A sugar replacement called erythritol found in Splenda and Equal has been linked by a study to blood clotting, stroke, heart attack, and death.
Erythritolused is used to add bulk or sweeten stevia, monkfruit and keto reduced-sugar products.
Lead study author Dr. Stanley Hazen, director of the Center for Cardiovascular Diagnostics and Prevention at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute, warned that “the degree of risk was not modest.”
The study, released on Monday in the journal Nature Medicine, found that people with pre-existing risk factors for heart disease, such as diabetes, were twice as likely to have a heart attack or stroke if they had the highest amounts of erythritol in their blood.
According to Hazen, there was an approximately two-fold increased risk for heart attack and stroke for those whose blood level of erythritol was in the top 25 percent as opposed to the lowest 25 percent. It is comparable to the most serious cardiac risk factors, such as diabetes.
Additional lab and animal research presented in the paper revealed that erythritol appeared to be causing blood platelets to clot more readily. Clots can break off and travel to the heart, triggering a heart attack, or to the brain, triggering a stroke.
Dr. Andrew Freeman, director of cardiovascular prevention and wellness at National Jewish Health, a hospital in Denver, said there appears to be a clotting risk from using erythritol, and that it might make sense to limit erythritol in your diet for now.”
Freeman was not involved in the research.
In response to the study, Robert Rankin, executive director of the Calorie Control Council, an industry association, said that “the results of this study are contrary to decades of scientific research showing reduced-calorie sweeteners like erythritol are safe, as evidenced by global regulatory permissions for their use in foods and beverages.”
Rankin added that the results “should not be extrapolated to the general population, as the participants in the intervention were already at increased risk for cardiovascular events.”


Sonova Shares Slip as Hearing Aid Giant Lowers Growth Outlook and Plans Sennheiser Exit
Sanofi Reports Positive Late-Stage Results for Amlitelimab in Eczema Treatment
Nanya Technology Shares Surge 10% After $2.5 Billion Private Placement from Sandisk and Cisco
Meta Ties Executive Pay to Aggressive Stock Price Targets in Major Retention Push
Britain has almost 1 million young people not in work or education – here’s what evidence shows can change that
Innovent Biologics Shares Rally on New Eli Lilly Oncology and Immunology Deal
Federal Appeals Court Blocks Trump-Era Hospital Drug Rebate Plan
SMIC Allegedly Supplies Chipmaking Tools to Iran's Military, U.S. Officials Warn
Novartis’ Vanrafia Shows Strong Phase 3 Results in IgA Nephropathy, Paving Way for Full Approval
Hims & Hers Halts Compounded Semaglutide Pill After FDA Warning
Oil Prices Slip as Middle East Tensions Ease, Heading for Weekly Loss
Office design isn’t keeping up with post-COVID work styles - here’s what workers really want
Gold is meant to be a ‘safe haven’ in uncertain times. Why is it crashing amid a war?
Federal Reserve Balance Sheet Reduction: Brookings Research Outlines Possible Path Forward
Reflection AI Eyes $25 Billion Valuation in Massive $2.5 Billion Funding Round
Stuck in a creativity slump at work? Here are some surprising ways to get your spark back 



