A study published in the magazine arteriosclerosis, thrombosis and vascular biology warns that the regular consumption of a sweetener Employee in low sugar products could increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. The research, developed by specialists from Cleveland Clinic in the United States, observed that this compound activates blood platelets and favors the formation of clots, increasing the probabilities of arterial blockage in people with cardiovascular predisposition.
What is the recognized sweetener who could increase the risk of stroke
He sweetener In question is erythritol, a sugar alcohol that is naturally found in fruits such as melon or grapes, although the one used industrially is obtained from corn. It is one of the most frequent ingredients in products with low caloric content, especially in “oto” diets, light drinks, sugarless candy and reduced calorie desserts.
According to the United States Food and Medicines Administration (FDA), erythritol is a sweetener considered “generally recognized as insurance” (GRAS). This category allows its free use in food products without restrictions. However, scientists propose that the initial approval was based on short -term studies and that today there is sufficient evidence to analyze its long -term effects on people with metabolic diseases or heart history.
Researchers explain that excessive consumption of this sweetener It could affect those who already have cardiovascular risk factors among the main warnings, they said:
- The human body slowly metabolizes erythritol, causing accumulation in blood.
- This accumulation can increase platelet activity and coagulous formation.
- People with diabetes, obesity or metabolic syndrome are the most vulnerable.
- Negative effects can be enhanced if combined with a high fat diet.
- The risk of cardiac events increases when “light” beverages or desserts are consumed in large quantities.
Another investigation of the same team had already shown that individuals with high levels of blood erythritol had twice the chance of suffering a ACV in the next three years. This finding reinforces the hypothesis that the sweetener It might not be as harmless as it was believed.
