THINK YOU’RE TAKING THE HEALTHY ROUTE BY CHOOSING SUGAR-FREE FOOD AND DRINKS? YOU MIGHT WANT TO THINK AGAIN. ANOTHER SUGAR SUBSTITUTE HAS NOW BEEN LINKED TO NEGATIVE HEALTH IMPACTS.  

A NEW CLEVELAND CLINIC STUDY FOUND HIGHER AMOUNTS OF XYLITOL INTAKE ARE LINKED TO AN INCREASED RISK OF HEART ATTACK, STROKE, OR CARDIOVASCULAR-RELATED DEATH. XYLITOL IS A SUGAR ALCOHOL FOUND NATURALLY IN SOME PLANTS AND PRODUCED BY THE HUMAN BODY. 

AND MUCH LIKE SUGAR, WHILE XYLITOL IS NATURALLY OCCURRING, ADDED XYLITOL COULD BE WHAT POSES THE RISK. IT’S MOST COMMONLY FOUND IN TOOTHPASTE AND SUGAR-FREE GUM BUT IS ALSO USED IN MANY CANDIES AND BAKED GOODS—ESPECIALLY THINGS LABELED “KETO-FRIENDLY”.  

RESEARCHERS STUDIED 3,000 PEOPLE AND FOUND THOSE WITH THE HIGHEST XYLITOL LEVELS HAD APPROXIMATELY DOUBLE THE RISK FOR HEART ATTACK, STROKE, OR DEATH OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE, HOWEVER, THE STUDY WAS ONLY OBSERVATIONAL—SO RESEARCHERS SAY IT DOES NOT PROVE XYLITOL WAS FOR SURE BEHIND THE INCREASED RISK. 

RESEARCHERS ALSO SAY WHILE ADDED XYLITOL IN FOOD POSES A RISK, YOU DON’T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT IT IN YOUR ORAL CARE PRODUCTS LIKE TOOTHPASTE AND MOUTHWASH, BECAUSE THEY’RE NOT INGESTED IN LARGE AMOUNTS. 

THE SAME TEAM OF RESEARCHERS FOUND A SIMILAR ASSOCIATION LAST YEAR TO THE POPULAR SUGAR SUBSTITUTE ERYTHRITOL, ANOTHER ZERO-CALORIE SUGAR SUBSTITUTE USED TO SWEETEN LOW-CAL, LOW-CARB AND “KETO” PRODUCTS. THE USE OF SUGAR SUBSTITUTES HAS INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE PAST DECADE AS CONCERNS ABOUT RISING OBESITY RATES MOUNT. 

CLEVELAND CLINIC EXPERTS SAY KNOWING IF YOUR FOOD CONTAINS XYLITOL ISN’T AS EASY AS JUST READING THE NUTRITION LABEL. THAT’S BECAUSE FOOD MANUFACTURERS AREN’T ALWAYS REQUIRED TO LIST SUGAR ALCOHOLS ON THEIR PACKAGING. 

THE U.S. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION’S GUIDELINES REGARDING SUGAR ALCOHOLS STATE THEY ONLY NEED TO BE INCLUDED IN THE NUTRITION LABEL IF “A CLAIM [IS] MADE ABOUT SUGAR ALCOHOLS OR SUGAR WHEN SUGAR ALCOHOLS ARE PRESENT.” THAT MEANS IF A PACKAGE SAYS SOMETHING IS SUGAR-FREE, IT HAS TO INCLUDE SUGAR ALCOHOL CONTENT ON THE LABEL.