Customer Reviews

Xlear Xylosweet Bag, 5-Pound

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I was about to order Xlear's 5-pound bag of Xylitol when I decided to check out where it comes from. Like many people, I try hard to avoid any food products or ingredients from China.

So I called the vendor of this product (the Vitamin Shoppe). They said I would have to call the manufacturer to find out and gave me Xlear's phone number (801-224-0937). That number wasn't too helpful because it didn't allow me to reach a live person, but after pursuing several extensions, I reached a live Xlear customer service rep at (877) 599-5327. She immediately and firmly said that all Xlear Xylitol comes from China. She added, "Most of the Xylitol you're going to find WILL be from China."

As much as I love Xylitol, I'm determined not to buy any from China. For the past year, I've been buying one-pound bags of "Emerald Forest" xylitol from my local grocery store. The bags are marked "Made in the USA / U.S.-Grown Birch Trees." So the news about Xlear's origins came as a surprise to me.

However, the 1-pound local bags of Emerald Forest cost $10 each, so I was searching for a better price. Guess I'll contact Emerald Forest to determine whether their larger sizes of Xylitol (the ones available on Amazon) are still from the U.S. I'm willing to pay more to avoid consuming any food or supplements from China.

And since erythritol is so similar to xylitol, this leaves me wondering where erythritol comes from....Has anyone checked that out?

Decided to finish checking things out before posting this review.....So I just located emeraldforestsugar dot com, got the corporate phone number (866-948-1999) and immediately reached a live person. She double-checked with a manager, then confirmed that even the largest sizes of Emerald Forest Xylitol sold on Amazon are indeed totally produced in the U.S.A. and that all Xylitol labeled "Emerald Forest" is strictly from U.S.-grown trees. (And by the way, she mentioned that the mfr sells a 55-pound bag of U.S. xylitol, though I haven't had time to check out the price yet.) This was all good news to me.

While I was at it, I asked whether EF's erythritol is also made in the USA, and she said, "Yes, but we're out of it right now--there's currently a shortage."

I also asked about their xylitol gum (since I regularly buy Trident w/xylitol) and was somewhat dismayed to learn that EF's xylitol gum is their only product that does contain some Chinese ingredients. But in about one month they expect to start producing a gum that is totally from U.S. ingredients.

I'm giving this Xlear product only 2 stars because although Xylitol itself has worked great for me, I think the origin of this food product should have been clearly listed!

My cousin sent me home with a sample packet of this stuff (I was having problems losing weight and my battle with sugar was severely hindering my goals). I remember thanking her and thinking about her words of "It has no after-taste AND is all-natural", I thought "YEAH, right!" and didn't try it until about 3 months later.

I thought, with the name "Xylitol" that it HAD to be a chemical compound, but because she was into all-natural health like me AND she is super tiny, that she must not be lying!

Who knew that such a tiny packet could finally change my life. I am finally optimistic in my battle of the buldge because now, there is not only an alternative sweetener to sugar, but that it is absolutely VOID of ANY after-taste AND actually anti-bacterial??!!!

I ramble, but seriously, I am chewing the ("Spry") gum that Xlear sent me as a sample after purchasing this 5lb bag of Xlyo-Sweet and what a yummy piece of gum! My mouth feels clean, even after 8 in the morning and having my 'sweetened' cup of coffee, they almost feel like I just hopped out of the dentist chair!

Xlear is new to Amazon and they want to widen their customer base, so I am going to go give them a good review, as I received my order SUPER fast AND with sample gum :-)

So far i am in love! It tastes normal, not like those artifical sweeteners do. and i don't have that pooky-yucko breath that sugar or honey gives you. also my mouth feels nice & clean.

the coolest thing is i noticed my throat is clearing & my congested sinuses are loosening up a lot (i usually have a lot of sinus congestion every day. bad allergies & eating lots of sugar contribute to that) I first noticed i was sneezing a few times, then i noticed that my throat was clearing up. i chewed the gum again & noticed MORE of this effect. It's amazing! so i hopped online & did more research on xyltol & read that it is used as a nasal wash & to clear up ear infections. I believe it after how i feel jsut chewing some xylitol based gum & drinking one cup of tea sweetened with a teaspoon of it i see a HUGE inprovement. I am so delighted!

i just used this for the first time tonight so i hesitate to give a 5 star rating as i need to give it more time. I want to make sure it doesn't make me feel funny or that there are no bad side effects.

but so far so good!

