United States: A famous artificial sweetener, Erythritol, which is found to be present in several products such as drinks, candies, gums, etc, is said to be associated with an increased risk of blood clot formation.
More about Erythritol
It is a zero-calorie sweetener, which is used widely as a replacement or in addition to sugar. The study found that it raises the levels of proteins that are connected with blood clotting compared to regular sugar.
The study was published on Thursday in the medical journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology.

According to Dr. W. H. Wilson Tang, the study’s co-author and the research director for Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplantation Medicine at Cleveland Clinic, “This research raises some concerns that a standard serving of an erythritol-sweetened food or beverage may acutely stimulate a direct clot-forming effect,” as the ABC News reported.
“Erythritol and other sugar alcohols that are commonly used as sugar substitutes should be evaluated for potential long-term health effects especially when such effects are not seen with glucose itself,” said Tang.
How was the study conducted?
Ten people were randomly given to drink water mixed with thirty grams of Erythritol, whereas another ten people were provided with water mixed with thirty grams of glucose.
According to the Cleveland Clinic researchers who led the study the total quantity of thirty grams was chosen to be given because such a quantity is generally found in erythritol-containing foods, as ABC News reported.
The results showed that those who had a water mixture with Erythritol found almost thirty minutes later higher levels of proteins, which led to platelet clumping in their bloodstream compared to those who drank glucose.
Moreover, as the US Food and Drug Administration suggested, Erythritol is a sugar alcohol naturally present in fruits like watermelon and grapes. However, it went through processing and was used as a food additive, as a sweetener, to enhance the flavor of foods.
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