High Blood Levels of Popular Sweetener Xylitol Linked to Increased Cardiovascular Risk
Learn how data from more than 17,000 people linked higher blood levels of xylitol to an increased risk of death, heart attack, and stroke over the long term.
A recent study conducted by researchers at Charité University Hospital in Berlin, Germany, found a connection between higher blood levels of the artificial sweetener xylitol and an increased risk of major cardiovascular events, such as heart attack, stroke, and death, according to a report from the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).
The research team analyzed data from over 17,000 participants collected from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) and the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer (EPIC)-Norfolk. After following up with participants for varying periods, the researchers observed a dose-dependent relationship, indicating that even lower doses of xylitol were associated with higher risks of cardiovascular events.
Despite the link between xylitol and cardiovascular risks, the study's authors emphasize that more research is needed to determine the cause-and-effect relationship, as observational studies like this one cannot definitively establish causality.
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