The low-calorie sweetener erythritol makes blood more prone to clotting. This may explain why it has been linked to a greater risk of heart attack and stroke in previous research in people.
Erythritol is a sugar alcohol found at low concentrations in fruits and vegetables that is about 70 per cent as sweet as sugar. Our bodies also produce the compound in small amounts. It contains almost no calories, making it a popular sugar substitute, especially in the US and Europe, says Stanley Hazen at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. For several decades, erythritol has been added to products such as chewing gums, beverages and baked goods.