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Sweetener used in gum and jam linked to heart attack and stroke

2026-09-02 19:53:28Lifestyle SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Sweetener used in foods increases risk of heart attack and stroke

The sweetener used in chewing gum and sugar-free products, "Xylitol", may be linked to a higher risk of heart attacks and strokes, writes the British media "The Guardian".

A new study has raised concerns about the long-term safety of xylitol, a sweetener widely used in products such as chewing gum, toothpaste, jam, yogurt, ice cream and other sugar-free products.

The researchers analyzed data from 17,710 people from two large prospective studies, the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) and the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition – Norfolk (EPIC-Norfolk).

Participants were divided according to blood xylitol concentration and the groups with the highest and lowest levels were compared.

The results showed that, in the Canadian group, people with the highest levels of xylitol had a 57% higher risk of a major cardiovascular event over six years, compared to those with the lowest levels.

The cases included in the analysis were death, myocardial infarction, and stroke.

In the other group, followed for up to 30 years, an association between higher xylitol levels and cardiovascular risk was also observed, although the effect was smaller.

The researchers reported an increase of about 18% in risk in the long-term analysis.

Xylitol is a sugar alcohol (polyol) that is found naturally in very small amounts in some foods and is also produced by the body during glucose metabolism.

However, in processed products it is used in much higher concentrations, in some cases over 1,000 times greater than natural levels.

One of the reasons researchers are carefully examining it is xylitol's possible impact on platelets, blood cells that play a role in clotting.

Previous studies have suggested that xylitol may increase the ability of platelets to form clots, offering a possible mechanism for the link to cardiovascular events.

However, the researchers emphasize that the results do not prove that xylitol causes heart attacks or strokes.

This is an observational study, which identifies an association between xylitol levels in the blood and cardiovascular risk, but cannot determine whether the cause is the sweetener itself or other factors related to health and nutrition.

Researchers are now calling for further studies to determine whether long-term exposure to xylitol may have a causal role in cardiovascular disease.

For now, the findings do not mean that consumers should immediately stop using any products containing xylitol.

They indicate the need for more research on the long-term use of this sweetener, especially in people at high risk for heart and blood vessel disease.


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