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(CNN) — Consuming a drink with erythritol — an artificial sweetener used to add bulk to stevia and monk fruit and to sweeten low-carb keto products — more than doubled the risk of blood clotting in 10 healthy people, according to a new pilot study. Clots can break off blood vessels and travel to the heart, triggering a heart attack, or to the brain, triggering a stroke. Previous research has linked erythritol to a higher risk of stroke, heart attack and death. “What is remarkable is that in every single subject, every measure of platelet responsiveness (clotting) went up following...

Erythritol, a commonly used sugar substitute often marketed as "healthy," may impair blood vessel health by disrupting the brain's ability to produce a critical compound, according to new research. Erythritol is a low-calorie sugar substitute found in many sugar-free products, including energy drinks, snack foods and protein bars. Like other sugar alcohols, erythritol is popular because it does not affect blood glucose and insulin levels as much as sugar. However, previous research links consumption of erythritol to a higher risk of adverse cardiac events, including stroke. In a new study, researchers treated human cerebral microvascular endothelial cells—cells from the tiny...

Lab Study Raises Concerns That Sugar Substitute Erythritol May Raise Risk Of Stroke In a Nutshell Erythritol, found in many sugar-free drinks, was tested on human brain blood vessel cells in the lab. The sweetener increased cellular stress and disrupted key protective pathways. These changes are known risk factors for stroke — but the study was short-term and done in cells only. Researchers say more human research is needed to understand real-world health effects. ============================================================================== BOULDER, Colo. — That zero-calorie sweetener making your morning coffee taste just right might be quietly interfering with the tiny blood vessels in your brain...

Sugar-free treats have taken over the shelves. You’ve probably seen erythritol listed on sodas, protein bars, and even toothpaste. It’s everywhere. Almost zero calories, no sugar spikes, and perfect for keto diets. Sounds like a win, but maybe not. A new study from the University of Colorado Boulder has cracked open a side of erythritol that few expected. It’s not about weight gain or tooth decay. It’s about what this sweetener does to your brain’s blood vessels that may elevate the risk of a stroke.

The suspected health harms of artificial sweeteners are piling up – and now a new study has linked one kind of sugar substitute to higher risks of heart health problems. Physician-scientist Stanley Hazen and colleagues at the Cleveland Clinic's Lerner Research Institute wanted to see if they could find any signs that could warn people they were at greater risk of heart attack and stroke. They found it in blood levels of organic compounds used as sweeteners, specifically erythritol; a sweetener commonly used in low sugar, sugar-free, and no-carb foods. Among a group of 1,157 patients undergoing tests at a...

Researchers at Hiroshima University have found that stevia, when fermented with specific bacteria from banana leaves, gains a remarkable ability to kill pancreatic cancer cells while leaving healthy kidney cells unharmed. This transformation enhances the plant’s natural properties through microbial biotransformation, creating a potent compound called chlorogenic acid methyl ester (CAME). The fermented stevia extract showed significant cancer-fighting potential in lab tests and may represent a new direction in probiotic-based cancer therapies. Stevia’s Surprising Anti-Cancer Potential Stevia might offer more than just a no-calorie alternative to sugar. Scientists at Hiroshima University found that when stevia extract is fermented using bacteria...

"... stevia leaf extract fermented with L. plantarum SN13T, which contains CAME, may serve as a promising candidate for pancreatic cancer treatment." Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) is a perennial herb widely utilized in the food and pharmaceutical industries, valued not only for its intense natural sweetness but also for its potential health-promoting properties. In addition to steviol glycosides, stevia leaves are rich in flavonoids and phenolic compounds, which exhibit various biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive, and anticancer effects. While purified steviol glycosides and their derivatives (e.g., stevioside, isosteviol) have demonstrated cytotoxic and antiproliferative activities against several cancer cell lines,...

SNIPRegarding blood biochemistry, the results were pronounced:Stevia administration caused a significant reduction in hemoglobin and hematocrit levels, and RBCs (red blood cells) count, compared to control groups.In female mice, stevia showed a significant decrease in WBCs (white blood cells) count.In reference to liver health, the results were again extreme:Stevia administration increased alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels. (AST and ALT are two of the liver enzymes doctors look at when trying to figure out if you have a problem with your liver.)Levels of liver triglycerides and cholesterol in male mice groups increased.Stevia significantly elevated liver cholesterol levels in...

Just because an artificial sweetener has zero or very few calories doesn't mean there are zero (or very few) health consequences to consuming the sachet. A randomized controlled trial recently found that regular consumption of sucralose (marketed as Splenda) and saccharin (marketed as Sweet'N Low) can alter microbes in the gut and elevate the body's response to sugar. These non-nutritive sweeteners are presumed to be chemically inert, but that may not actually be true. The findings of the recent trial, conducted among 120 participants who identified as strict abstainers from artificial sweeteners of any kind, suggest that regularly consuming some...

There is clear evidence that high sugar consumption leads to obesity and fatty liver disease. Synthetic and natural alternatives to sugar are available, but little is known about the effects of these non-caloric sweeteners on the liver. A new study led by Rohit Kohli, MBBS, MS, shows that stevia extract can reduce markers of fatty liver disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that obesity affects nearly 19% of children. An associated condition called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease affects one out of every 10 children. Fatty liver disease can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer. Consumption of too...

Neotame Market: Global Industry Analysis 2012 – 2016 and Opportunity Assessment; 2017 – 2027 Neotame is an artificial sweetener with off-white to white powder and an intensely sweet taste. Neotame is manufactured from 3,3 –dimethylbutyraldehyde and aspartame. Neotame purification and isolation is carried out by distillation of a portion of the methanol followed by addition of water. Neotame comes in the second generation of artificial sweetener followed by sucralose. Neotame delivers great taste and enhances flavors when used as a sweetener. However, neotame clean, sweet taste like sugar is used in small amount to sweeten foods and beverage. This is...

Many of us believe some kinds of sugar are somehow healthier. High-fructose corn syrup has been a scapegoat for American obesity for the past decade and a half, so you might be surprised to learn that sugar and honey both have more fructose than high-fructose corn syrup. Let’s break down the numbers here. Despite its misleading name, the most commonly used form of HFCS only has 42 percent fructose in comparison to table sugar’s 50 percent. Honey, the beloved natural sweetener, has 49 percent. Standard corn syrup doesn’t have any fructose because it’s 100 percent glucose, which explains how HFCS...

The scientific name is Stevia Rebaudiana, and it is an interesting plant. The Dixie Chicks would have no use for it since it produces no euphoria, confusion, or tendencies towards irrational thought. What it does- ... well, you need to break off a piece of a leaf, put it in your mouth, and chew. Have you ever been the victim of one of those happy-hour Waffle House comedians who find it clever to unscrew the top on a sugar dispenser? In its refined form, stevia is over 200 times sweeter than sugar. It is a natural sweetener which has been...

A sugar replacement called erythritol — used to add bulk or sweeten stevia, monkfruit and keto reduced-sugar products — has been linked to blood clotting, stroke, heart attack and death, according to a study. "The degree of risk was not modest," said lead study author Dr. Stanley Hazen, director of the Center for Cardiovascular Diagnostics and Prevention at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute. People with existing risk factors for heart disease, such as diabetes, were twice as likely to experience a heart attack or stroke if they had the highest levels of erythritol in their blood, according to the...