For a long time, sweeteners were considered a fairly safe alternative to sugar, but now there are first signs that these substances may not be so harmless.
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An international team of doctors has found the first evidence that frequent consumption of drinks and meals with the added sweetener erythritol, a calorie-free sugar substitute, can cause blood clots and increase the risk of cardiovascular events, heart attacks and strokes. .
Erytrol (known as E968 food additive) is often used to flavor low-calorie, low-carb, and ketogenic diets designed for people with diabetes. The main advantage of the substance is the fact that it does not increase blood glucose levels, as sugar does. Sugar-free products containing erythrole are also often recommended for people with obesity or metabolic syndrome.
Sweeteners have long been considered a safe alternative to sugar, but after a 30-year period of widespread use, there are the first signs that these substances may not be so harmless.
Scientists attribute the risk to the health of the heart and blood vessels to the fact that a substance that replaces sugar can accumulate in the body, and its molecules increase the risk of developing thrombosis. This hypothesis is supported by the fact that even a single intake of a sweetener increases blood clotting several times over two days.
“Our study shows that when participants consumed a beverage artificially sweetened with as much erythrol as found in many processed foods, their erythrol blood levels rose markedly for several days and posed a risk of blood clots,” he says. one of the study authors, Stanley Hazen. – It is important that more studies are carried out to investigate the long-term effects of artificial sweeteners in general and erythrol in particular, especially in people at increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
