Taste for Life caught up recently with Nathan Jones, founder and CEO of Xlear, a manufacturer of xylitol products, to talk about nasal care during cold and flu season.
Questions for Nate Jones
How might using xylitol and saline nasal sprays as part of a personal hygiene regimen be beneficial?
Not enough people are aware of the need for better nasal hygiene. It took almost 150 years for handwashing and oral hygiene habits, like brushing teeth, to become standard.
Nasal hygiene should also be a “habit” everyone learns. The concept is similar to washing your hands. Washing bacteria, viruses, and allergens off your hands prevents them from entering your body.
Once you are sick, nasal hygiene products lose some efficacy beyond physically reducing the bacterial/viral/allergenic load in the upper airway.
Studies at Vanderbilt University Medical Center showed saline irrigation significantly reduced symptoms and shortened the duration of illness. A 2021 study showed that using a xylitol nasal spray three times a day reduced COVID infections by 62 percent compared to a saline spray.
Could you explain some of the benefits of xylitol (a natural sugar alcohol found in plants)?
One of the great things xylitol does is break up biofilms. People with chronic respiratory issues likely have biofilm buildup in the upper airway. Antibiotics, steroids, and decongestants don’t break up biofilms and can sometimes make them worse. Xylitol helps disrupt biofilms.
It’s common for people with chronic issues to experience slightly increased congestion for two to four days after starting to use a xylitol nasal spray.
Some think this means it’s not working, but it’s a sign that it is working. The biofilms are breaking apart and clearing out. Keep using it, and within a day or two, it resolves.
What are your thoughts about using a neti pot versus a nasal spray?
High-volume irrigation products, like neti pots or large rinse bottles, are overly effective—they clean out the entire protective mucosal layer. This layer is a vital part of our defense system, trapping pathogens and irritants.
Cleaning it entirely leaves underlying tissue exposed for hours until the body rebuilds it. A better option might be using a spray that hydrates the mucosal layer, thins it, and makes it easier for cilia to move it along naturally.
