Erythritol vs Xylitol: What’s the Difference?

Erythritol and xylitol are both sugar alcohols (polyols) that are widely used as alternatives to sugar. They have similar uses, but they are not the same substance—and when it comes to dental research, there is an important difference between them.

What are erythritol and xylitol?

Both erythritol and xylitol are polyols. They have a sweet taste and are used in products such as sweets, chewing gum, drinks and other foods.

They are also metabolised differently from ordinary sugars such as sucrose. This is one reason why polyols are commonly used in products designed to reduce or replace conventional sugar.

There are, however, differences between the two.

Xylitol has a sweetness very similar to that of sucrose, while erythritol is slightly less sweet. Erythritol also has a particularly low energy value, while xylitol provides around 2.4 kcal per gram.

Both can also cause digestive discomfort or have a laxative effect when consumed in excessive amounts, although individual tolerance varies.

Xylitol and dental research

One of the main reasons xylitol stands out is not simply that it is a sugar substitute. It has been studied in dentistry for decades.

Researchers have investigated xylitol in connection with dental plaque, oral bacteria, saliva and dental caries. In particular, a considerable amount of research has looked at Streptococcus mutans, one of the bacterial species associated with dental caries.

A 2020 systematic review illustrates the difference in the research base particularly well. After applying its inclusion criteria, the review identified 21 clinical studies involving xylitol but only one involving erythritol when examining their effects on mutans streptococci and the oral microbiota. The authors concluded that xylitol consumption was likely to reduce mutans streptococci levels, while more research was needed to establish the effects of erythritol.

There are also systematic reviews and meta-analyses specifically examining xylitol and dental caries, including research on xylitol-containing chewing gum, sweets and lozenges.

Does this mean xylitol is better than erythritol?

Not necessarily.

This is an important distinction. More research does not automatically mean a stronger effect. Some clinical research has found interesting results for erythritol, including studies in which erythritol performed as well as or better than xylitol on certain dental outcomes.

For example, a three-year randomized clinical trial in schoolchildren compared erythritol, xylitol and sorbitol candies. The erythritol group had lower numbers of some caries outcomes than the other groups.

So the evidence does not justify simply saying that xylitol is more effective than erythritol for dental health.

What we can say is that xylitol has a much longer and broader history of research specifically focused on oral health. Its effects on oral bacteria and caries-related outcomes have been investigated across a considerably larger number of clinical studies.

Why does Minttu use xylitol?

At Minttu, we chose xylitol because it combines the qualities we look for in a sweetener with a particularly strong history of scientific interest in oral health.

We are not suggesting that xylitol replaces brushing, interdental cleaning or regular dental care. Instead, we see xylitol as an interesting sugar alternative that can be incorporated into everyday habits.

That is why our sweets contain xylitol rather than erythritol or conventional sugar.

In short, erythritol and xylitol are both useful sugar alternatives, but xylitol has something particularly valuable for a product like Minttu: a substantial body of research specifically investigating its relationship with oral health.