Nigeria, Aug. 29 -- Xylitol, a sugar alcohol added to foods, beverages and oral care products as a sweetener, has been linked to an increased risk of stroke and heart attack, a new study has found.

The sweetener is commonly found in products such as chewing gum, toothpaste, jam, yoghurt and ice cream.

This was revealed in a press release published by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) ahead of their annual congress in Munich, Germany, which runs from 28 to 31 August.

Researchers found that people with higher levels of xylitol in their blood had a greater risk of major cardiovascular events - defined as death, heart attack or stroke, compared with those with the lowest levels.

According to the ESC, the study examined data from 17...