food known to be healthy in Spain that experts say causes heart attacks

Researchers from the Cleveland Clinic in the USA found that consuming large amounts of xylitola very common zero calorie sweetener used for sweeten drinks, sweets or even toothpasteassociated with a higher incidence of cardiovascular events such as heart attacks And blows.

Researchers recall that over the past decade, the use of calorie substitutes Sugar content, including sugar alcohols and artificial sweeteners, has increased significantly in processed foods that are promoted as healthy alternatives. Stanley Hazen’s team now confirms its link to heart problems after conducting a large-scale analysis of patients, preclinical study models and a clinical intervention study.

Conclusions, collect Europe Pressnow published in European Journal of Cardiology. The same research group last year found a similar connection between erythritolanother low-calorie sweetener widely used in the food industry and increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.

“This study further highlights the urgent need to study sugar alcohols and artificial sweeteners as They are still recommended to combat diseases such as obesity or diabetes.“Said Dr. Hazen, chair of the Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute and chief of preventive cardiology at the Heart, Vascular and Thoracic Institute.

“This This doesn’t mean throwing out your toothpaste if it contains xylitol.but we must be aware that consuming a product containing high levels may increase the risk of blood clot events,” he warns. In this new study, researchers found that a large number circulating xylitol were associated with an increased three-year risk of cardiovascular events in the analysis more than 3000 patients from the USA and Europe.

A third of patients (those with the highest plasma xylitol concentrations) experienced more cardiovascular events. To confirm the findings, the research team conducted preclinical trials and found that xylitol causes platelet coagulation And increased risk of thrombosis.

The researchers also looked at platelet activity in people who drank xylitol-sweetened drinks compared to glucose-sweetened drinks. They discovered that each measure of coagulation capacity increased significantly immediately after xylitol, but not glucose.

The authors call for further research to evaluate the long-term cardiovascular safety of xylitol. The study had several limitations: Because it was a clinical observation, it demonstrated association rather than causation. The bottom line is that every consumer should talk to their doctor or registered dietitian to learn about their options. healthy eating and personal recommendations.

This study is part of Dr. Hazen’s ongoing research into factors that contribute to residual cardiovascular risk. His team follows patients over time and finds chemical signatures in the blood that can predict the future development of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. He has made groundbreaking discoveries in the field of atherosclerosis and inflammatory disease research, including seminal discoveries linking gut microbial pathways to cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.