Study Links High Blood Levels of Xylitol to Increased Risk of Stroke and Heart Attack
A European cohort study found that participants with the highest concentrations of the low-calorie sweetener xylitol in their blood faced a significantly higher risk of serious cardiovascular events and mortality over six and thirty years.
A large European observational study involving more than 17,000 adults reported that elevated blood concentrations of xylitol, a low-calorie sweetener used in products such as chewing gum, toothpaste and certain foods, were associated with a higher likelihood of major stroke, heart attack or death. Participants in the top quartile of xylitol levels were 57% more likely to experience a serious cardiovascular event or die within six years compared with those in the lowest quartile, and the risk remained 18% higher after a thirty-year follow-up. The association persisted after adjusting for age, sex, body weight, blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol, and appeared to increase with higher xylitol exposure.
"Our long-term findings in the general population highlight how little we know about the cardiovascular safety of xylitol and indicate that further studies are warranted, especially as the amount of xylitol in products continues to increase," said study author Marco Witkowski in a release from the European Society of Cardiology.
Researchers emphasized that the study’s observational design cannot establish causality, and they called for additional research to determine whether xylitol directly contributes to cardiovascular risk. The findings add to ongoing debate about the safety of artificial sweeteners, which are widely regarded as safe by regulatory agencies but remain under investigation for potential long-term health effects.