Xylitol often appears in candies and gum as a low calorie sweetener. It has the added benefit that unlike sugar it does not support the growth of bacteria that can cause cavities. Xylitol鈥檚 name derives from the Greek 鈥渪ylan鈥� meaning wood because the compound can be derived from the bark of trees. The musical instrument known as the 鈥渪ylophone鈥� also owes its name to 鈥渪ylan.鈥� This percussion instrument consists of a series of wooden bars of increasing lengths, which when struck creates the sounds of the musical scale.
