The Scan by 2 Minute Medicine®: Erythritol and Heart Problems, Maternal Health Trends, the Next Big Thing in Diabetes, and Declining Levels of Sea Ice

The Scan by 2 Minute Medicine® is a pop-culture medical newsletter and exclusive benefit for 2 Minute Medicine Plus subscribers.

Erythritol and Heart Problems

The Story: A recent paper published in Nature Medicine questions whether artificial sweeteners such as Erythritol are safe to use.

Tell me more…

Eating an excessive amount of sugar caries several risks such as causing increases in triglyceride levels (which can then in turn increase risk for heart disease), tooth decay, weight gain, inflammation, diabetes and fatty liver disease.Both natural and processed sugars are broken down by the body and used as sources of energy.  Natural sugars can be found in dairy, fruits and vegetables. Artificial sugars are added to processed foods such as desserts, sodas, energy drinks to make them more appealing, serve as a bulking agent, or help preserve certain types of food such as jams.

What are artificial sweeteners? 

Artificial sweeteners, also known as sugar substitutes, are a way to sweeten foods and beverages without adding sugar. They have fewer and sometimes zero calories. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved several sugar substitutes including Aspartame, Acesulfame, Sucralose and Neotame, to name a few, and allows product manufacturers to use sugar alcohols, for example, sorbitol, erythritol and xylitol. A recent research paper published in Nature Medicine reported that erythritol use could be linked with an elevated risk of experiencing heart attack, stroke or death. They also found that erythritol use was associated with enhanced thrombosis.

Then which should we use, sugar or artificial sweeteners? 

To determine what is best for you, we recommend talking to your doctor and/or a certified dietitian. Artificial sweeteners are commonly found in low-calorie, “keto” and low-carbohydrate products and more research is needed to determine their long-term effects. Some research suggests that nonnutritive sweeteners (NNS) results in higher circulating levels of glucose, insulin, and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) compared to nutritive sugars. With respect to sugar consumption at large, the American Heart Association recommends that added sugars should comprise no more than 6 percent of our daily calories. That is approximately equal to 6 and 9 teaspoons of sugar for women and men, respectively. If you’d like to learn more about this, the CDC has a great resources on the amount of sugar and calories in common drinks as well as information on how to check the ingredient list of your favorite products and choose what might be the best for your health!

Maternal Health Trends

Just a few weeks ago, Rihanna became the first pregnant women to perform at a Super Bowl halftime show. With this, she not only broke records, but quite literally, she put the spotlight on women’s health and pregnancy. While we continue making advances in the field of maternal and child health, it is important to also keep in mind that we still have a long way to go.

In 2020, approximately 287,000 women died during pregnancy and childbirth. The World Health Organization highlights that this number is ‘unacceptably high’, especially given that with the presence of a health professional, the majority of maternal deaths are preventable. The most common reasons for maternal injury and death include indirect causes such as having conditions including heart disease, anemia and malaria, and direct causes such as excessive blood loss, infection, obstructed labor and unsafe abortion. The World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the World Bank Group and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (UNDESA/Population Division) have collaborated together and their recent publication which is available online examines trends in maternal mortality from 2000 to 2020. They state that in 2020, every two minutes, one women died due to causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. Further, by 2030, the Sustainable Development Goal (SDF) target is to reduce maternal mortality to less than 70 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births.

The Next Big Thing in Diabetes

Continues glucose monitors (CGMs) are the newest trend. You may have seen them on TikTok, among your fitness enthusiast friends or during the $7 million dollar Dexcom’s Super Bowl ad featuring Nick Jonas. CGMs allow individuals to monitor their glucose levels and manage their diabetes without the need for a fingerstick. It is no surprise that the market for CGMs are growing rapidly. This week, a study published in JAMA Network examined data from more than 13,000 young adults from 2009 to 2020 and found that in the United Sates, both diabetes (which increased from 3% to 4.1%) and obesity (which increased from 32.7% to 40.9%) are increasing among those aged 20-44 years. It looks like the demand for products that can help us monitor our health and lifestyle is definitely on the rise and according to this Bloomberg report, Apple’s version of a No-Prick blood glucose monitor which is compatible with the Apple Watch is just around the corner!

Declining Levels of Sea Ice

Over the past 44 years, researchers have been tracking the amount of ice that is floating along Antarctica’s coastline. Last week the Antarctic sea ice levels were the lowest ever recorded and it is projected that as the climate continues to warm, the sea ice levels will continue to decline. Sea ice, including its location, thickness, quantity and even the characteristics of openings within the ice directly impact the animals that depend on it for their shelter, food, and breeding. Among humans, between now and 2050, the WHO has projected that climate change will cause approximately 250,000 deaths due to factors ranging from heat stress to malaria, malnutrition and diarrhea. Further, climate-sensitive health risks include heat-related illnesses, respiratory illness, vector-borne illness, malnutrition, food-borne disease, negative mental health impacts, and injury and mortality from extreme weather conditions, to name a few. To read more about climate change and health, the WHO has published a list of fast facts and the CDC has several resources that can be found here!

©2023 2 Minute Medicine, Inc. All rights reserved. No works may be reproduced without expressed written consent from 2 Minute Medicine, Inc. Inquire about licensing here. No article should be construed as medical advice and is not intended as such by the authors or by 2 Minute Medicine, Inc