A popular sweetener found in almost everything, whether it's sugar-free foods or oral care items, is tied to a higher risk of a stroke or heart attack. The latest findings were presented at the annual gathering of the world's largest heart conference in Munich: the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). The researchers discovered that high blood levels of xylitol were linked with an increased risk of serious cardiovascular events such as strokes and heart attacks.

The study finds that people with higher blood levels of xylitol, a commonly found artificial sweetener, were more prone to cardiovascular events over a prolonged period of time as compared to those with lower levels. The study focused on data from 17,710 people and compared the 25% with the highest xylitol levels to the 25% with the lowest. The study shows those with the highest amount of xylitol levels were 57% more likely to die or suffer a heart attack or stroke as compared to those with the least, within six years.

The researchers also found that the link between xylitol and heart diseases wasn't influenced by other health conditions such as body mass index (BMI), hypertension, diabetes, and lipid levels, which might lead people to choose low-calorie products. Dr. Marco Witkowski, of Berlin's Charité hospital, who led the study, said, "In previous studies, we showed that xylitol can enhance the ability of platelets to form clots." "Artificial sweeteners are consumed by people who think they are healthier than sugar and they are generally regarded as safe by regulatory agencies," Witkowski added.

"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," he warned. Xylitol is a sugar alcohol contained in some natural foods in very low amounts, while its most common use is found (often in amounts 1,000 times higher) in sweetener products such as chewing gum, toothpaste, jam, ice-cream, and yogurt. It is for the first time that researchers have studied the long-term health outcomes of these sweeteners, despite their ever-increasing use.