This is an extract from Wikipedia;
“Xylitol is roughly as sweet as sucrose with only two-thirds the food-energy. Unlike other sweeteners, xylitol is actively beneficial for dental health, reducing caries to a third in regular use, and has been shown to reduce the incidence of ear infections.
Xylitol is found in the fibers of many fruits and vegetables, and can be extracted from various berries, oats, and mushrooms, as well as fibrous material such a corn husks and sugar cane bagasse and birch. However, industrial production starts from xylan and extracted from hardwoods or corncobs, which is hydrolyzed into xylose and catalytically hydrogenated into xylitol.”
Have a look at what JJ Virgin has to say about Xylitol in Agave? in the discussion section of this blog.