Popular Sugar Substitute Xylitol Linked to Increased Heart Attack and Stroke Risk
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A 30-year study involving over 17,000 people suggests a potential link between high levels of the sugar substitute xylitol and increased risks of heart attack and stroke. Researchers caution that the link is associative, not definitively causal.
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- Sugar substitute xylitol may increase heart attack and stroke risk.
- Study analyzed over 17,000 people for more than 30 years.
- Higher xylitol levels correlated with higher cardiovascular risks.
- Long-term effects of xylitol are not fully understood.
- Researchers stress the link is associative, not causal.
Scientists have identified a potential link between the consumption of xylitol, a widely used sugar substitute, and an elevated risk of heart attack and stroke. Xylitol is commonly found in diet foods, beverages, chewing gum, and toothpaste.
The findings stem from an analysis of data from over 17,000 individuals in Canada and the United Kingdom, whose health was monitored for more than 30 years. The study revealed a possible correlation between higher levels of xylitol in the blood and cardiovascular risks.
Participants with the highest xylitol levels showed a 57% greater likelihood of cardiovascular complications compared to those with the lowest levels in one group. In a British cohort from Norfolk, the difference was 18%.
Xylitol, a low-calorie sweetener discovered in 1891, has been mass-produced since the 1960s. Researchers emphasize that the long-term effects of xylitol on the heart and blood vessels are still not fully understood.
Professor Dan Atar cautioned that the study only established an association between high xylitol levels and cardiovascular risks, not a direct causal relationship. Separately, Israeli company Amai Proteins Ltd. has developed a protein sweetener called Sweelin, which is significantly sweeter than sucrose.