A new alert. According to a study by the Cleveland Clinic published this Thursday, June 6, in the scientific journal European Heart Journal, a sweetener with a high sweetening power, called xylitol or E967, could be related to a two-fold increased risk of heart attacks and accidents. cerebrovascular accident (stroke) in people who consume it.
The study, which involved more than 3,000 participants from the United States and the United Kingdom, involved giving healthy volunteers a drink containing xylitol. Researchers then observed that this sweetener can promote the formation of clots in blood platelets.
They can then travel to the heart, causing a heart attack, or to the brain, causing a stroke.
Sugar substitute
“Humanity has never experienced such high levels of xylitol, except in the last two decades, when we began to eat completely artificial processed foods, substituted for sugar,” Dr. Stanley Hazen, director of the study, told CNN.
Originally, xylitol is found naturally in certain fruits and vegetables such as cauliflower or plums, but in very small quantities. Today, the sugar used as a sugar substitute in so-called low-fat or no-added-sugar products is extracted from birch bark.
It is found in chewing gum or even toothpaste, because it is characterized by a sensation of freshness in the mouth and thus reinforces menthol-type aromas. It is also possible to buy it, especially on the Internet, directly in a bag to use as powdered sugar.
In the United States, this sweetener is part of the composition of many products intended for people with diabetes. Scientists regret that many professionals recommend xylitol as a sugar substitute.
Caution with artificial sweeteners
Last year, in 2023, researchers at the Cleveland Clinic found similar results regarding an increased risk of stroke or heart attack with another sweetener: erythritol. This risk doubled in less than three years for people who had the highest levels of erythritol in their blood.
The authors note that more studies are needed to better understand the potential health risks of sweeteners such as xylitol or erythritol. “This is another warning to switch to unsweetened water, tea or coffee,” Dr. Andrew Freeman, director of cardiovascular prevention and wellness, at National Jewish Health in Denver, told CNN.
Therefore, scientists encourage considering the use of artificial sweeteners, especially as they continue to gain popularity as healthy alternatives. As CBSNews reminds us, in 2023, the World Health Organization has called for avoiding artificial sweeteners for weight loss and has called for additional research into the long-term toxicity of low- and no-calorie sweeteners.
Source: BFM TV
