According to a study published in the journal Nature Medicine, switching to drinks and foods that are low on calories and carbohydrates to avoid sugar can increase the risk of a major adverse cardiac event such as a heart attack, stroke, or death. The study revealed that drinks and foods that are low in calories and carbohydrates are loaded with an artificial sweetener called erythritol.

Erythritol, which is created by fermenting corn, is around 70% as sweet as sugar and is frequently combined with stevia, monk fruit, or other sweeteners to increase sweetness or bulk in low-calorie goods. Erythritol is poorly metabolized by the body after consumption. Instead, it enters the bloodstream and primarily exits the body through urine. Because the human body normally produces only small amounts of erythritol, any additional consumption might build up.

Researchers from the Cleveland Clinic in the United States discovered that adding erythritol to whole blood or isolated platelets activated the platelets, resulting in the formation of blood clots. The findings of the study were based on the data collected from more than 4,000 people in the US and Europe.

Dr. Stanley Hazen of the Lerner Research Institute at Cleveland Clinic explained that when participants drank an artificially sweetened beverage, the erythritol level in the blood increased, increasing the risk of clotting.  

(Source: https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/consuming-low-calorie-sweetener-may-increase-your-risk-of-heart-attack-and-stroke-study-finds/articleshow/98284687.cms )