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A sugar replacement called erythritol — used to add bulk or sweeten stevia, monkfruit and keto reduced-sugar products — has been linked to blood clotting, stroke, heart attack and death, according to a study. "The degree of risk was not modest," said lead study author Dr. Stanley Hazen, director of the Center for Cardiovascular Diagnostics and Prevention at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute. People with existing risk factors for heart disease, such as diabetes, were twice as likely to experience a heart attack or stroke if they had the highest levels of erythritol in their blood, according to the...

Gum disease has been linked to an increased risk for preterm birth, and now new research suggests that chewing sugar-free gum with xylitol during pregnancy may lower this risk. The study took place in Malawi, Africa, which has one of the world's highest rates of preterm delivery. Each year, about 15 million babies are born before the 37th week of pregnancy. Xylitol is known to reduce inflammation and improve oral health, explained Dr. Kjersti Aagaard, a professor at Texas Children's and Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. "Oral health and the rest of your body health are intimately linked," Aagaard...

As with most viral respiratory illnesses, the primary entry point into the human body is through the nose. Once in the nasal passages, viruses propagate exponentially on nasal mucous membranes. With COVID-19, this rapid growth is especially prolific, leading researchers to seek means to decrease the nasal mucosal viral load. A recent podcast (1) between Joe Rogan and Dr. McCullough that "went viral" mentions this research and makes some recommendations for nasal lavage — salt water and antiseptic options to rinse out the nasal passages. This simple, cheap, and available hygienic maneuver should be added to our therapeutic armamentarium, along...

The FDA is ramping up warnings about a common sweetener that can be toxic to dogs. Xylitol, a type of sweetener found in many sugar-free gums and other products, can have devastating consequences if ingested by a dog, the agency said in a statement issued Thursday. Over the past several years, the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine has received a number of reports of dogs being poisoned by xylitol, sometimes with deadly consequences, the agency said. Xylitol-related calls to the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center rose from 82 in 2004 to more than 3,700 in 2014, as CBS News correspondent...