Human study · Nutrition · 8 Sept 2026
Highest blood xylitol tracked more heart attacks and strokes in 17,710 adults
Source: Medscape
What the research found
Study (observational; ESC 2026 presentation, not yet peer-reviewed). Marco Witkowski of Charité Berlin analyzed 17,710 people from CLSA and EPIC-Norfolk. Top-quartile blood xylitol vs bottom: 57% higher major CVD events over 6 years in CLSA and 18% higher over 30 years in Norfolk, after adjusting for age, sex, smoking, lipids, diabetes, and hypertension. Blood xylitol is not the same as a stick of gum; causality is unproven. Educational nutrition notes, not a ban on xylitol gum.
Evidence level: Human study. A study in people, but an association isn't proof of cause.
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