Xylitol study: overview
- A study of 17,710 adults linked higher blood xylitol levels to higher cardiovascular risk
- People with the highest levels were found to have substantially higher risk of major adverse cardiovascular events than those with the lowest levels
- Risk increased as blood xylitol levels increased
- The study was observational, so does not prove causation
High blood levels of the artificial sweetener xylitol have been linked to an increased risk of a major adverse cardiovascular event, according to a large new study.
These events were defined as stroke, myocardial infarction (heart attack) and death. Presented at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) annual congress in Munich, the study was observational, meaning that it does not establish a direct causal link.
Xylitol is a low-calorie sugar alcohol that’s widely used in foods such as jam, ice cream and chewing gum, as well as oral health products as it may help protect against cavities.
What exactly did the study find?
This study is significant because it was large with a long follow-up period.
Using two prospective observational cohorts – the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) and the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer (EPIC)-Norfolk – it looked at data from 17,710 people.
It found that those with xylitol levels in the highest 25% had substantially higher risk of major adverse cardiovascular events than those with xylitol levels in the lowest 25%.
Over the following six years, the risk of a major adverse cardiovascular event was 57% higher in those with the highest levels compared with those with the lowest levels in the CLSA cohort. This was after correcting for known cardiovascular risk factors, including age, sex, smoking status, lipid levels, diabetes and hypertension.
The risk of major adverse cardiovascular events was 18% higher in those with the highest levels compared with the lowest levels in the EPIC-Norfolk cohort over a follow-up period of 30 years.
Overall, the data suggested a dose-dependent relationship - the higher the xylitol blood levels, the higher the cardiovascular event rate.
The researchers also noted that the increase in cardiovascular events was consistent, irrespective of baseline characteristics, such as age and sex.
“Artificial sweeteners are consumed by people who think they are healthier than sugar and they are generally regarded as safe by regulatory agencies,” said Dr Marco Witkowski, who presented the research. “Our long-term findings in the general population highlight how little we know about the cardiovascular safety of xylitol and indicate that further studies are warranted, especially as the amount of xylitol in products continues to increase.”
This is not the first time an association has been found. A 2024 study on people already undergoing cardiac evaluations found that higher blood levels of xylitol were associated with increased risk of heart attack and stroke – and, separately, that it enhanced blood clotting activity in mice and isolated human blood.
Increasing scrutiny
It should be remembered that sweeteners undergo rigorous safety testing before approval and xylitol is approved for use in the EU under the name E967. Its known side-effects are that it can have a laxative effect if consumed in large amounts. It is also highly toxic to dogs.
This latest research is observational with no direct link established, but scientific scrutiny of artificial sweeteners is growing. While further research is needed, manufacturers may one day need to start looking beyond them in the era of increasing demand for sugar reduction.
