Should you avoid it?
A new observational study presented at the ESC Congress 2026 suggests a potential link between high blood levels of the sugar substitute xylitol and an increased risk of cardiovascular events. However, experts caution that the study does not prove causation and that further research is needed to understand the relationship between consumption and health outcomes.
Why it matters
Xylitol is a common ingredient in many sugar-free products, and these findings may prompt consumers to reconsider their reliance on sugar substitutes for heart health.
If you reach for sugar-free chewing gum or sweets because you assume they are the more heart-friendly choice, a new study presented at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2026 may make you pause. Researchers looked at the association between xylitol, a low-calorie sugar substitute, and cardiovascular events. Xylitol is commonly used in sugar-free products and is generally considered a better alternative to added sugar because it contains fewer calories and has a lower impact on blood glucose. The study included 17,710 people from two large population studies: the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) and the EPIC-Norfolk cohort in the UK. Researchers measured xylitol levels in their blood and looked at whether participants went on to experience major cardiovascular events, including heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular death.
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