When Gwen Stefani croons in her song "Sweet Escape" — "Woo hoo (I wanna get away) yee hoo (to our sweet escape)" — she's hoping that will make her damaged relationship better.

And when you try for sweet escape by using artificial sweeteners, you're hoping to dodge the damage you know added sugar can do to your health. But it’s not really turning out like you hoped.

Here's another bit of bad news about the hazards of using sugar substitutes: Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic found that consumption of erythritol — a common artificial sweetener used in prepared and "keto" foods — is associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

Although they have not shown cause and effect, they did find that in 4,000 people studied, those with higher blood erythritol levels were at a greater risk of having what they called "a major adverse cardiac event such as heart attack, stroke, or death."

The researchers then went to the lab and looked at how erythritol interacted with whole blood or isolated platelets, and found that it promoted clot formation.  

Once again, the best way to keep your heart healthy, your blood sugar levels normal, and your sweet tooth happy is to stick with naturally sweet, whole fruit. Opt for two to three servings a day, and eliminate juices, whether pulp or no pulp.

If for some reason your diet must include erythritol, talk to your doctor about taking a low-dose aspirin each day with half a glass of warm water before and after.