Experts dispute studies linking xylitol to heart disease

Experts are disputing recent studies that suggested a link between high blood xylitol levels and serious cardiovascular events. Nutrition professor Ursula Schwab and dental expert Eva Söderling from the University of Turku argue that the research lacks necessary controls and fails to establish causality.

Schwab noted that the studies measured blood xylitol levels without verifying if participants actually consumed xylitol products. She pointed out that xylitol is naturally produced during normal metabolism. Söderling added that elevated xylitol levels in the blood are typically indicative of metabolic disorders, a factor she claims the recent studies did not control for.

Furthermore, experts emphasized that the studies are associative rather than causal. They noted that decades of xylitol use in Finland have shown no evidence of links to cardiovascular issues, attributing heart health risks instead to factors such as high fat and salt intake, diabetes, and smoking.