Taking sugar substitutes for diabetes? Experts warn of heart disease
2 min read . Updated: 28 Feb 2023, 05:08 PM IST
PremiumPeople with existing risk factors for heart disease, such as diabetes, were twice as likely to experience a heart attack or stroke if they had the highest levels of erythritol in their blood
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Erythritol, a sugar replacement commonly used in reduced-sugar products, has been linked to several serious diseases like blood clotting, stroke, heart attack, and death, according to a recent study published in the journal Nature Medicine.
“The degree of risk was not modest," said lead study author Dr. Stanley Hazen, director of the Center for Cardiovascular Diagnostics and Prevention at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute.
The study found that individuals with existing risk factors for heart disease, such as diabetes, were twice as likely to experience a heart attack or stroke if they had high levels of erythritol in their blood. “If your blood level of erythritol was in the top 25% compared to the bottom 25%, there was about a two-fold higher risk for heart attack and stroke. It’s on par with the strongest of cardiac risk factors, like diabetes," Hazen.
Further, erythritol appeared to be causing blood platelets to clot more readily, potentially triggering a heart attack or stroke. Taking a note of it, Dr. Andrew Freeman, director of cardiovascular prevention and wellness at National Jewish Health, a hospital in Denver, who was not involved in the research, said, “This certainly sounds an alarm."
“There appears to be a clotting risk from using erythritol," Freeman said. “Obviously, more research is needed, but in an abundance of caution, it might make sense to limit erythritol in your diet for now."
The Calorie Control Council, an industry association, responded to the study by stating that "the results of this study are contrary to decades of scientific research showing reduced-calorie sweeteners like erythritol are safe, as evidenced by global regulatory permissions for their use in foods and beverages." However, the study's authors emphasized the need for further research on erythritol's potential risks.
The results “should not be extrapolated to the general population, as the participants in the intervention were already at increased risk for cardiovascular events," Robert Rankin, the council’s executive director, told CNN.