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https://www.sciencealert.com/common-sweetener-may-damage-critical-brain-barrier-risking-stroke>
“Found in everything from protein bars to energy drinks, erythritol has long
been considered a safe alternative to sugar.
But research suggests this widely used sweetener may be quietly undermining one
of the body's most crucial protective barriers – with potentially serious
consequences for heart health and stroke risk.
A study from the University of Colorado suggests erythritol may damage cells in
the blood-brain barrier, the brain's security system that keeps out harmful
substances while letting in nutrients.
The findings add troubling new detail to previous observational studies that
have linked erythritol consumption to increased rates of heart attack and
stroke.
In the recent study, researchers exposed blood-brain barrier cells to levels of
erythritol typically found after drinking a soft drink sweetened with the
compound. They saw a chain reaction of cell damage that could make the brain
more vulnerable to blood clots – a leading cause of stroke.
Erythritol triggered what scientists call oxidative stress, flooding cells with
harmful, highly reactive molecules known as free radicals, while simultaneously
reducing the body's natural antioxidant defences. This double assault damaged
the cells' ability to function properly, and in some cases killed them
outright.
But perhaps more concerning was erythritol's effect on the blood vessels'
ability to regulate blood flow. Healthy blood vessels act like traffic
controllers, widening when organs need more blood – during exercise, for
instance – and tightening when less is required.
They achieve this delicate balance through two key molecules: nitric oxide,
which relaxes blood vessels, and endothelin-1, which constricts them.
The study found that erythritol disrupted this critical system, reducing nitric
oxide production while ramping up endothelin-1. The result would be blood
vessels that remain dangerously constricted, potentially starving the brain of
oxygen and nutrients.
This imbalance is a known warning sign of ischaemic stroke – the type caused by
blood clots blocking vessels in the brain.
Even more alarming, erythritol appeared to sabotage the body's natural defence
against blood clots. Normally, when clots form in blood vessels, cells release
a "clot buster" called tissue plasminogen activator that dissolves the blockage
before it can cause a stroke.
But the sweetener blocked this protective mechanism, potentially leaving clots
free to wreak havoc.”
Via Kenny Chaffin.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
