Erythritol is a sugar substitute found in many low-calorie, diet-friendly foods and beverages. But new research suggests the compound may have an unexpected link to heart disease.
The study, published last week, suggests that erythritol may be involved in blood clotting, and that consuming large amounts of erythritol may increase risk two days or more afterward. While it’s not standard, experts tell TODAY.com it’s worth watching how much erythritol and other sugar substitutes you consume on a regular basis.
What is Erythritol?
Erythritol is what is known as a reducing sugar or sugar alcohol.Stanley Hazen, Ph.D., chair of the Lerner Research Institute’s Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences and co-chair of the Cleveland Clinic’s Preventive Cardiology Department, told TODAY. told com.
“It tastes a lot like sugar, but you don’t derive calories from sugar,” he explains.
Sugar alcohols and other artificial sweeteners, including erythritol, “have actually been fairly well studied, as their use in the food supply has increased tremendously,” said Academy spokesperson Whitney Lynn. Dr. Senmeyer, RD said. Nutrition and Dietetics and Assistant Professor at St. Louis University tells TODAY.com.
Long-term studies have been mixed overall, but the Food and Drug Administration considers sugar alcohols to be “perfectly safe for human consumption.”
Hazen says it’s a particularly popular sugar substitute because it works much like sugar in cooking and baking, along with other sweeteners (such as stevia, monk fruit, and other sugar alcohols). Can be used as a “bulking sugar” for products. They taste a little better.
Our own bodies also make erythritol in response to high glucose levels, Susie Swithers, PhD, a professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences at Purdue University, tells TODAY.com. It stays in and helps create energy, but some leaks into the bloodstream, and circulating levels of erythritol in the body vary from person to person.
Erythritol is also naturally found in some foods, such as watermelon and some fermented foods, Hazen says. Much less than what desserts contain, he adds.
For these reasons, it is debatable whether erythritol falls into the category of “artificial” sweeteners, and some might say that products containing erythritol contain only natural sweeteners on their packaging.
But companies still have to list erythritol on all ingredient lists, she says. No. Instead, it may simply be referred to as a “sugar alcohol.”
But when we talk about erythritol in everyday life, we usually talk about it as an artificial sweetener commonly found in diet foods and drinks.
Erythritol is increasingly “used as a carrier for other artificial sweeteners,” Hazen says. It really took off.
Common Side Effects of Erythritol
The reason sugar alcohols are so useful as alternative sweeteners is that “our bodies don’t metabolize sugar alcohols particularly well,” Swithers explains. “So we consume them and then excrete them. And since we’re not metabolizing them, we don’t get any energy or calories from them.”
However, it also leads to “gastrointestinal distress” that you may feel after consuming large amounts of foods and drinks containing sugar alcohols.
Therefore, like other sugar alcohols, erythritol can cause gastrointestinal side effects such as:
- bloating.
- loose intestines.
- diarrhea.
However, compared to other sugar alcohols, erythritol tends to cause these problems less frequently, says Hazen. and mannitol should carry a warning on the label stating “may cause laxative effects”. FDA says.
Erythritol and Heart Problems
New research published in natural medicine Last week, researchers discovered a strong link between erythritol and heart attack and stroke risk.
In the first part of the study, researchers looked at blood test results from about 1,100 patients undergoing cardiac risk assessments. They found that participants with higher levels of erythritol in their blood were more likely to have heart problems, such as heart attacks and strokes, over the next three years.
The researchers then repeated these findings in a targeted analysis of 2,100 participants in the US and 830 participants in Europe. All had undergone cardiac evaluation for possible heart problems. From there, researchers conducted laboratory studies and discovered that erythritol was able to induce platelet activation (leading to clotting) in mice, causing it to clot itself.
Finally, the researchers gave a group of eight healthy volunteers a drink containing erythritol and then observed surprisingly high levels of erythritol in their bodies for two days.
“Erythritol plasma levels were very high, above the threshold for increased clotting risk,” said Hazen, one of the study authors.(Participants were given 30 mg of erythritol. is the equivalent of a pint of keto-friendly ice cream or two cookies with erythritol, says Hazen.)
Taken together, the results of this study suggest a significant association between erythritol and an increased risk of heart attack, stroke and death. And they show that eating or drinking erythritol can directly increase the risk of blood clots for several days after consuming the product.
The new study doesn’t conclusively prove a causal link between erythritol and heart problems, but “it definitely raises the level of concern,” says Swithers, who was not involved in the study.
“This is a very compelling study,” agrees Linsenmeyer. “It’s powerful, it looks athttps://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiRmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRvZGF5LmNvbS9oZWFsdGgvZGlldC1maXRuZXNzL3doYXQtaXMtZXJ5dGhyaXRvbC1yY25hNzMxNjXSASlodHRwczovL3d3dy50b2RheS5jb20vdG9kYXkvYW1wL3JjbmE3MzE2NQ?oc=5from different angles, but it’s not definitive.”
Swithers says the results for healthy participants were particularly impressive.
“The results of this study contrast with decades of scientific research showing that low-calorie sweeteners like erythritol are safe, which is a global consensus for use in food and beverages. It has been proven by extensive regulatory approval and should not be extrapolated to the general population.Patients on intervention already had an increased risk of cardiovascular events.” Calorie Control Councilis an association representing the low-calorie and low-calorie food and beverage industry.
“Erythritol has proven to be a safe and effective option for reducing sugar and calories, and has been used for over 30 years to add sweetness to reduced-sugar foods and beverages and to enhance taste and texture. It’s been used in,” Rankin continued. statement. “Along with exercise and a healthy diet, low-calorie sweeteners are an important tool to help consumers manage their weight and reduce their risk of non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease.”
Hazen emphasizes that the findings aren’t just about erythritol in food. For example, the first patient data came from tests he performed between 2004 and his 2011, which predated the current prevalence of erythritol-containing products, he said. I will explain.
And he stressed that these results shouldn’t be a cause for concern, saying that in the long term, “so that we can turn this into ways we can better understand heart disease and help prevent it.” will be.”
Things to know before eating or drinking products containing erythritol:
For those who eat a lot of sugary foods and drinks, replacing some of them with artificially sweetened ones may be part of a plan to reduce their intake of those products. should aim to limit their intake of these artificial sweetener products as well.
“Ideally, we wouldn’t rely heavily on artificial sweeteners,” she says, generally leading people to water, tea, and other drinks that are free of artificial sweeteners.
“But that’s just not the reality for a lot of people,” she says. In addition, concerns begin to arise when people are consuming large amounts of these ingredients, as they can cause gastrointestinal problems.
To avoid these possible gastrointestinal effects, people should aim to eat no more than 10 to 15 grams of sugar alcohols per day, advises Linsenmeyer.
For people with known risk factors for blood clots and heart disease, it may make more sense to cut out erythritol altogether, says Dr. Swithers. “We need to know more about this,” she says, before making any concrete suggestions.
“We suggest patients avoid artificial sweeteners and use regular sweeteners such as honey, fruit, and sugar in moderation,” says Hazen.
Linsenmeyer agrees, saying that people with diabetes and heart disease can eat traditional sugar absolutely safely. It has to be managed,” she explains.
But if you’re trying to follow the keto diet, it won’t work. says Linsenmeyer.
Still, if you like these foods, you don’t have to completely eliminate them from your diet, says Linsenmeyer.
