ingredients: Sorbitol, gum base, xylitol, glycerin, natural and artificial flavoring, mannitol, less than 2% of acesulfame potassium, asparatame, BHT (to maintain freshness), soy lecithin and sucralose. The package lists it has less than five calories per stick of gum and 1g of sugar alcohol. Price varies, but for this pack of 18 sticks it was $1.06.
There are other brands of xylitol gum out there, these are just a few of the more popular ones that are readily available for purchase online and in some health food stores.
What is Xylitol?
I never knew xylitol was natural until I did some digging around the web. The word xylitol comes from the Greek word for wood, “xyl” and the suffix “itol” for sugar alcohol.
It is a natural sweetener derived from various fruit and vegetable fibers. It’s about as sweet as sugar (sucrose), but without as many calories – 40% fewer and 75% fewer carbs.
It also is metabolized slower by your body than regular sugar (has a low glycemic index – 7 vs 83 for table sugar) which means it won’t cause a spike in your blood sugar; an especially good benefit for diabetics.
Xylitol cannot be digested by acid producing bacteria, the ph level in your mouth is kept neutral and the bacteria will not stick to the surface of your teeth and cause cavities. Xylitol will actually repair damage of your enamel by keeping the acid down.
Xylitol Gum Benefits
- Natural Ingredients (most brands and flavors, but not all so you need to check the ingredient list)
- Helps prevent tooth decay
- Low glycemic index: 7 (regular white sugar or sucrose has an index of 83)
Xylitol Gum Cons
There are only two cons I have found so far to xylitol gum. It is a little more expensive than other sugar-free gums. Approximately $4 more for 100 pieces as compared to 100 sticks of Trident, for example.
But, with many things in life, you get what you pay for and in this case I think paying a little extra for healthier ingredients which I eat everyday is worth the money.
The only other con is that some may find that the gum loses flavor faster than other gums sweetened with artificial sweeteners, but I don’t seem to mind. The texture is nice for chewing and there is a subtle flavor that lasts which I find enjoyable.
Warning to Dog Owners – Xylitol is extremely toxic to dogs!
Where To Purchase Xylitol Gum
Xylitol gum is typically not found in your regular grocery stores. I have found some at specialty stores, but they are usually more expensive than online prices. The best prices I have found for most of the xylitol gums are at Amazon:
Why do you want to try 100% xylitol gum? Tell us below and what brands of gum you have tried in the past. You can learn more about xylitol, dental, medical and nutritional information at xylitol.org.
Did you know you can buy xylitol sweetener as a natural sugar substitute? We use it often in place of or in combination with regular granulated sugar. Looks and tastes just like sugar with no bitterness.
Read more here: Xylitol Natural Sweetener
Thank you so much! This is the best comparison of xylitol gums I have seen. Now to place my order and see how it tastes. It may have been nice to have a sentence or two regarding the toxicity of xylitol to dogs and other pets, but I understand that was not the main focus of your article. Thanks again for all of your detailed information.
Dianne – Glad you found our article helpful. And thanks for the mention about dogs. Apparently even small amounts of xylitol can cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), seizures, liver failure or even death in dogs. So warning to all dog owners – be sure to not leave your gum (or anything containing xylitol) where dogs can get to it!
I’m pretty excited about trying some of these gums! Thanks for the comparisons! In terms of gestalt seeming trustworthiness (i.e., not coming across as advert-y or uninformed or whatever!) I really would edit in even just one “And of course keep out away from your pooches!” clause, if not a whole sentence, in the cons section! Even us rabidly dog-obsessed Americans (our household is absolutely centered around our dogs to an embarrassing degree!) will be thrilled to find xylitol-only gum (I was so crestfallen to see that Trident contains aspartame after that brain research came out!) and have it as a staple! I’d also change “repair damage” above to “stop” or”halt damage” our something similar, because if it’s stopping erosion but not rebuilding enamel that statement is misleading, which sends up subconscious red flags! (I’m an MD and and engineer, so maybe my brain is doing nitpicky junk while others’ are being more laid back, but in published stuff it can never hurt you to be exacting!). One last thing (sorry… I was also an editor): I think I saw an instance of ‘loose’ (like a loose tooth) where there should be a ‘lose’ (like losing flavor!), but I can’t easily find it (I’m doing this on my phone en route to the airport! What a dork!). Please do not be offended by any of this — despite my dedication to our canine family members I’m a total xylitol gum junkie and pusher! I want the info out there and readily available! And thanks for the made in US/made in China heads up — that’s important! And of course remove/edit this comment as you see fit!
Lashel – Thanks for your suggestions. Pooches clause added to cons, looses corrected to loses (being my own editor doesn’t always work :-(). As far as xylitol repairing damage to enamel, it was my understanding from reading several articles that it does. For example this article from Dr. Ellie, DDS states:
What do you think?
