Xylitol is a natural sugar alcohol found in plants, including many fruits and vegetables. It is also used as a sugar-free sweetener. KERA News reported a new study that links the sugar alcohol to an increased risk of heart attack, stroke and death:
What they found in this study was that xylitol activates platelets. Think of them as our glue. When you fall off the bike and bruise your knee, you bleed initially, but you hold pressure, and eventually, the bleeding stops.
What happens is that in our bloodstream there are platelets. And whenever there’s a cut or a bruise, the platelets activate. And then they clump up that area to close up the wound.
What they found was that higher levels of xylitol activated these platelets. So they start clumping. And big clumps of platelets can clog up our arteries. And so that is what leads to a stroke and, and heart attack. They start clumping inside the artery, essentially going from a 0% blockage to a 100% blockage, which leads to a lack of blood flow to the vital organs like our brain and heart.
To read the entire KERA News article, click HERE.
