A popular sugar substitute used in many diet and keto products may increase your risk of heart attack.
A study by researchers at the Cleveland Clinic found that when people were given the sweetener erythritol, the blood cells responsible for blood clotting became more active.
This showed that participants were at greater risk of developing blood clots, which can lead to a heart attack or stroke.
When volunteers were given regular sugar, they did not see this effect. The ‘healthy’ sugars increased the risk of cardiovascular disease more than regular sugar.
Erythritol is found in products like Quest protein bars, sugar-free Vitamin Water, and Halo Top Ice Cream, as well as keto-friendly versions of candy, like Reece’s Peanut Butter Cups.
Some popular products containing Erythritol include sugar-free Monster energy drinks, Halo Top ice cream, and Quest protein bars.
These findings are concerning because doctors often recommend these products to people who are already at increased risk for heart disease, said Dr. Stanley Hazen, chief of the Division of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences at the Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute.
“Cardiovascular disease builds up over time and heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. We need to make sure the food we eat isn’t a hidden contributor,” Dr. Hazen said.
Erythritol is made from corn and is about 70 percent as sweet as sugar, but contains only six percent of the calories.
It is similar to other artificial sweeteners, known as sugar alcohols, which have also been linked to a range of health problems in recent years.
Researchers observed this effect in the lab by giving twenty volunteers water containing erythritol or sugar and then testing their blood.
They found that when people were given erythritol, it caused the platelets in their blood to become activated.
Platelets are the cells in the blood that stick together to form clots.
In comparison, the platelets did not respond when the volunteers drank sugar water.
This showed that people who consume products containing erythritol have a greater risk of heart attack or stroke.
The authors cautioned that the study was small and that they needed to test on more people to establish a clearer link.
This isn’t the first study to find a link between the sweetener and heart disease. Dr. Hazen’s previous research, published in Nature Medicine in 2023, found that people who consumed erythritol were more likely to have additional heat strokes and strokes in the three years following the assessment.
The researchers suspect that this may have to do with the way the product accumulates in the body over time.
The body has difficulty processing this sweetener, so it is usually excreted in the urine.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, the amount that is processed is stored in the body, where its effects can accumulate.
While Dr. Hazen doesn’t recommend simply eating sugar, he says his findings suggest it could be better for you than sugar substitutes.
“I think it’s better to have small amounts of sweets occasionally than to have beverages and foods sweetened with these sugar alcohols,” Dr. Hazen said.