An artificial sweetener used in baked goods, sugar-free candy and gum, and even toothpaste is tied to increased cardiovascular disease, per a series of new studies out of the Cleveland Clinic. In the research published Thursday in the European Heart Journal, scientists note that the sugar substitute xylitol, often used for weight loss or consumed by diabetics, has been linked to greater risk for heart attack and stroke, per a release.
- Study 1: Researchers looked at plasma samples saved from 3,000-plus fasting patients from an earlier study, who'd been tracked over three years; some had suffered a heart attack or stroke. The scientists found that those individuals who'd had a cardiovascular event had high levels of xylitol in their blood, per the Washington Post.