Consumption of sweeteners It is becoming increasingly popular as a sugar substitute Recently associated with health risks. A new study conducted by the Center for Cardiovascular Diagnosis and Prevention at the Lerner Research Institute at Cleveland Clinic, Published this Thursday in the magazine european heart journal, Consumption of A The sweetener is called xylitol With the risk of myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular disease (stroke, ischemic stroke) or cardiovascular disease-related death in people who consume the highest levels. Xylitol is a sugar alcohol found in small amounts in fruits and vegetables, and also produced by the human body It is used in many foods and products Consumption with low sugar content, e.g Chewing gum, candy, toothpaste, or baked goods. As an additive, it looks and tastes like sugar, but contains 40% fewer calories.
the doctor Stanley Hazen, director of the center who conducted the study “We gave healthy volunteers a typical drink containing xylitol to see where the levels went, and they multiplied those levels by 1,000,” the professor of cardiovascular and metabolic sciences at the Lerner Research Institute at Cleveland Clinic explained to CNN. “When we eat sugar, our glucose level may rise by 10% or 20%, but it does not multiply by a thousand,” says Hazen, the lead author of the research. “Humanity has only seen such high levels of xylitol in the past two decades, when we started eating fully processed foods that replaced sugar.”
The people most at risk are those who consume the most
The study’s lead author cautions against this “We are introducing these products into our food pyramid, The people most likely to consume it specifically are those most at risk of myocardial infarction or stroke, such as diabetics, people with high blood pressure or high levels of cholesterol. Interestingly, the team of researchers began studying sugar alcohols that occur naturally in the human body to see if these compounds could predict cardiovascular risk in these people.
In the study, researchers measured the normal level of xylitol in the blood More than 3,000 participants after a night of fasting. They discovered that people Placed by xylitol levels in the top 25% Of the study group it was approx Double the risk of a heart attack from the heart muscle, Stroke or death in the following three years From the people in the lower room. This team of researchers, in a 2023 study, actually found similar results in another low-calorie sweetener called erythritol, which is used as a filler sugar in stevia, monk fruit (monk fruit extract) and reduced-sugar keto products.
Facilitates platelet clotting
Laboratory and animal studies presented in the two papers revealed this Erythritol and xylitol maybe Facilitating platelet clotting. These clots can break off and travel to the heart, causing a heart attack, or they can also travel to the brain, causing a stroke or stroke. In the current study, the researchers wanted to understand the mechanism of action, so they fed mice xylitol, added it to their blood and plasma in the laboratory, and also gave a drink containing xylitol to 10 healthy volunteers. In all these cases, Xylitol appears to activate plateletsthe blood element that controls blood clotting, It is the main cause of heart attacks and cerebrovascular accidents, as explained by Hazen, who emphasizes that “it is enough for the xylitol to interact with the platelets on its own for a very short period of time, a few minutes, for the platelets to be able to interact with the platelets.” “They become burdened and more susceptible to clotting.”
Although there is still a lot to investigate, says scientist Hazen Patients are recommended to avoid consuming xylitol and other sugar alcohols, whose spelling ends in “Etol.” In his opinion, It is best to use moderate amounts of sugarAnd honey or fruit to sweeten food more than sweeteners, he adds Toothpaste and gum probably wouldn’t be a problem Because very little xylitol is ingested.
The World Health Organization warns against sweeteners
Overall, this study adds to views that alternative sweeteners to sugar can lead to health problems. The same Global Health Organization Already warned about it Aspartamea zero-calorie sweetener common in beverages a light, May be carcinogenicAccording to a study conducted by the International Cancer Research Center (IARC) and published last July. Aspartame is a sweetener that has been used in the food industry since the 1980s and, along with saccharin, is one of the most widely used sugar substitutes. in May, The World Health Organization has advised against consuming sweeteners He pointed out that a person needs to reduce sweets in his diet, and he must do so from an early age to enjoy better health. In addition, the World Health Organization notes that sweeteners are not effective for long-term weight control and may have unwanted effects if used for a long time, such as increased risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and mortality in adults.
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