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Low-calorie sweetener found in peanut butter and hundreds of other snacks may raise risk of deadly health conditions, study says
A low-calorie sweetener found in peanut butter, toothpaste, gum and hundreds of other snacks may raise your risk of a stroke or heart attack, a study suggests.
Xylitol is hailed as a 'natural' and 'healthy' sweetener because it's in fruit and vegetables, unlike other sugar substitutes like Splenda which are entirely synthetic.
But now researchers at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio have found — in a study of 3,000 adults who were about 65 years old — that those who consumed the most xylitol are nearly twice as likely to have a heart attack or stroke over the next three years than those who eat the least.
Lab studies showed that the sweetener could 'supercharge' clotting in the blood, raising the risk of the conditions.
Dr Stanley Hazen, a cardiologist who led the research, said: 'This study again shows the immediate need for investigating sugar alcohols and artificial sweeteners, especially as they continue to be recommended in combatting conditions like obesity or diabetes.'
He added: 'It does not mean throw out your toothpaste if it has xylitol in it.
'But we should be aware that consumption of a product containing high levels could increase the risk of blood clot-related events.'
Xylitol is absorbed directly into the blood after consumption, with researchers saying it can then interact with platelets — or clotting factors — to make them more likely to clump together.
Xylitol is a sugar alcohol found in small amounts naturally, and is also made in very small amounts by the human body.
It looks and tastes like sugar, and contains about 40 percent fewer calories.
Part of its appeal is that it is not supposed to spike blood sugar levels like table sugar does, with studies showing that constantly elevated blood sugar raises the risk of conditions like diabetes and heart disease.
Eating large amounts of sugar regularly has also been linked to multiple health conditions, including cancer, Alzheimer's and high blood pressure.
Xylitol is found in gums, mints and toothpastes to give them a sweeter taste
The new study was observational and did not prove that xylitol was raising the risk of heart attacks and strokes, rather than another factor.
But in lab studies they did find that consumption of xylitol raised the risk of platelets forming blood clots.
This raises the risk of heart attacks and strokes because the newly-formed clots could become lodged in blood vessels in the heart or the brain.
This would cut off the supply of nutrients and oxygen to cells, causing them to start to die or respire anaerobically — without oxygen — triggering the conditions.
Dr Hazen added to NBC News: '[In our study], all it takes is xylitol to interact with platelets alone for a very brief period of time, a matter of minutes, and the platelet becomes supercharged and much more prone to clot.'
Patients in the study were about 65 years old on average, mostly male, from Europe and the US and likely to be overweight.
They all had their blood tested for a substance linked to the consumption of xylitol during the experiments.
The scientists did not reveal an amount of xylitol consumed daily by participants that could raise the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Previous studies have suggested it is safe to consume between 0.4 and 1.1oz of the sweetener per day.
The amount of xylitol in chewing gum is typically between 0.01 and 0.03oz per piece, while in a blob of toothpaste can contain about 0.01oz of the sweetener.
Brands that contain xylitol include Trident and Airhead-branded chewing gums, Mentos mints, and ACT and Tom's-branded toothpastes.
Nuts'm more peanut butter may also contain the sweetener, as well as some sugar-free pudding options sold in stores including Wegmans. Consumers are advised to check the back of a product to find out whether it contains the sweetener.
This is the latest warning over sweeteners, and comes from the same team which linked the sweetener erythritol — popular in candies and baked goods — to heart disease risk last year.
About 141million Americans consume sweeteners at least once a year, a number that continues to surge amid a desire for sweet products without the calories.
But amid the growing use, this has prompted warnings from some corners that sweeteners could be increasing the risk of multiple health problems.