lol, i know it does! Actually its a compound found in certain fruits and vegetables- and also found in certain amounts in our bodies-- however they derive it from various plants that have it.

It isn't chemically altered like Splenda, Aspartame, etc..

It actually can halt tooth decay- and reverse it if you let it come in contact with your teeth about 3-5 times a day.

Once I had a horrible sore throat- no cough drops helped me. I found some throat lozenges sweetened with only Xylotol in my mother's "candy" drawer- and sucked on them -- the sore throat was eased instantly. The other Sugar free candies actually burned my throat.

I notice that only health food stores seem to provide gums and candies with this natural sweetner.-- It seems that mainstream drugstores, grocery stores have every candy under the sun with every artifical sweetner-- but not one of them is sweetened with Xylotol or Stevia. I have to go to a holistic healthfood store to find them.
I find it very strange that all the hype is made for Splenda, and other artificial sweetners, but the ones that are truly good for you with no negative side effects seem to be denied shelf space in most mainstream stores.


Here is a link i found about Xylotol:

http://www.xylitol.org/


-- i know some healthfood store companies such as "Now" and others, sell it as a baking sweetner along with Stevia, in the healthfood stores. I saw one company in the Heritage Catalog sell it combined with Stevia -- as both are natural safe sweetners.