Popular artificial sweetener linked to potentially dangerous heart risk

People who consume greater amounts of a popular artificial sweetener could face a greater risk of heart attack and stroke, a new study suggests.

The research, which was presented at the ESC Cardiology Congress in Germany this week, showed that higher levels of xylitol in the blood were associated with an increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE).

Xylitol is a sugar alcohol that is commonly used as a low-calorie sweetener and sugar substitute, according to the National Institutes of Health. It is often used in higher amounts to sweeten foods, drinks, chewing gum and dental care products.

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The researchers followed two large study cohorts of more than 17,700 Canadian and British participants.

Over a six-year follow-up, people in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging with the highest xylitol levels had a 57% higher risk of death, myocardial infarction or stroke related to cardiovascular events compared to those with the lowest levels.

Over 30 years, participants in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer (EPIC)-Norfolk group with the highest xylitol levels had an 18% greater risk of MACE.

Both cohorts showed evidence of a dose-dependent association, in which higher blood xylitol concentrations corresponded to higher rates of cardiovascular events.

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These higher risks persisted even after the researchers adjusted for other factors like age, gender, body mass index, hypertension, diabetes and lipid levels.

The study follows previous research that showed xylitol can enhance the ability of platelets to form clots, according to Dr. Marco Witkowski, the study presenter from Charité University Hospital in Berlin, Germany.

"Artificial sweeteners are consumed by people who think they are healthier than sugar, and they are generally regarded as safe by regulatory agencies," the doctor said in a statement.

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"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."

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The study was observational and does not prove that xylitol causes cardiovascular events, as the researchers noted that more studies are needed to confirm the findings.

The report also does not establish whether high levels of xylitol in the blood necessarily reflect dietary consumption, as the sugar alcohol can also be produced naturally in the body as part of glucose metabolism.

"These disturbing findings with [a] plausible mechanism of xylitol increasing cardiovascular risk should be taken very seriously," Dr. Aseem Malhotra, a cardiologist and public health campaigner based in London, told Fox News Digital.

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"As a practicing cardiologist, I see many patients suffering from anxiety and palpitations that resolve as soon as they stop taking artificial sweeteners."

Malhotra, who was not involved in the study, noted that one of the most important dietary changes to reduce cardiovascular risk is to "unsweeten your sweet tooth."

"That’s why I advise all my patients to avoid all processed sugars and artificial sweeteners for six weeks to break the addiction," he added.

Fox News Digital reached out to several food and beverage trade groups for comment.