Popular Sugar Substitute Linked To Heart Attacks And Strokes, Study Warns

A popular low-calorie sweetener commonly found in sugar-free gums, mints, baked goods, and toothpaste has been linked to an increased risk of serious cardiovascular events, including heart attacks and strokes. According to the new research, which was presented at the ESC Cardiology Congress in Germany this week, xylitol may cause blood platelets to clot much more easily than usual, raising concerns for people with existing heart conditions.

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Why xylitol is everywhere

Xylitol is a naturally occurring compound found in small amounts in fruits and vegetables, and human bodies even produce tiny quantities of it through normal metabolism.

But it is also mass-processed and added in much higher concentrations to consumer products because it tastes like sugar but has about 40% fewer calories. And it doesn't spike blood sugar.

Despite its growing use, the long-term impact of xylitol on cardiovascular event risk has not been widely studied.

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"In previous studies, we showed that xylitol can enhance the ability of platelets to form clots," presenter Doctor Marco Witkowski from the Charite University Hospital, Berlin, Germany, said as per an official statement.

"We also found that high blood levels of xylitol were linked to cardiovascular events in high-risk individuals over a 3-year period. Here we studied if xylitol increases cardiovascular events in a larger sample of the general population over much longer follow-up."

For the study, the researchers analysed data from 17,710 participants in two prospective observational cohorts, including the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) and the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer (EPIC)-Norfolk.

The scientists ran follow-up tests to see how the sweetener interacts with human blood. They said that cardiologists and researchers said that this study shows a strong correlation, not definitive proof that xylitol directly causes heart attacks.

"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."