每日英語跟讀 Ep.K544: Study Links Erythritol, a Popular Sugar Substitute, to Increased Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke
Erythritol, a type of sugar substitute, has been linked to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke, according to a new study. The substance is often used to sweeten low-sugar products such as stevia, monkfruit and keto foods. People with existing risk factors for heart disease, such as diabetes, were found to be twice as likely to experience a heart attack or stroke if they had high levels of erythritol in their blood. The study also found that erythritol causes blood platelets to clot more easily, which can lead to heart attacks or strokes.
一項新研究指出，一種流行的糖替代品——赤藓糖醇與心臟病發作和中風風險增加有關。這種物質常被用來為低糖產品添加甜味，例如甜菊萃取物、羅漢果及生酮飲食。研究發現，如果患有糖尿病等心臟病風險因素的人血液中赤藓糖醇水平高，他們發生心臟病發作或中風的風險會增加一倍。此外，赤藓糖醇會導致血小板更容易凝結，進而引發心臟病發作或中風。
Erythritol is a sugar alcohol that is naturally found in many fruits and vegetables. It is used as a zero-calorie sugar substitute because it has about 70% of the sweetness of sugar. The substance has become very popular in the food industry as an additive to low-carb and diabetes-labeled products. It is also a key ingredient in many natural stevia and monkfruit products, which are several hundred times sweeter than sugar, so only a small amount of erythritol is needed to make up the bulk of the product.
赤藓糖醇是一種糖類醇，天然存在於許多水果和蔬菜中。它被用作零熱量糖替代品，因為其甜度約為糖的70%。由於其添加於低碳水化合物和糖尿病標籤產品中的效果明顯，因此赤藓糖醇在食品工業中變得非常受歡迎。它也是許多天然甜菊萃取物和羅漢果產品的主要成分，這些產品比糖甜數百倍，因此只需少量的赤藓糖醇即可構成產品的大部分。
The study was conducted by the Center for Cardiovascular Diagnostics and Prevention at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute. The researchers analyzed 1,157 blood samples from people at risk for heart disease collected between 2004 and 2011. They found that higher levels of erythritol were connected to a greater risk of heart attack, stroke or death within three years. The researchers believe that the substance causes blood platelets to clot more easily, which can lead to cardiovascular problems. However, more research is needed to confirm these findings. In the meantime, people with existing risk factors for heart disease may want to limit their intake of erythritol.
這項研究是由克利夫蘭診所蓋纳研究所心血管診斷和預防中心進行的。研究人員分析了2004年至2011年間收集的1,157份心臟病風險人群的血液樣本。他們發現，較高的赤藓糖醇水平與三年內心臟病發作、中風或死亡的風險增加有關。研究人員認為，赤藓糖醇會導致血小板更容易凝結，進而引發心血管問題。但需要進一步研究來確認這些發現。在此期間，具有心臟病風險因素的人可能需要限制其攝取。Article referenced from: https://edition.cnn.com/2023/02/27/health/zero-calorie-sweetener-heart-attack-stroke-wellness