An expert at Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute said that the study shows an immediate need or investigating sugar alcohols and artificial sweeteners as they can in the long term contribute to obesity and diabetes risk. New Delhi: A common sweetener found in gums, sweets and toothpaste has recently been associated with a heightened risk of suffering from strokes and heart attacks. Turns out, eating or consuming foods that contain xylitol are likely to raise the risk of suffering from deadly heart events, claim Cleveland Clinic researchers.
The common sugar substitute is also known as sugar alcohol and it brings together the traits of sugar and alcohol molecules. It is commonly used in gums, cakes, sugar-free sweets and biscuits and even products like mouthwash and toothpaste. In some cases, it is also found in peanut butter.
How does xylitol affect the heart? An expert at Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute said that the study shows an immediate need or investigating sugar alcohols and artificial sweeteners as they can in the long term contribute to obesity and diabetes risk. This, however, does not mean that people must discard products that contain xylitol altogether and also be aware of the products that contain it in high levels as that could result in deadly blood clots. The research team also found a similar link between erythritol and heart diseases as the former is a sweetener used in energy drinks.
Published in the European Heart Journal, the s.
