Zero calorie sweetener erythritol linked to risk of blood clots and risk of heart disease and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE)
In initial untargeted metabolomics studies (the large-scale study of small molecules, commonly known as metabolites, within cells, biofluids, tissues or organisms) in patients undergoing cardiac risk assessment, there were circulating levels of multiple polyol sweeteners, especially erythritol, were associated with incident (3 year) risk for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), which includes death or nonfatal myocardial infarction or stroke.
Subsequent study of physiological levels found erythritol enhanced platelet reactivity in vitro and thrombosis formation in vivo.
Another subsequent study found erythritol ingestion in healthy volunteers (n = 8) induced marked and sustained (>2 days) increases in plasma erythritol levels well above thresholds associated with heightened platelet reactivity and thrombosis potential in in vitro and in vivo studies.
The researchers concluded that findings reveal that erythritol is both associated with incident MACE risk and fosters enhanced thrombosis. Studies assessing the long-term safety of erythritol are warranted.
Erythritol is obtained by the fermentation of glucose and sucrose.
The study is important because it may be advisable to avoid products that add erythritol to stevia.
Erythritol: Sweetener in stevia linked to blood clots, study says | CNN
(misleading title because erythritol is often added as a bulking agent; raw stevia does not include erythritol)
The artificial sweetener erythritol and cardiovascular event risk - PubMed
BACKGROUND