BATON ROUGE — Researchers have been studying the effects of the sugar substitute erythritol on the body.

It confirms previous findings that it could put a person at risk for cardiovascular events, like a heart attack or stroke.

“In this new study, what we did is we directly compared drinking a sweetened drink with either 30 grams of glucose, which is sugar, or 30 grams of erythritol. And what was seen is in every subject, who looking at before versus after drinking the erythritol, every platelet functional measure made was significantly enhanced,” Stanley Hazen, the project’s lead researcher, said. “So, there is every reason to believe, after drinking erythritol there is a heightened risk of clotting or thrombosis, but that was not seen with the glucose."

Erythritol is commonly used in baked goods, some candies and gum. It's just one of many sugar substitutes out there.

Researchers say it is considered unsafe because it can impact clotting, which can in turn put a person at risk for heart attack or stroke.

Similar trends with other sugar substitutes have been found in ongoing research, but so far no changes have been at the federal level. Doctors encourage people to steer clear of sugar substitutes entirely.

"What I am recommending to my patients is to avoid the artificial sweeteners, avoid sugar substitutes, to try to eat whole foods, stay away from processed foods and shop the produce section. Make your own food, then you know what goes into it,” Hazen said.

Experts recommend eating food that has actual sugar as opposed to sugar substitutes but in moderation. Adding honey to your food is also an option.