Consuming low-calorie sweetener may increase your risk of heart attack and stroke, study finds

• An artificial sweetener called erythritol was associated with heart health risks in a recent study.
• People with high blood levels of the sweetener had an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

Consuming foods and drinks flavored by a popular artificial sweetener may increase your risk of heart attack and stroke, according to a study published today in Nature Medicine.

Erythritol is a sugar substitute commonly found in some diet drinks and low-calorie snacks. The sweetener is made from fermented corn and is mostly absorbed into the bloodstream upon consumption.

Researchers at Cleveland Clinic checked the blood erythritol levels of more than 4,000 people in the US and Europe. They found that those with relatively high amounts of erythritol in their blood had an elevated risk of a major cardiac event, such as heart attack or stroke.

Artificial sweeteners are widely used in sugar-free products recommended for people who have diabetes or obesity, the authors noted. Given that these conditions are independently associated with a greater likelihood of heart attack and stroke, it's important to weigh the cardiovascular risks tied to popular sugar substitutes.

"Cardiovascular disease builds over time, and heart disease is the leading cause of death globally," senior author Stanley Hazen said in a press release. "We need to make sure the foods we eat aren't hidden contributors."

Erythritol is popular among diabetics, but may carry risks

Erythritol is only 70% as sweet as sugar, and it contains about 6% of the calories found in an equal amount of sugar. It is technically a sugar alcohol, found naturally in some fruits and manufactured by fermenting corn with yeast.

Sugar alcohols are able to stimulate the taste buds without affecting blood sugar, which is great for diabetics. However, researchers at Cleveland Clinic found that some sugar alcohols — namely erythritol — may contribute to blood clots.

To be sure, they added erythritol to blood outside of the body and watched it clot. They found that the addition was associated with enhanced clotting, which raises the risk of heart attack and stroke.

The study authors noted that their findings are preliminary and cannot prove that erythritol directly causes blood clots. More research is needed to evaluate the safety of the sweetener, which is currently recognized as safe by the Food and Drug Association.

Correction: February 28, 2023 — A previous version of this story erroneously stated that regular Splenda contains erythritol. It does not; only Splenda Stevia products contain erythritol.