Zero calorie sweetener linked to blood clots and risk of heart disease, study finds

Sandee LaMotte, CNN

(CNN) — Consuming a drink pinch erythritol — an artificial sweetener utilized to adhd bulk to stevia and monk consequence and to sweeten low-carb keto products — much than doubled nan consequence of humor clotting successful 10 patient people, according to a caller aviator study.

Clots tin break disconnected humor vessels and recreation to nan heart, triggering a bosom attack, aliases to nan brain, triggering a stroke. Previous research has linked erythritol to a higher consequence of stroke, bosom onslaught and death.

“What is singular is that successful each azygous subject, each measurement of platelet responsiveness (clotting) went up pursuing nan erythritol ingestion,” said lead study writer Dr. Stanley Hazen, head of nan Center for Cardiovascular Diagnostics and Prevention astatine nan Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute.

Consuming a portion pinch an adjacent magnitude of glucose, aliases sugar, did not impact humor platelet activity successful different group of 10 people, said Hazen, who is besides nan Jan Bleeksma chair successful vascular compartment biology and atherosclerosis astatine nan Cleveland Clinic.

“This is nan first nonstop head-to-head comparison of nan effects of ingesting glucose versus ingesting erythritol connected aggregate different measures of platelet function,” Hazen said. “Glucose doesn’t effect clotting, but erythritol does.”

While small, nan study was “very intriguing and interesting,” said Dr. Andrew Freeman, head of cardiovascular prevention and wellness astatine National Jewish Health successful Denver.

“I’m not saying we request to cease utilizing these sweetener alcohols immediately, but this statement of investigation surely begs nan question: Are they safe aliases not?” said Freeman, who was not progressive successful nan research.

In consequence to nan study, nan Calorie Control Council, an manufacture association, told CNN that 30 years of subject has shown erythritol to beryllium a “proven safe and effective choice” for sweetener and calorie reduction.

“Consumers should construe nan results of this aviator pinch utmost caution. The constricted number of participants, a full of 10, were fixed an excessive magnitude of erythritol, astir quadruple nan maximum magnitude approved successful immoderate azygous beverage successful nan United States,” nan council’s president, Carla Saunders, said successful an email.

However, nan magnitude of erythritol utilized successful each portion successful nan study — 30 grams — was nan balanced of what is included successful emblematic sugar-free sodas, crystal creams aliases muffins, of which group often eat much than one, Hazen said.

“This investigation raises immoderate concerns that a modular serving of an erythritol-sweetened nutrient aliases beverage whitethorn acutely stimulate a nonstop clot-forming effect,” said study coauthor Dr. Wai Hong Wilson Tang, investigation head for bosom nonaccomplishment and cardiac transplantation astatine nan Cleveland Clinic, successful a statement.

What are sweetener alcohols?

Like sorbitol and xylitol, erythritol is simply a sweetener alcohol, a carb recovered people successful galore fruits and vegetables. The quality assemblage besides makes erythritol arsenic a byproduct of glucose metabolism but only successful mini quantities.

Artificially manufactured successful monolithic quantities, erythritol has nary lingering aftertaste, doesn’t spike humor sweetener and has little of a laxative effect than immoderate different sweetener alcohols. It has astir 70% of nan sweetness of sweetener and is considered zero calorie, according to experts.

Erythritol is nan largest constituent by weight successful galore “natural” stevia and monk consequence products, Hazen said. It looks and tastes for illustration sweetener and tin beryllium utilized for baking. It is besides a cardinal constituent successful galore keto-friendly products including crystal cream, Hazen said.

“If you look astatine nutrition labels connected galore keto crystal creams, you’ll spot ‘reducing sugar’ aliases ‘sugar alcohol,’ which are position for erythritol,” he told CNN in an earlier interview.

“You’ll find a emblematic pint has location betwixt 26 and 45 grams successful it.”

Artificially created erythritol, on pinch its cousins, are considered “generally recognized arsenic safe,” aliases GRAS, by nan US Food and Drug Administration.

Series of studies show akin results

The caller study, published Thursday successful nan diary Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, asked 20 participants to accelerated overnight successful mentation for a greeting humor draw. Next, they were fixed a portion pinch either 30 grams of erythritol aliases 30 grams of sugar. After 30 minutes, humor was drawn again.

Levels of erythritol successful nan humor roseate by a thousandfold aft nan 1 portion pinch that substance, while humor sugars roseate a mini magnitude aft nan portion containing glucose. However, it was nan alteration successful platelet activity that was startling, Hazen said.

“We saw enhanced clotting, utilizing measures of really quickly clots will occlude a alloy aliases extremity humor flow, which is for illustration a exemplary of a bosom onslaught aliases a stroke,” he said.

Similar results appeared successful a 2023 study by Hazen and his colleagues successful which 8 patient volunteers besides consumed nan aforesaid magnitude of erythritol and saw a thousandfold spike of nan constituent successful their blood.

“(Erythritol) remained elevated supra nan period basal to trigger and heighten clotting consequence for nan pursuing 2 to 3 days,” Hazen said astatine nan time.

That study besides analyzed nan humor of much than 4,000 group successful nan United States and Europe and recovered that those pinch nan highest levels of erythritol were doubly arsenic apt to experience a bosom attack or stroke.

“What we’re seeing pinch erythritol is nan platelets go ace responsive: A specified 10% stimulant produces 90% to 100% of a clot formation,” Hazen said.

The studies were done successful patient group without chronic disease; however, nan study’s findings still use for nan future, Hazen said.

“However, if you look astatine middle-aged America, nan mean personification has 2 to 3 consequence factors for bosom disease, and 70% of america are going to create bosom illness successful our lifetime, truthful possibly we should each beryllium considering action,” he said.

When it comes to nan consequence of cardiovascular disease, occasional sugar-sweetened treats successful mini amounts whitethorn beryllium preferable to consuming drinks and foods sweetened pinch nan sweetener alcohols, he said. That’s particularly existent for anyone astatine highest consequence for clotting, bosom onslaught and changeable — specified arsenic those pinch existing cardiac illness aliases diabetes.

“Cardiovascular illness builds complete time, and bosom illness is nan starring origin of decease globally,” he said. “We request to make judge nan foods we eat aren’t hidden contributors.”

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All authorities reserved.