Last year, we wrote about a study linking erythritol to stroke. While people praise low-calorie and non-caloric sweeteners as alternatives to sugar, they can have drawbacks. Another popular sugar substitute that occurs naturally in the body and in some foods has now been linked to heart problems.
Xylitol is sweeter than sugar and has a negligible impact on blood sugar. As that’s the case, it’s widely used in soda, food, gum, toothpaste and mouthwash. But, until now, xylitol’s impact on the heart hadn’t been researched. Now a study has linked the sweetener to cardiovascular disease.
Researchers looked at the long-term effects of xylitol using data from 17,710 people in Canada and the UK. People with the highest levels of xylitol in their blood had higher rates of strokes, heart attacks and death from heart disease than those with the lowest. Over a period of six years, the risk was 57 percent higher for people in the high group than for people in the low.
“In previous studies, we showed that xylitol can enhance the ability of platelets to form clots,” lead author Dr. Marco Witkowski, a cardiologist at Charité Univ. Hospital in Berlin. “We also found that high blood levels of xylitol were linked to cardiovascular events in high-risk individuals over a three-year period. Here we studied if xylitol increases cardiovascular events in a larger sample of the general population over much longer follow-up.”
“Artificial sweeteners are consumed by people who think they are healthier than sugar, and they are generally regarded as safe by regulatory agencies,” said Dr. Witkowski. “Our long-term findings in the general population highlight how little we know about the cardiovascular safety of xylitol and indicate that further studies are warranted, especially as the amount of xylitol in products continues to increase.”
Xylitol is often praised for being naturally occurring. However, when it is added to foods, 1,000 times more is added to sweeten foods and beverages.
Dell Stanford, a senior dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, pointed out that risks build up over time. “Artificial sweeteners such as xylitol are found in many foods and drinks, and people may assume they are the healthier choice, so consume more than they realise. This study adds to growing evidence that artificial sweeteners could have an impact on our health… This study is a reminder that we all need to reduce our intake of processed foods and drinks that are often high in sugar, salt or sweeteners, and focus on a balanced diet to help protect our hearts.”
