What are the dangers of Erythritol? Products and sweeteners explored amid heart attack and stroke risks

Erythritol, a commonly used artificial sweetener, has been linked to high rates of strokes and heart attacks. Lab experiments have shown that this sweetener can cause blood clots in the human body.

Researchers discovered a link between the concentration of the sugar substitute in the blood and cardiovascular problems, which prompted the claim. It was also supported by animal experiments and testing of human blood samples, which revealed that the sweetener had the ability to increase the likelihood of blood clots.

It is medically advised that one should try to eat less sugar to remain healthy, and foods and drinks containing sweeteners are better than products containing natural sugars. But Stanley Hazen from Ohio’s Cleveland Clinic states that erythritol being added to so many foods these days is causing higher than natural blood levels.

It has become a common ingredient in foods and drinks that people consume for low-carb diets or weight loss. Hazan said:

“It is one of the fastest growing artificial sweeteners.”

---

Overweight people are more likely to consume erythritol according to studies

This sugar substitute is used in many processed foods as well as beverages. Many sweeteners produce an intense flavor, so only a small concentration needs to be used. Erythritol’s sweetness is almost like that of sugar, so it is usually used in the same proportion as a substitute.

Erythritol has only recently made it into the category of artificial additives in foods. It is one sort of sugar alcohol that is around 70 percent sweet, similar to sugar of the same weight but has almost no calories. Along with other kinds of sugar alcohols, this compound is found at low levels in many vegetables and fruits and can also be naturally made in human bodies.

Stanley Hazen’s team started examining the effects of the compound by testing blood samples obtained from two previous studies that had tracked the rate of strokes or heart attacks in people.

These two studies observed people who were at increased risk of either stroke or heart attack due to health factors such as having diabetes or being overweight. One study was done with about 2100 people in the United States, and the other one was done with around 830 people from Europe.

Hazen and his colleagues found that those with the highest levels of erythritol in their bodies had a higher risk of stroke and heart attack than those with the lowest level of this artificial sweetener.

The risk for people in the first category was about twice as high between the two study groups. People who had worse health conditions or were overweight were more likely to consume more sweeteners.

This observational study could not prove that erythritol was causing the increased risk in humans. So, Hazen’s team explored the effects of the compound on the blood, as both strokes and heart attacks can be caused by blood clots.

While eight volunteers who were considered at low risk for these two health hazards consumed drinks and food containing 30 grams of artificial sweetener, such as low-carb ice cream, their blood levels jumped up to 6000 micromoles from about 4 micromoles. It remained that high for several hours.

Hazen said:

“As soon as you drink an artificially sweetened drink, the levels swamp the normal levels in the blood.”

The compound was also found to cause clot formation in mice at a level of 300 micromoles. When it was added to samples of human blood, it formed clots at 45 micromoles. Hazen stated that everything suggested that this sweetener was not just an innocent bystander, rather, it was directly causing an amplification in the reactivity of the platelets in the blood.