A low-calorie sweetener found in peanut butter, toothpaste, chewing gum and hundreds of other snacks may increase the risk of having a stroke or heart attack, a study suggests.
Xylitol is hailed as a “natural” and “healthy” sweetener because it is found in fruits and vegetables, unlike other sugar substitutes like Splenda, which are completely synthetic.
But now researchers at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio have found (in a study of 3,000 adults around age 65) that those who consumed the most xylitol were almost twice as likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke in the next three years than those who consumed the most xylitol. those who eat the least.
Laboratory studies showed that the sweetener could “supercharge” clotting in the blood, increasing the risk of these conditions.
Dr Stanley Hazen, a cardiologist who led the research, said: “This study shows once again the immediate need to investigate sugar alcohols and artificial sweeteners, especially as they continue to be recommended to combat diseases such as obesity or diabetes.”
He added: “It doesn’t mean throwing away toothpaste if it contains xylitol.”
“But we must be aware that consuming a product containing high levels could increase the risk of blood clot-related events.”
Xylitol is absorbed directly into the blood after consumption, and researchers say it may then interact with platelets (or clotting factors) to make them more likely to clump together.
Xylitol is a sugar alcohol that occurs naturally in small quantities and is also produced in very small quantities by the human body.
It looks and tastes like sugar and contains about 40 percent fewer calories.
Part of its appeal is that it is not supposed to raise blood sugar levels like table sugar does, and studies show that consistently elevated blood sugar increases the risk of diseases like diabetes and heart disease.
Eating large amounts of sugar regularly has also been linked to multiple health conditions, including cancer, Alzheimer’s, and high blood pressure.
Xylitol is found in chewing gum, mints, and toothpaste to give them a sweeter taste.
The new study was observational and did not show that xylitol increased the risk of heart attacks and strokes, rather than another factor.
But in laboratory studies they found that xylitol consumption increased the risk of platelets forming blood clots.
This increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes because newly formed clots could lodge in the blood vessels of the heart or brain.
This would cut off the supply of nutrients and oxygen to the cells, causing them to begin dying or respiring anaerobically (without oxygen), triggering the conditions.
Dr. Hazen added to NBC News: ‘(In our study), all it takes is for the xylitol to interact only with the platelets for a very short period of time, a matter of minutes, and the platelets become overloaded and much more likely to clot.’
The patients in the study were an average of 65 years old, mostly men, from Europe and the United States, and were likely overweight.
They all had their blood tested for a substance linked to xylitol consumption during the experiments.
The scientists did not reveal an amount of xylitol consumed daily by the participants that could increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Previous studies have suggested that it is safe to consume between 0.4 and 1.1 oz of sweetener per day.
The amount of xylitol in chewing gum is usually between 0.01 and 0.03 oz per piece, while a drop of toothpaste can contain approximately 0.01 oz of sweetener.
Brands that contain xylitol include Trident and Airhead brand gum, Mentos mints, and ACT and Tom’s brand toothpaste.
Nuts and peanut butter may also contain the sweetener, as well as some sugar-free pudding options sold at stores like Wegmans. Consumers are advised to check the back of a product to see if it contains sweetener.
This is the latest warning about sweeteners, and it comes from the same team that last year linked the sweetener erythritol, popular in candy and baked goods, to the risk of heart disease.
About 141 million Americans consume sweeteners at least once a year, a number that continues to rise amid the desire for calorie-free sweet products.
But amid growing use, this has sparked warnings from some corners that sweeteners could be increasing the risk of multiple health problems.