According to a new study, erythritol, a zero-calorie sugar replacement used to sweeten low-calorie, low-carb, and "keto" goods, is linked to an elevated risk of heart attack, stroke, and death.
Over 4,000 people in the United States and Europe were studied by the Cleveland Clinic, and those with higher erythritol levels in their blood had a higher risk of these serious adverse cardiac events. The study, which was published in the journal Nature Medicine on Monday, also discovered that erythritol increased the likelihood of platelets forming clots.
"Our study found that when participants drank an artificially sweetened beverage containing high amounts of erythritol from processed foods, significant increases in blood erythritol levels were observed for several days—much higher than would increase the risk of clotting," said Stanley Hazen, Ph.D., senior author of the study and chair of the Cleveland Clinic's Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, in a press release.
Sugar-free products containing erythritol are frequently advised as a strategy to decrease sugar and calorie consumption for patients suffering from obesity, diabetes, or metabolic syndrome. Erythritol, for example, is a component of the popular no-calorie stevia sweetener Truvia.
Individuals with these diseases are already at increased risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
In response to the study, Robert Rankin, executive director of the Calorie Control Council, an international trade organization representing the low- and low-calorie food and beverage industries, told CBS News that the findings were "unprecedented" and "contrary to decades of scientific research like erythrose." He added that alcohol and other non-caloric sweeteners are safe, as proven by worldwide regulators approving their use in food and drinks, but they should not be expanded to the general public because participants in the intervention are already at higher risk of vascular events. "
While the study could not prove cause and effect, CBS News medical contributor Dr. David Agus stated, "There is absolutely enough data to make you extremely worried."
"The majority of artificial sweeteners attach to sweet receptors but are not digested." Erythritol is absorbed and has a striking effect, as demonstrated in our study, "Agus elaborates."
Sweeteners like erythritol have "exploded in popularity in recent years," according to Hazen, and more study is needed to understand their long-term health impacts.
"Cardiovascular disease develops over time, and it is the leading cause of mortality worldwide." "We must ensure that the food we eat does not include any hidden ingredients."