xylose

/ˈzɑɪloʊs/

Xylose is a type of sugar that's found in certain plants and is used to make artificial sweeteners. Xylose is notable because it tastes sweet but doesn't raise blood sugar levels.

Xylose is the main ingredient in sugar substitutes like Xylitol. It's a sugar, strictly speaking (you can tell that from the -ose suffix, used in chemical names of sugars such as glucose and fructose). But unlike table sugar, or even the sugars in fruit, xylose doesn't cause a sharp spike in blood sugar when you consume it. In large quantities, however, xylose-sweetened foods can cause digestive upset. So take it easy on that sugar-free gum!

Definitions of xylose

1. noun

   a sugar extracted from wood or straw; used in foods for diabetics
   synonyms: wood sugar

   type of:

   carbohydrate, saccharide, sugar

   an essential structural component of living cells and source of energy for animals; includes simple sugars with small molecules as well as macromolecular substances; are classified according to the number of monosaccharide groups they contain