Common sweetener in Quest protein bars and Vitamin water may raise risk of a heart attack MORE than sugar

A popular sugar-substitute used in many diet and keto products might increase your risk of a heart attack. 

A study by Cleveland Clinic researchers found that when people were given the sweetener erythritol, blood cells that cause clotting became more active. 

This suggested participants were at higher risk of developing clots, which could lead to heart attack and stroke.

When volunteers were given plain sugar, they did not see this effect. The 'healthy' sugars increased peoples risk of cardiovascular disease more than regular sugar. 

Some popular products with Erythritol include zero sugar Monster energy drinks, some Halo Top ice cream, Vitamin Water Zero sugar and some Quest protein bars

Erythritol is found in products like Quest protein bars, zero sugar Vitamin Water and Halo Top Ice Cream as well as keto-friendly versions of sweets like Reece's Peanut Butter Cups.

These findings are concerning because doctors often recommend these products to people already at risk for heart disease, study author Dr Stanley Hazen, the chair of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences in Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute said. 

'Cardiovascular disease builds over time, and heart disease is the leading cause of death globally. We need to make sure the foods we eat aren’t hidden contributor,' Dr Hazen said. 

Erythritol is made from corn and is about 70 percent as sweet as sugar but contains just six percent of the calories.

It's similar to other artificial sweeteners, known as sugar alcohols, which have also been linked to a host of health problems in recent years. 

Researchers observed this affect in the lab by giving twenty volunteers water with erythritol or sugar, and then testing their blood.

They found that when people were given erythritol, it caused platelets in their blood to become activated. 

Platelets are the cells in the blood that stick together to form clots. 

By comparison, the platelets didn't react when the volunteers consumed sugar water.

This showed that people who consume erythritol sweetened products could be at higher risk for heart attack and stroke. They published their findings in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology. 

Authors cautioned that the study was small, and in order to establish a clearer relationship, they'll need to perform these tests on more people.

This isn't the first study to find a link between the sweetener and cardiovascular disease. Dr Hazen's previous research, which was published in Nature Medicine in 2023, showed that people who consumed erythritol were more likely to develop additional heat attack and strokes in the three years after the assessment.

The researchers suggest that this could have to do with how the product builds up in the body over time.  

The body has a hard time processing this sweetener, meaning that it usually passes out the body through pee. 

The amount that does get processed gets stored in the body, where it's effects can build up, according to Cleveland Clinic.

Though Dr Hazen isn't recommending that you go out and binge on sugar, he said his findings lead him to believe that it might be better for you than sugar replacements.  

'I feel that choosing sugar-sweetened treats occasionally and in small amounts would be preferable to consuming drinks and foods sweetened with these sugar alcohols,' Dr Hazen said.