Xylitol sugar substitutes increase risk of heart attack and stroke: study

How to Improve Your Heart Health

Heart disease remains the number one cause of death in the United States, and experts say making small lifestyle changes can help keep your heart healthy.

Xylitol, a popular sugar substitute, Higher risk of heart disease and strokeAccording to a recent study.

A study published in the European Heart Journal concluded that consuming xylitol may also make your blood more likely to clot.

“Our study shows that elevated blood levels of xylitol increase platelet reactivity and are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events, such as heart attack and stroke,” said Dr. Stanley Hazen, lead author of the study. Cleveland Clinic.

What is Xylitol?

Xylitol is a sugar substitute. (Photo by Darrell Wong/The Fresno Bee/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

Xylitol is a type of sugar alcohol that's often used to make low-calorie, sugar-free foods, like candy and desserts. Although sugar alcohols are chemically similar to sugar, they don't have the same effect on the body as sugar, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Xylitol is used in many “diet” foods because it doesn't spike blood sugar levels, the study authors said.

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It's not considered an artificial sweetener because it occurs naturally in small amounts in fruits, vegetables, and other plants. It's sold in grocery stores as a sugar substitute.

The human body produces xylitol in very small concentrations, but high levels of the compound can cause “big problems,” according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Xylitol and Heart Disease

The study suggests that people with higher levels of xylitol in their bodies may be at higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

Researchers analyzed blood samples from 3,000 people to find substances that were elevated in the bodies of people with cardiovascular disease, and xylitol was near the top of the list, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

The researchers also gave the volunteers a drink sweetened with 30 grams of xylitol, similar to what's used in ketogenic diets and sugar-free desserts.

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“When xylitol is present, the platelets react more vigorously and are primed to clot,” Hazen says. “It's as if platelets have a kind of taste bud receptor for xylitol that makes them go into overdrive. And that's very important, because increased clotting can stop blood flow.”

Reduced blood flow increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases.

The researchers concluded that consuming xylitol does not necessarily cause a heart attack — platelet function returned to normal levels by the next day — but the risk of cardiovascular disease remains elevated for people who regularly consume foods containing xylitol.

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