Study Shows Erythritol, an Artificial Sweetener Used in Many Food Products, Doubles a Consumer’s Risk of Stokes, Heart Attacks, and Cardiac Procedures.
According to several news sources, including statnews.com, a new study has discovered that people using Erythritol are at twice the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and cardiac procedures. Parker Waichman LLP is an award-winning product liability law firm that helps victims recover financial compensation for injuries and the loss of loved ones harmed by dangerous products. Our firm is offering free consultations to victims and families of victims who suffered heart attacks, strokes, and cardiac damage using erythritol and food products containing Erythritol as an ingredient. If you believe that you or a loved one sustained harm after consuming Erythritol, call us today at 1-800-YOUR-LAWYER (1-800-968-7529) for a free, no-obligation consultation. The time to file for monetary compensation is limited by state law, so call us today for a case review.
What is Erythritol?
Erythritol is a four-carbon sugar alcohol that is used as a sugar substitute and a food additive. Erythritol is a natural substance that is manufactured from corn using enzymes and the fermentation process.
What Products Contain Erythritol?
Erythritol is a sugar alcohol that is often used as a zero-calorie sweetener in several food products. In recent years, Erythritol has become increasingly popular as a sugar substitute since it has zero calories and does not raise blood sugar levels. The following is a list of the common products that may contain Erythritol:
- Sugar-free gum
- Sugar-free candy
- Baked goods, such as cookies, cakes, and muffins
- Ice cream and frozen desserts
- Protein bars and shakes
- Breakfast cereals and granolas
- Soft drinks, Juices, and energy drinks
- Yogurt and other dairy products
- Jams and jellies
- Chocolate and other confectionery products.
Erythritol is also commonly used in many brands of tabletop sweeteners, such as Swerve, Truvia, and Sukrin. It can be found in both natural and processed foods, so it’s important to read ingredient labels carefully if you are trying to avoid or limit your intake of Erythritol.
Research conducted by the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio found that the body does not digest Erythritol as sugar, and it poses severe health risks. The researchers studied blood samples provided by over 1,100 study volunteers whose medical records were available to find out if chemical compounds could indicate if people were at an increased risk of strokes and heart attacks. This research could help us understand the causes of cardiovascular disease, aside from other risk factors such as elevated cholesterol and high blood pressure.
According to Stanley Hazen, the chair of the Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute’s Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, the compound most associated with the increased risk of cardiovascular disease was Erythritol. The researchers confirmed that Erythritol doubled the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and cardiac procedures in two other separate cohorts of patients studied.
Hazen’s group also conducted other research studies, and the results of those studies showed that Erythritol appeared to cause the blood to clot during laboratory experiments. Strokes and heart attacks generally occur when clots form in blood vessels. Moreover, test subjects were given 30 grams of Erythritol in a drink, about the same amount of Erythritol that would be contained in a pint of low-sugar ice cream. The researchers discovered that blood levels of Erythritol persisted. Hazen stated that the results were a “very strong signal,” and both human observational studies and the studies using human platelets formed blood clots suggesting that high Erythritol levels create a higher risk of blood clots.
Hazen believes that people with a higher risk for cardiovascular disease, middle-aged people, and those with coronary disease or diabetes must avoid products containing Erythritol. The researchers also believe the issue is a sugar-alcohol issue, and other sugar-alcohol compounds could create a similar heightened risk for heart attacks and strokes. However, those substances will require additional studies to determine a causal connection.
Larger studies are needed in order to understand Erythritol’s risks and benefits fully. However, it is not clear who would fund the additional research. Many safety advocates are concerned about how understudied these food additives are, and this study was a real eye-opening situation for health experts.
According to a study published on Nature.com, artificial sweeteners are common sugar substitutes that have little published information about their long-term cardiometabolic disease effects. The Nature.com study examined Erythritol and its connection to atherothrombotic disease. One group in the study involved patients who were undergoing cardiac risk assessment (number of participants = 1,157; NCT00590200). This group showed that Erythritol was associated with a risk for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) such as stroke, death, and nonfatal myocardial infarction. In a separate European study of 833 test subjects (DRKS00020915), the risk associations were confirmed at a confidence level of 95%. That study also determined that “Erythritol enhanced platelet reactivity in vitro and thrombosis formation in vivo.” In conclusion, the article stated that their findings revealed that Erythritol is associated with increased MACE risks and promotes enhanced thrombosis.*
How to Pursue Compensation for Harm Caused by Erythritol
People who have been harmed by products or who lost loved ones due to dangerous products may qualify to file a product liability lawsuit to obtain justice, punish companies that manufacture dangerous products, and recover damages. A product liability lawsuit is a legal claim made by a consumer against the manufacturer, seller, or distributor of a product. The claim asserts that the product caused injury or harm to the consumer due to a defect in the product’s design, manufacture, or labeling.
Product liability lawsuits can arise in a variety of contexts, such as:
- Manufacturing defects: These are defects that occur during the manufacturing process, such as a product that is missing a crucial component or has a defect that makes it dangerous.
- Design defects: These are defects that exist in a product’s design that make it inherently dangerous, even if it is manufactured correctly.
- Labeling defects: These are defects in a product’s labeling or instructions that fail to adequately warn consumers of the product’s dangers or provide proper usage instructions.
To succeed in a product liability lawsuit, the plaintiff must typically prove that the product was defective, that the defect caused the plaintiff’s injuries, and that the plaintiff was using the product in a reasonably foreseeable way at the time of the injury.
Product liability lawsuits can result in compensation for the plaintiff’s medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages. They also serve as a means of holding manufacturers and other parties accountable for providing safe and reliable products to consumers.
In some cases, a plaintiff may be awarded punitive damages. Punitive damages are a type of monetary compensation that may be awarded to a plaintiff in a civil lawsuit in addition to compensatory damages. Unlike compensatory damages, which compensate the plaintiff for their actual losses or damages, punitive damages are designed to punish the defendant for their egregious, wrongful conduct and to deter the defendant and others from engaging in the same misconduct in the future.
The amount of punitive damages that is awarded varies by jurisdiction and is typically left to the discretion of the judge or jury. In some states, there may be caps on the amount of punitive damages that can be awarded. However, in cases where the defendant’s conduct was particularly outrageous or reprehensible, courts may award punitive damages in excess of the compensatory damages.
It’s important to note that not all civil lawsuits result in punitive damages. They are only awarded in cases where the defendant’s conduct was particularly egregious, and the court deems it appropriate to punish the defendant and deter similar conduct in the future.
*Witkowski, M., Nemet, I., Alamri, H. et al. The artificial sweetener Erythritol and cardiovascular event risk. Nat Med (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-023-02223-9
CONTACT PARKER WAICHMAN LLP FOR A FREE CASE REVIEW
Parker Waichman LLP helps families recover financial compensation for harm caused by dangerous products. For your free consultation, contact our National Products Liability Law Firm today by using our live chat or calling 1-800-YOUR-LAWYER (1-800-968-7529).
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