{"id":612474,"date":"2026-09-02T17:50:13","date_gmt":"2026-09-02T17:50:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/612474\/"},"modified":"2026-09-02T17:50:13","modified_gmt":"2026-09-02T17:50:13","slug":"heart-attack-stroke-common-sugar-substitute-may-raise-your-risk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/612474\/","title":{"rendered":"Heart Attack, Stroke: Common Sugar Substitute May Raise Your Risk"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"WhiteShare on Pinterest<\/a>A popular sugar substitute known as xylitol is associated with higher risks of heart attack and stroke. Xvision\/Moment\/Getty ImagesA common artificial sweetener known as xylitol is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events.A new study found that the higher the level of xylitol in the blood, the greater the risk of heart attack and stroke.Xylitol is used to sweeten foods, beverages, and dental products, but the long-term health impacts of the sugar substitute are still being studied. <\/p>\n

A common artificial sweetener, xylitol, may be detrimental to cardiovascular health. <\/p>\n

A new study shows that higher levels of xylitol<\/a> in the bloodstream were associated with higher risks of cardiovascular events like heart attack<\/a> and stroke. <\/p>\n

The findings were presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2026 in Munich, Germany, from August 28\u201331, but have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.<\/p>\n

\u201cArtificial sweeteners are consumed by people who think they are healthier than sugar, and they are generally regarded as safe by regulatory agencies,\u201d Marco Witkowski<\/a>, a researcher from the Charit\u00e9 University Hospital, Berlin, Germany, who presented the research, said in a news release<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur long-term findings in the general population highlight how little we know about the cardiovascular safety of xylitol<\/a> and indicate that further studies are warranted, especially as the amount of xylitol in products continues to increase,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n

In previous research<\/a>, Witkowski and colleagues demonstrated that xylitol increased the ability for platelets<\/a> in the blood to form clots. They previously found that high blood concentrations of xylitol increased the risk of cardiovascular events among high risk individuals. <\/p>\n

For the new study, Witowski and colleagues explored how xylitol influences the risk of cardiovascular events among the general population. <\/p>\n

To do so, they examined data from more than 17,000 people in two different cohorts, one based in Canada and the other in the United Kingdom.<\/p>\n

Among the participants, they found that those who had xylitol levels in the blood in the highest quartile had a significantly higher risk of stroke<\/a>, myocardial infarction<\/a>, and death when compared with participants who had xylitol blood levels in the lowest quartile. <\/p>\n

They found that in the Canadian cohort, across a follow-up period of six years, those with the highest levels of xylitol in the blood had a 57% higher risk of major adverse cardiovascular events than their peers with the lowest levels of xylitol in the blood. <\/p>\n

In the U.K. cohort, over a follow-up period spanning 30 years, those with the highest levels of xylitol in the blood were found to have an 18% higher risk of major adverse cardiovascular events compared with those with the lowest level of xylitol in the blood. <\/p>\n

The researchers suggest that, when interpreted together, the findings from each cohort indicate a dose-dependent relationship between xylitol blood levels and the risk of cardiovascular events. The higher the blood xylitol level, the higher the risk of cardiovascular events. <\/p>\n

This association was independent of other factors that could affect the risk of cardiovascular events, such as hypertension, body mass index (BMI), and lipid levels.<\/a><\/p>\n

The findings are the latest in a growing area of research examining the health impacts of artificial sweeteners. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve traditionally viewed artificial sweeteners as a healthier alternative to sugar<\/a>, particularly because they can reduce calorie and sugar intake,\u201d said Cheng-Han Chen<\/a>, MD, a board certified interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, CA. Chen wasn\u2019t involved in the study.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut this study adds to a growing body of research raising questions about whether some artificial sweeteners may have unintended effects on cardiovascular health. It\u2019s too early to say that artificial sweeteners cause heart attacks or strokes<\/a>, but these findings suggest we shouldn\u2019t automatically assume they\u2019re the healthier choice,\u201d Chen told Healthline.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe also need to be careful about interpreting these findings. We don\u2019t yet know whether simply reducing artificial sweetener consumption will lower a person\u2019s risk of heart attack or stroke. More research, particularly well-designed clinical trials, is needed to determine whether there is a direct cause-and-effect relationship,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n

Artificial sweeteners have become a popular choice to replace sugar. Xylitol occurs naturally in the body and is a sugar alcohol<\/a> that occurs as a byproduct of glucose metabolism<\/a>. <\/p>\n

In manufacturing, it may be added to beverages, food, and dental products to artificially sweeten them. <\/p>\n

Yet the long-term health effects of xylitol remain a subject of ongoing research. <\/p>\n

Dana Hunnes<\/a>, PhD, a senior dietitian at UCLA Health, said that small amounts of sugar may be preferable to artificial sweeteners. Hunnes wasn\u2019t involved in the study.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe more I learn about potential health detriments of artificial sweeteners, the more I\u2019m convinced that sometimes a little bit of real sugar is not the devil that we are made to believe by the PR reps at protein companies,\u201d she told Healthline. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe fact is, too many people eat too much added sugar<\/a>. However, small amounts of sugar or even added sugar can be OK and part of an otherwise healthy diet<\/a>. It\u2019s best to stick with small amounts of real sugar in place of artificial sweeteners,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Eleanor Levin<\/a>, MD, a cardiologist at Stanford University, said that avoiding artificial sweeteners has less of an overall impact on heart health than making other dietary changes. Levin wasn\u2019t involved in the study.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is less important than other dietary modifications at this time that reduce LDL cholesterol, like the DASH diet<\/a>, high in vegetables and legumes<\/a>,\u201d she told Healthline. <\/p>\n

Levin noted that despite ongoing research on artificial sweeteners, some people may still benefit from reducing their sugar intake. <\/p>\n

\u201cFor prediabetics and diabetics, it is best to avoid sugar, she said. <\/p>\n

\u201cThat said, more observational data is suggesting that artificial sweeteners do not reduce cardiovascular risk. Prediabetes is very common in American adults, and it is wise to avoid sugar and reduce white carbs<\/a> to reduce risk: potatoes, rice, noodles, and bread. \u2018Brown\u2019 carbs like tofu and shirataki noodles<\/a>, brown rice<\/a>, and sweet potatoes raise blood sugar less,\u201d Levin continued.<\/p>\n

The researchers noted that more studies are needed to determine the cardiovascular safety of artificial sweeteners like xylitol. <\/p>\n

Chen said that the best way to reduce the overall risk of adverse cardiovascular events is to focus on the basics. <\/p>\n

\u201cRather than focusing on whether one sweetener is \u2018good\u2019 or \u2018bad,\u2019 the goal should be an overall dietary and lifestyle pattern that supports heart health.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Share on PinterestA popular sugar substitute known as xylitol is associated with higher risks of heart attack and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":612475,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[103,61,60],"class_list":["post-612474","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-health","tag-ie","tag-ireland"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/612474","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=612474"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/612474\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/612475"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=612474"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=612474"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=612474"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}