A new study finds that an artificial sweetener often used to replace sugar in food products is linked to higher rates of heart attack and stroke.
- Erythritol is an artificial sweetener used in food to replace sugar in “low calorie” products, such as “0%” or “zero sugar” products.
- These products are often recommended for people with obesity, diabetes or metabolic syndrome who are looking for alternatives in their diet to manage their sugar or calorie intake.
- A high level of erythritol in the blood is linked to a greater risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke and may promote the formation of blood clots.
According to a new study from the Cleveland Clinic, erythritol, a popular artificial sweetener in the food industry, is associated with a greater risk of heart attack and stroke. The results were published on Monday February 27, 2023 in the journal NatureMedicine.
Erythritol, a sweetener used to replace sugar in the diet
Artificial sweeteners, such as erythritol, are used to replace sugar in “low calorie” products, i.e. products made low in carbohydrates (and therefore in calories), of the “0%” type or “zero sugar”. Sugar-free products containing erythritol are often recommended for people with obesity, diabetes or metabolic syndrome who are looking for alternatives in their diet to manage their sugar or calorie intake. People with these diseases are also at higher risk for adverse cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and strokes.
“Sweeteners like erythritol have grown rapidly in popularity in recent years, but more research needs to be done on their long-term effects”said in a communicated the lead author of this new study, Stanley Hazen, co-head of the preventive cardiology section at the Cleveland Clinic.
Erythritol is about 70% as sweet as sugar and is produced by fermenting corn. After ingestion, erythritol is poorly metabolized by the body, causing it to pass into the bloodstream before leaving the body primarily through urine. The human body naturally creates low amounts of erythritol, so any additional consumption can build up in the body.
Erythritol would promote the formation of blood clots
Dr. Hazen and his colleagues studied data from more than 4,000 people in the United States and Europe and found that those with elevated blood erythritol levels had a greater risk of experiencing a major adverse cardiac event such as than heart attack, stroke or death. They also looked at the effects of adding erythritol to the blood as a whole, as well as to isolated platelets: fragments of cells that clump together to stop bleeding and also contribute to the formation of blood clots. The results revealed that erythritol led to promote platelet clumping and clot formation. Additionally, preclinical studies have confirmed that erythritol ingestion increases clot formation.
The authors note the importance of follow-up studies to confirm their findings in the general population. The study had several limitations, including that clinical observational analyzes demonstrate association, not causation. “It is important that further safety studies be conducted to examine the long-term effects of artificial sweeteners in general, and erythritol in particular, on the risk of heart attack and stroke, especially in people at high risk of cardiovascular disease”emphasizes Dr. Hazen.
