Are sugar substitutes bad? For decades, many studies have shown that eating some low-calorie sweeteners is safe, but an American study published in the international academic journal “Nature Medicine” (Nature Medicine) on Monday (27) pointed out that a type of sweetener called “erythrophyllose Alcohol (erythritol) sugar substitute, associated with increased risk of thrombosis, stroke, heart attack, death, etc., the researchers urged patients with heart disease or diabetes to temporarily avoid consumption.
Stanley Hazen, Director, Center for Cardiovascular Diagnostics and Prevention, Lerner Institute, Cleveland Hospital
Four major risks related to sugar substitutes CNN reported that the Journal of Nature Medicine published a study by American and German scholars including the Lerner Research Institute of the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio on Monday. Stanley Hazen, director of the Center for Vascular Diagnosis and Prevention, said that the team originally wanted to find unknown chemical substances or compounds from blood samples that might predict the risk of heart attack, stroke, and death in the next three years, so they analyzed the blood samples from 2004 to 2011. During the year, blood samples from 1157 people at risk of heart disease were found to be unexpectedly found that erythritol played an important role. The risks associated with “erythritol” include:
thrombosis stroke heart attack die
Many people replace sugar with low-calorie sweeteners such as erythritol for health reasons
In order to confirm the research results, the team also analyzed 2100 and 833 blood samples in the United States and Europe respectively. The three groups of subjects all suffered from coronary artery thrombosis or high blood pressure, 1/5 of them had diabetes, and more than half were men aged 60 to 70 .
2 types of people avoid eating zero calorie sugar “erythritol” The study found that subjects with higher levels of “erythritol” in their bodies were associated with an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and death in the next three years. Studies have shown that for patients with diabetes and other heart disease risk, if the content of erythritol in the blood is at the highest level, the probability of heart attack or stroke will increase by 2 times. The researchers urge the following two groups of people to temporarily avoid eating a sugar substitute called “erythritol” (erythritol):
people with heart disease diabetic
Studies have found that platelets have a greater response to erythritol, and 10% stimulation can form 90-100% of thrombus
What is Erythritol?
Erythritol is a sugar alcohol that exists in many fruits and vegetables. Its sweetness is only 70% of that of sucrose, and it has almost no calories. It will not cause a significant increase in blood sugar when eaten. Hasen said that erythritol tastes similar to sucrose and can also be baked, so it is quite popular in the food industry, especially recommended to diabetics. He pointed out that some foods labeled as suitable for diabetics contain high levels of erythritol.
Why does erythritol increase the risk of heart attack, etc.?
Researchers conducted animal experiments and found that erythritol can induce thrombosis. The formation of thrombus is a necessary process in the human body. According to Hasson, the blood vessels in the human body are under pressure. When there is a wound, blood will ooze out. The function of platelets is to plug these wounds. He said that the scale of thrombus formed by platelets depends on the size of the stimulation. Assuming that the stimulation is only 10%, only 10% of the thrombus will be formed.
However, he said that studies have found that platelets are very responsive to erythritol, and 10% stimulation can form 90-100% of blood clots. He recommends that people who are at risk of blood clots, heart attacks, strokes, such as heart disease or diabetes patients, temporarily avoid erythritol until more research is available.
Experts recommend that diabetics temporarily avoid erythritol.
Decades of scientific research has shown that low-calorie sweeteners such as erythritol are safe
In response to the research, Robert Rankin, president of the Calorie Control Council, an erythritol industry organization in the United States, said that the results of the study are in line with the past decades that low-calorie sweeteners such as erythritol are considered safe. Contrary to scientific research, he believes that research results should not automatically apply to the general public, because the subjects in the research are already at risk of cardiovascular disease.
Oliver Jones, professor of chemistry at RMIT University, said the study only showed an association between erythritol and the risk of blood clots, not a cause-and-effect relationship.
Experts recommend that people with heart disease temporarily avoid erythritol.
