• It is the turn of the sweetener xylitol to be in the attention of researchers. According to the latest studies published in specialized journals, xylitol may not be all that safe for human consumption.
Low- or no-calorie sweeteners are popular for one main reason: they deliver on their promises. Excessive consumption of free sugars is linked to an increased risk of overweight, obesity and the development of chronic diseases, and consumers are eager to avoid white sugar.
Food manufacturers have aligned themselves with this trend by replacing sugar with substitutes, be it aspartame, saccharin, stevia or xylitol. This latter sweetener is especially popular in the chewing gum category because it has been shown to prevent tooth decay.
However, xylitol may not be quite the holy grail promoted by food manufacturers. Recent research, published in the European Heart Journal, links xylitol consumption to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. But is the zero-calorie sweetener that promises so much unsafe for human consumption?
Xylitol – present in many popular products
In the world of sweeteners, there are broadly two camps: natural sweeteners and artificial sweeteners. Xylitol is considered a natural sugar substitute because it is made from a natural sugar alcohol found in plants – including some fruits and vegetables.
The sugar substitute xylitol is found in a wide range of food and non-food products, including sugar-free chewing gum, baked goods, and even toothpaste. Being calorie-free, it's a favorite among both diet food manufacturers and consumers. And previous research has also suggested that xylitol may help prevent gum disease and tooth decay.
But new research is raising alarm bells for everyone involved: a large-scale analysis of patients, preclinical research models, and a clinical intervention study have linked xylitol to an increased risk of cardiovascular events, such as heart attack and stroke. Evaluating more than 3000 patients in Europe and the US, the research team found that a third of those studied with the highest amount of xylitol in their plasma were more likely to suffer a cardiovascular event.
Preclinical tests confirmed that xylitol caused platelet clotting and increased the risk of thrombosis. Platelet activity was monitored by asking study participants to drink a xylitol-sweetened beverage compared to a glucose-sweetened beverage. All indices of clotting ability increased significantly immediately after xylitol ingestion, but not glucose.
What steps should consumers take?
The study results are a valid concern, but not to the point where consumers should throw away their xylitol-sweetened toothpaste. Lead author Stanley Hazen, who heads the Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences at the Lerner Research Institute at the Cleveland Clinic in the US, suggests that consumers should be aware of the consequences of choosing a product that contains high levels of the zero-calorie sweetener, as it could increase the risk of blood clotting events.
The findings also suggest that more research is needed, and in the shortest possible time. "This study shows the immediate need to investigate sugar alcohols and artificial sweeteners, especially as they continue to be recommended to combat conditions such as obesity or diabetes", reports Stanley Hazen.
His move follows a 2023 study linking the sweetener erythritol to an increased risk of adverse cardiac events.
Hazen's team acknowledges that its latest study comes with limitations, including the fact that observational clinical studies demonstrate association and not causation, a point emphasized by the Calorie Control Council, the industry watchdog for low-fat foods and beverages or reduced calories.
According to the Council, the study results contradict decades of scientific evidence supporting the safety of the sweetener, which is naturally present in foods such as strawberries, lettuce and oats.
Moreover, one of the stages of the study included individuals at high risk of cardiovascular events. These arguments demonstrate that, before definitively declaring xylitol unsafe for consumption, more time and more research are needed, so as not to do a disservice to those who rely on alternative sweeteners as a tool to improve their health.
Sweeteners criticized because of Frhealth-related occupations
Xylitol is far from the only sweetener that has recently been linked to negative health effects. Neotame, also known as E 961 and obtained from aspartame, has been shown to be capable of damaging the human intestine and causing disease. The finding builds on previous research linking artificial sweeteners such as saccharin, sucralose and aspartame to gut damage.
Last year, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended against using sweeteners for weight control after researchers could not find a link between sweetener use and long-term reductions in body fat in adults or children.
A few months later, the WHO classified aspartame as "possibly carcinogenic", but safe to consume if recommended daily intake is followed. Recently, a tragedy occurred in India when a girl from Punjab died after eating a birthday cake that contained an excessive amount of the synthetic sweetener saccharin.
Article Source: European Heart Journal "Xylitol is prothrombotic and associated with cardiovascular risk". Authors: Marco Witkowski, Ina Nemet, Xinmin S Li, Stanley L Hazen and others.
Article written by Gabriela Dan, Editor of Arta Albă
Read on White Art and: Xylitol – the sweetener derived from nature