I found your site looking for bug repellant recipes and have been reading about the different items you have on it. For this one I have been chewing xylitol gum for eight years or more. I get the peppermint blast flavor from Swanson Vitamins for I think $19.00 (300 pieces, 1 piece 1.35 grams). It is a product of Canada and distributed by Peelu USA from North Dakota. I would like to know your critique of the ingredients in this one please. Isomalt, gum base, xylitol, natural peppermint flavor, calcium stearate, rebaudioside A (from stevia leaf), peelu fiber, carnauba wax. It also comes in cinnamon sass, spearmint and citrus breeze flavors.
Sondra – I see that this gum is primarily sweetened by isomalt with the addition of xylitol and Reb A. Apparently, the original ingredients of Peelu Gum contained no isomalt, which many preferred over the new formula. Isomalt is a sugar alcohol like xylitol, although I cannot find whether it has the same tooth-decay preventative benefit since xylitol has been researched more extensively than isomalt. Like many other gums, they have added calcium stearate and carnauba wax which I would rather have left out, but in the grand scheme of things, they aren’t so bad compared to some other artificial ingredients.
Hello! I found your site while I was searching for xylitol gum that would have good flavor.
1. I noticed you didn’t do any evaluations of how strong the flavors are and how long they last. That’s the most important piece because you can’t get that from reading a label, only through direct experience with the gum. This would have been helpful to know.
2. What evidence do you have that gum made in China is dangerous? And do you have proof that all food products made in the US are safe? I am Chinese American, and I find xenophobic, over-arching comments like, “Avoid all food products from China” inaccurate and offensive. If you have specific reasons to avoid certain companies, be concise about that rather than making such blanket statements.
Xylitol gum has been used in Asian countries by a larger percentage of the population than in the US for a long time. That’s why there are so few brands of xylitol gum in the US, most of which don’t taste very good, but you can find a cornucopia of gums in Asia. I actually always stock up on xylitol gum when I travel to Asia.
1. I did mention flavor and texture. But I find taste is so subjective. If you read the reviews, one person will say it tastes fantastic and has strong flavor while another will review it as the complete opposite – “terrible, no flavor.” Also my focus for choosing a xylitol gum was about finding one without artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives, and also one without additional artificial sweeteners.
2. I do not have evidence that gum made in China is dangerous. But I think I have good reason to be wary.
The FDA routinely rejects Chinese food shipments because of safety issues. Most violations include: general filth, unsafe additives or chemicals, microbial contamination, inadequate labeling, and lack of proper manufacturer registrations. But that would be bias to use my own country’s opinions. So here is one straight from a Chinese resident (lived in Beijing and a small town in the Hubei Province):
From a quality-control inspection company, AsiaInspection:
Needless to say, I think I have good cause in wanting to avoid food products made in China, including pet products (even Fido’s not safe).
Why don’t you just chew on mastic gum?
I have used mastic gum as a treatment for H. pylori, but I don’t find the texture or taste as pleasant as compared to a a xylitol chewing gum. Mastic gum is also more expensive since the only natural source is from Chios, Greece and must be imported.
Looks like Xylichew is made in the USA with xylitol coming from birch or beech trees.
GMO free for all flavors except for IceMint.
Spearmint pricing/ratings:
60 piece gum jar (1.3 grams each) is $9.06 Amazon prime.
240 pieces (4 pack gum jar) is $30.07 Amazon prime.
As of Nov 2017, the ratings are 80% giving it a 4 or 5 star.
What do you think?
great info…thank you! have you ever tried PUR gum?
Yes, but like other xylitol gums, the main complaint people have with PUR is that the flavor doesn’t last that long.
Thank you sooooo much for this post!!
I’ve been researching xylitol for sinus infections. I love chewing gum, but gave up on Aspartame years ago and just now learned about the benefits of xylitol. I’m super excited to chew gum again, lol!
I’m wondering what year this was posted? I read Glee Gum doesn’t contain titanium dioxide, but wasn’t sure if it was outdated info. Thanks so much for such a thorough review!
Yes, you are correct and we have updated that Glee Gums no longer contain titanium dioxide. Yay!
Do you know if the change in the ingredient for xylitol will change the gums flavor? I was about to order the sweetener and found some brands show it’s being made from non-gmo corn. One brand had mixed reviews. Some complained that it is powdery and taste is different, not as sweet as before and I think had to use more for desired sweetness. Has anyone tried any type of xylitol gum with non-gmo corn? If so, what’s your opinion? I did find another brand that does come from birch trees. Be aware and check your label before buying/ordering.
I haven’t tried xylitol made from corn, only birch. Here’s what xylitol.org has to say about corn xylitol vs birch xylitol. They appear to think it’s better when made from corn.