Sugar alcohols such as xylitol and erythritol are increasingly popular as sugar substitutes in the food industry and are also recommended to diabetic patients. Both substances are already in use in the food industry and are freely available. Since the 1970s, beneficial effects on oral health could be demonstrated as oral bacteria were influenced positively. A pilot study recently undertaken in the US (Flint N, 2014) has shown that diabetics profit from a daily intake of erythritol, as this natural sweetener enhances the elasticity of the blood vessels. In this trial, investigators aim to examine whether this effect can be found in a non-diabetic but obese cohort, and whether also xylitol improves vascular function.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
42
24g xylitol/d
36g erythritol/d
University Hospital
Basel, Switzerland
Central arterial stiffness measured by sonography
Time frame: Change from baseline to 5 weeks after intake of polyol
Glucose tolerance measured by oral glucose tolerance test
Time frame: Change from baseline to 5 weeks after intake of polyol
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