Headline: “Popular zero-calorie sweetener linked to heart attack and stroke”
Picture: A bag of Monkeyfruit going into the trash.
Story: Study is about Erythritol.
It’s important to check the contents of your sweeteners, yes! But it seems… unfortunate, that this is arranged so that those that just check the front page for headlines are given the impression Monkeyfruit is dangerous.
From the CNN article:
The results “should not be extrapolated to the general population, as the participants in the intervention were already at increased risk for cardiovascular events,” Rankin said.
Also before anyone starts freaking out, I think we should wait for more than one study to confirm these findings. That being said, If I was in one of the high risk groups, I’d stop using it for now.
I suggest using brown sugar for your oatmeal. It’s less bad than white and tastier. 
Mmmm… love brown sugar on my oatmeal!
Huh, hadn’t heard that one before. (The panicked “they’re all neurotoxins!!!” line is the one I hear most often.)
I’m going to back up @MsScience , who said:
Because, here is a screen shot of the front page:
It certainly gave me the impression that monkfruit was the sweetener in question.
So, now it’s too much to ask people to click a link and read one line of text? 
It’s clear from the text what Mark means…
How many people who check the headlines on the front page of Boing Boing will click through to actually read every post? 
It’s clear from the linked text, yes. But IMO it’s an irresponsible photo to use on the front page, which doesn’t have the text.
Are you sure? Most brown sugar is refined sugar with molasses added back in. I don’t think molasses has demonstrated health benefits, so…
No, it is not significantly different. Brown sugar has slightly less calories than white, about 0.25 calories per gram, slightly more minerals, and less processing. I didn’t mean it should be used as a substitute for diabetics, it’s just as bad for them.
It is definitely tastier, though not for all, and an equal volume will be a little less sweet.
…so erythrocytes are red blood cells, with the erythr- particle meaning red. Platelets are actually what’s being affecting here, but it’s still somewhat darkly humorous that the sweetener sounds like it’s named like a blood medication
isn’t Vitamin D rat poison? (googling sounds) ahh, Cholecalciferol overdose will cause kidney failure in rodents. Apparently it is much harder to get this to happen in humans, hence it being a dietary supplement and not human poison.
It’s great that they’re going to be doing further research, but cardiovascular disease is the number one killer, and stroke is the fifth, so it’s not like risk of stroke and risk of heart disease are a small segment of the population. There’s a reason they say atherosclerosis is a pediatric condition. Not that just having atherosclerosis necessarily puts you in a risk category now, but a hell of a lot of people at risk for stroke or cardiovascular events won’t know it until they get to the hospital, if they make it there.
I believe all true Scotsmen disagree with you there.
Fresh berries (or frozen) are the best sweetener for oatmeal. Though I have not yet tried banana peel oatmeal.
Not my Scottish grandparents.
ETA: Too late, I got the joke. 
I used to use turbinado sugar before trying to find a healthier substitute due to Type II Diabetes. Losing weight will also help.
Sorry to hear of your diabetes. My mother had it and my brother does too.
I had to look up turbinado, it sounds nice. I also came across muscovado while looking and am now intrigued, I’ll have to try it out.