I love this product but you have to be aware that it is fatally toxic to dogs. Don't make cookies or something and let them get to it.

This price looks especially great in this 5 lb pack--less than $5/pound.{plus shipping}

The FDA has not studied xylitol. However I have a lot of problems with oral thrush, fungal based ear infections, stomach distress, etc. This product not only replaces sugar for me, but it cleared up a lot of my symptoms. There are some european studies that show that xylitol does kill Candida albicans in the mouth but they have a lot more research to do. I'm not sure if it will work for everyone, but for me it's been a blessing. Like someone meantioned though, pets cannot have it, it causes severe and rapid hypoglycemia in them. Also, don't binge on it unless you want to spend the day in the bathroom. I recommend this product to anyone who wants lower blood sugar, to avoid white sugar, with candida issues, and to have squeaky clean teeth.

This brand of xylitol, I bought two bags, STUPID ME, smells like pool water and has more of a taste to it than other brands I have tried.

I wonder if residual chemicals from the processing were left in high concentrations!!!!

I bought two bags, spent fifty bucks. Now I have to eat it. :(

It gives me coffee a weird flavor when the previous brands worked without being detected. I have gone back to using regular sugar, which I am addicted to. I bought this to break free from table sugar and I am afraid to bake with it.

I used it in a carrot cake and the flavor was less pronounced in the cake itself, but in the icing, which was a simple glaze with cream cheese added, it tasted very unpleasant. I am a professional pastry chef and I had plans to use xylitol in my foods and help spread the message of xylitol in America. If I can't get solid quality xylitol in large quantities, I don't know how that will happen.

I'm going to keep making things with it. Maybe using it in desserts with strong flavors like chocolate will make it less appalling. But I won't dare put it in my coffee again. I'd hate to use splenda, because I don't believe in using chemical sweeteners, but I'd have to buy a separate brand of xylitol for my drinks and this stuff isn't cheap.

And yes, I experienced stomach cramps from this brand. I was used to Now Foods brand (I think that's what the brand is called,) and when I switched to this, I got cramps again. I guess they may be different enough to also affect my body differently...

I hope this brand is safe!

Edited to add: Weeks after this review I contacted the company and they picked up my bags via UPS and sent me two more with very little smell whatsoever. And the taste was greatly improved. They said they would test my old bags but they never told me what they found after testing them. I am just now finishing up my second replacement bag and I am very satisfied with it and their customer service.

This product is a great substitute for sugar in drinks. It doesn't have a funny aftertaste or change the taste of the drinks I put it in. Obviously, it's a good alternative for sugar, but another reason I purchased it was because of it's benefit on teeth. Xylitol is used in other countries (I've read) to fight tooth decay and improve oral health in adults and children alike (You must used 8-10 grams daily for this benefit). My husband and I both use the toothpaste (also excellent) and gum. Last week I saw a dentist on primetime TV doing a show on oral health, and he strongly recommended Xylitol for children also.

Xylitol isn't cheap, so I was very glad to find this 5lb bag. The bag has a ziplock top, which works with coaxing. The bag is also very thick so that if the ziplock didn't work, rolling it up tightly would probably work just as well. I'm on my second purchase.

I use this to help my teeth and sugar cravings. I put several T. in an air tight container (like small vitamin bottle). I add several drops of flavoring or oil, like vanilla, orange, lime, etc., and the flavor permeates the xylitol in the container. then, I just eat little spoonfuls of the flavored xylitol.

I've never had gastric problems, not like w other sugar alcohols. I did accumstom myself slowly to the xylitol, but can now have as much as I want w/o trouble.

As a dental hygienist, I recommend this product to my patients for cavity reduction. Studies show that using products with Xylitol will reduce the amount of cavity causing bacteria over a period of time. I purchased this product to use at home with my own family.

I'm always looking for sugar substitute,,,,I am a diabetic and I bought Xylosweet for baking and it's excellent,,,no aftertaste,,,better than sugar,,,and low glycemic,,threw out my splenda & stevia,,,just get it,,,you'll love it