Consumption of Oral Artificial Sweeteners on Platelet Aggregation and Polyol Excretion

Overview

The principal goal for the study is to examine whether ingestion of a beverage containing artificial sweeteners alters in vitro platelet aggregation. Because of the increasing number of cardiometabolic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, in the population, the use of artificial sweeteners to replace free sugars has been gaining popularity. Two popular artificial sweeteners are erythritol and xylitol. Erythritol and xylitol are both naturally occurring polyols found in fruits and vegetables. They are potent artificial sweeteners with a higher sweetening intensity and lower calorie content than table sugar. Previous research has shown that the higher levels of sugar alcohols, like those used as artificial sweeteners, in the blood are related to a higher risk of cardiovascular complications, like heart attacks and strokes, and death. This may be because higher levels of sugar alcohols in one's blood may increase the activity of platelets, which would then increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. The investigators therefore want to find if consuming a single beverage that contains an artificial sweetener can raise the levels of sugar alcohols in the blood and if it can alter platelet function or aggregation.

The purpose of this study is to examine if drinking a single beverage that contains an artificial sweetener can perceptibly alter the activity of platelets in the body. Platelets are a component of blood that are primarily responsible for helping to stop bleeding and repair damaged blood vessels by grouping together, a process known as aggregation, to form clots. Artificial sweeteners are popular because they have a lower calorie content than table sugar while still making food and beverages sweet. Their use as a sugar substitute is especially attractive for people with heart disease or diabetes, or for people who are trying to lose weight. Two popular artificial sweeteners are erythritol and xylitol. Erythritol and xylitol are both naturally occurring polyols, also called sugar alcohols, found in fruits and vegetables. They are potent artificial sweeteners with a higher sweetening intensity and lower calorie content than table sugar.This makes them attractive for the use as sugar substitutes or alternatives, particularly for patients with type 2 diabetes. Up to now, there is no prospective data available about polyols with respect to their impact on event outcomes in cardiovascular patients, despite their extensive use in the food industry. Moreover, little is known about plasma levels and metabolic changes following food intake of artificial sweeteners, in particular polyols. The investigators have previously measured fasting levels of various polyols in a large clinical cohort of cardiovascular patients and found that some candidate polyols are related to a higher risk of cardiovascular complications and death. In vitro data using human platelets revealed that the polyols xylitol and erythritol at the levels observed in fasting patients induce platelet aggregation potential. The investigator's data shows that erythritol and xylitol impact platelet function and may, therefore, contribute to cardiovascular mortality. In preliminary studies the investigators found that when ingesting either erythritol or xylitol, the levels of these sweeteners in the plasma rise within the first hour after consumption. With this study the investigators wish to examine whether the postprandial levels are capable of altering platelet function in vitro. The investigators hypothesize that postprandial polyol concentrations following ingestion increase platelet aggregation in the blood.