Another day, another food item that could put the American population at risk. This time the food in question is the popular sugar substitute, Xylitol.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Researchers conducted a study on more than 17,000 people. The results of that study showed that Xylitol can pose an increased risk. Of stroke and heart attack to people who consume the product.
New Study Links Xylitol to Heart Risks
The conclusion showed that those with a higher level of the sugar substitute in their system had a 57% higher risk of having a stroke or heart attack. Compared to the subjects with lower Xylitol levels.
"In previous studies, we showed that xylitol can enhance the ability of platelets to form clots,[2]" Doctor Marco Witkowski from the Charité University Hospital, Berlin, Germany said during a recent presentation. "We also found that high blood levels of xylitol were linked to cardiovascular events in high-risk individuals over 3 years.[2] Here we studied if xylitol increases cardiovascular events in a larger sample of the general population over much longer follow-up."
With yet another food product posing a potential health risk, people on social media were fed up.
"I'm thinking we're better off just using real sugar over then if it's the case," one user wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
"Looks like 'sugar-free' doesn't automatically get a heart pass. More like a plot twist than a health bonus," a second user chimed in.
Sugar substitutes are marketed as "healthier" options as opposed to cane sugar. But at least one popular brand of sugar substitute could do way more damage than the sugar itself. However, Witkowski adds that even though the products are marketed to be part of a healthier diet, there is very little information about the long-term effects.
"Artificial sweeteners are consumed by people who think they are healthier than sugar. And they are generally regarded as safe by regulatory agencies," Doctor Witkowski adds. "Our long-term findings in the general population highlight how little we know about the cardiovascular safety of xylitol. And indicate that further studies are warranted, especially as the amount of xylitol in products continues to increase."
