The findings of a recent study cast doubt on the widespread perception of sugar alcohols like erythritol and xylitol as natural, healthful substitutes for sugar.
Sugar alcohols, like xylitol, are used to replace sugar in meals like baked goods.
A research published on Thursday in the European Heart Journal found that xylitol, a popular sugar alternative used by diabetics and people trying to lose weight, is linked to an elevated risk of cardiovascular events including heart attacks and strokes.
THE FACTS
~ Numerous investigations were been out by researchers. In one, they examined plasma samples that had been kept from almost 3,000 individuals who had fasted during a previous trial. During the course of the three years that these participants were monitored, a number of them experienced cardiovascular events, including heart attacks and strokes. Researchers discovered in the current study that people who had experienced a cardiovascular episode had elevated xylitol levels in their blood. ~ Using human whole blood and platelets, researchers investigated the impact of xylitol on clotting and discovered that xylitol induced blood platelets to coagulate. The researchers next injured the carotid arteries of mouse models to evaluate how quickly blood clots in the presence of xylitol. They discovered that xylitol increased the rate of clot formation at the locations of arterial damage. Heart attacks, strokes, and even death can result from blood clots that travel to the arteries or veins in the body’s organs, such as the heart. ~ In a further study, blood was drawn from ten healthy volunteers both before and 30 minutes after they drank a beverage sweetened with xylitol to examine the subjects’ vulnerability to blood clotting. A drink sweetened with glucose or sugar was delivered to 10 more individuals. Researchers discovered that the xylitol beverage drinkers’ blood’s capacity to clot increased significantly as soon as they consumed it. There was no observed alteration in the individuals’ capacity to coagulate blood after consuming the glucose. Cleveland Clinic cardiologist Stanley Hazen stated, “I think we have to figure out whether or not this is something that is a common behaviour of all the sugar alcohols versus just a subset.” As of right now, it seems to be everything, but further research is necessary, and others must. ~ Although these studies indicate an increased risk of cardiovascular events associated with xylitol, the researchers emphasised that they do not demonstrate that xylitol causes cardiovascular events.
