Watch out for your heart when you take xylitol

Consuming high levels of this sweetener could increase your risk for stroke and heart attack. — AFP

Present in many everyday foods, a sugar substitute known as xylitol is now under scientific scrutiny for its potentially harmful effects on health.

New research from the United States suggests that this natural sweetener, sometimes called “birch sugar”, may promote the formation of blood clots, and by extension, the risk of strokes and heart attacks.