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A study from the Cleveland Clinic, published on June 6 by the scientific journal “European Heart Journal”, establishes a link between high consumption of this sweetener and an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
You may be reading this article while chewing gum or sugar-free candy. The fresh, minty taste you then feel is due to the xylitol. A sugar substitute which was the subject of a study by the Cleveland Clinic, published on June 6 in the scientific journal European Heart Journal. According to its results, xylitol causes an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Does this mean you should stop using it? Release explains the potential danger of this sugar substitute.
What is xylitol?
Xylitol is a sweetener belonging to the polyol family, used as food additives. “It’s not necessarily a synthetic product,” specifies Jean-Michel Lecerf, nutritionist specializing in endocrinology at the Pasteur Institute in Lille. Coming from birch bark, it is also found in very small quantities in certain fruits and vegetables, such as cauliflower, plum and even strawberries. Its glycemic index is 10 times lower than white sugar. It is also less caloric. But its sweetening power is the same as normal sugar. This is why it is used as a substitute for sugar, and is particularly recommended for people with diabetes or genetic predispositions to diabetes.
In what foods is xylitol found?
Two indicators make it possible to detect the presence of xylitol in food: the words “E 967” or “no added sugar”. “Manufacturers are replacing part of the sugars with these
