What sugar substitute increases the risk of heart attack or stroke, according to experts?
Pure xylitol is a white, sugar-like crystalline substance used to sweeten sugar-free desserts, beverages, chewing gum, and candies.
Xylitol is a low-calorie sugar replacement sweetener: it has the same sweetness and volume as sucrose, but provides 40% fewer calories ( it concentrates about 2.4 kcal/g).
The European Food Safety Authority and the World Health Organization have approved the use of xylitol for food purposes, in pharmaceuticals and oral health products, setting a limit of 400 grams per day .
However, new research calls into question the health benefits of this substance. According to a study published in the European Heart Journal, xylitol may increase the risk of heart attack or stroke.
Below are all the details of the research that focuses on the safety of this sweetener as a sugar replacement.
What is xylitol
Xylitol is a sugar alcohol found naturally in fruits and vegetables, and even the human body produces it at very low levels, but it is occasionally generated synthetically.
Xylitol, like mannitol and sorbitol, is a sweetener used in the production of various food products for people with diabetes, as a substitute for sucrose, because insulin is not needed for its metabolism, so it does not cause spikes in blood glucose after eating.
In this sense, products that include xylitol are labeled ” sugar-free,” “for diabetics,” or ” low-carb .” One of these is processed foods, such as candy and baked goods, which carry the legend “low in sugar.”
In this regard, this sweetener is used to replace sugar, because it provides 40% fewer calories than regular sugar.
Xylitol, the sweetener in the sights of science
Research published in the European Heart Journal suggests that xylitol consumption is of particular concern in people with diabetes or obesity.
These people have a higher risk of contracting cardiovascular diseases, so by replacing sugar with this type of sweetener, they may unknowingly increase their chances of suffering from heart disease .
Where does this come from? According to the research, people with high levels of xylitol in their bodies double their risk of suffering a heart attack, stroke, or death in the next three years, compared to those with lower doses in their bodies.
The researchers came to this conclusion after analyzing fasting blood plasma samples from more than 3,000 participants.
In this regard, Stanley Hazen, author of the study, said that people with diabetes or obesity “may think they are making a healthy choice by choosing xylitol instead of sugar, but the data show that this is not the case .”
Hazen is also director of cardiovascular and metabolic sciences at the Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute.
How Xylitol Affects the Heart
It is worth noting that the study does not state that sugar alcohols such as xylitol are directly responsible for a person suffering a heart attack. What the study does explain is that consumption of this sweetener is associated with a higher risk of heart disease.
In this sense, it is necessary to delve deeper into this relationship, since the research did not monitor the participants’ diet, which means that there is a possibility that other foods may also affect cardiovascular risk, and may even be attributed to the body’s natural synthesis.
Regarding this preliminary finding, David Ludwig, an endocrinologist at Boston Children’s Hospital, explains that possibly ” xylitol carries some risks compared to nothing, but the risks are lower than if similar amounts of sugar were consumed .”
In conclusion, it is necessary to wait for more concrete results where all the variables are taken into consideration, to give the final verdict.
