US Research Team "Erythritol Makes Blood Clot"
Contradicts Accumulated Studies Saying 'Harmless to Humans'
"Experimental Bias... Difficult to Apply to General Public" Rebuttal
A study has found that 'erythritol,' a sweetener used in 'zero sugar' foods instead of sugar, increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. It is pointed out that foods containing erythritol cause blood to clot, raising the risk of thrombosis.
On the 1st (local time), according to the American economic magazine Forbes and others, Dr. Stanley Hazen of the Lerner Research Institute at the Cleveland Clinic in the United States recently revealed through the international academic journal Nature Medicine that people with risk factors for heart disease have twice the risk of heart attack or stroke if their blood erythritol levels are high.
Dr. Hazen stated, "People with blood erythritol levels in the top 25% had twice the risk of heart attack or stroke compared to those in the bottom 25%," adding, "This is a considerable risk, comparable to strong heart disease risk factors such as diabetes."
To verify this, the research team analyzed the blood of over 2,100 Americans and 833 Europeans collected until 2018. Through this, they identified that high blood erythritol levels were associated with the risk of heart attack, stroke, and death within three years across all groups.
Additionally, the research team discovered through animal experiments that erythritol increases thrombosis or induces blood clotting. They explained that erythritol causes platelets to clot, which can easily form blood clots. If a blood clot breaks off and travels through blood vessels to the heart, it can cause a heart attack; if it flows to the brain, it can cause a stroke, so caution is required.
Dr. Andrew Freeman of National Juicy Health (NJH) said, "There seems to be a risk of blood clotting when using erythritol," adding, "Although further research is needed, it would be reasonable to limit erythritol in the diet as a precaution." However, Dr. Freeman did not participate in the study.
"Should not be generalized to the public," some point out
Photo by Asia Economy DB
Some argue that the study results should not be overinterpreted. Robert Rankin, Executive Director of the Calorie Control Council (CCC), an industry group for low-calorie sweeteners, said, "This contradicts decades of research showing that low-calorie sweeteners like erythritol are safe," adding, "Since the study participants already had cardiovascular risk factors, these results should not be generalized to the general public."
Erythritol has about 70% of the sweetness of sugar and is a sweetener that is hardly absorbed by the body and is excreted as is. Especially, since both its calories and glycemic index are close to zero, the food and beverage industry has recently been releasing products that replace sugar with erythritol to control calories and sugar.
Dr. Hazen said, "There is enough data to advise people who already have heart disease or diabetes, or those at risk of blood clotting, heart attack, or stroke, to avoid erythritol until further research results are available."
Regarding this, Professor Oliver Jones of RMIT University in Australia, who did not participate in the study, pointed out, "The research team found an association between erythritol and blood clotting, but this is not definitive evidence that such an association exists."
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