Erythritol Is Everywhere. Should It Be Nowhere?
Americans love sweet stuff. But most of us know that sweet foods and treats come with a price, including weight gain and chronic disease such as diabetes.
Starting in the 1950s, a huge market for sugar substitutes developed. Diabetics and weight-watchers snapped up products sweetened with new, synthetic chemicals–first saccharin, then a whole series of others.
Over time we learned that many synthetic sweeteners cause very negative side effects, including cancer. This lead some to seek ’natural’ alternatives.
The natural sugar alternatives include a category called ’sugar alcohols’. The most common of these is erythritol. This sweetener is basically a molecule which combines the properties of a sugar with an alcohol. It’s definitely sweet, but it also causes problems in the body.
Many people experience digestive issues such as bloating after consuming erythritol.
For Valentine’s Day you may be considering a ’naturally sweetened’ but ’sugar-free’ alternative such as Lily’s that contains Stevia (one of the good sweeteners). But Lily’s also contains erythritol!
A recent study, published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, revealed a far more serious issue. Erythritol can damage the cells which provide the brain’s defenses, allowing other harmful chemicals access to the brain itself.
Erythritol also triggers a process which narrows the blood vessels in the brain. This narrowing could block the flow of blood in the brain, leading to strokes. Considering the fact that most people’s diets already contain other stroke-promoting factors (such as seed oils), adding erythritol may prove a fatal trigger.
Erythritol also causes “oxidative stress”. It releases very reactive molecules which attack other molecules in the body, which then produces inflammation. Chronic inflammation is a major cause of degenerative disease.
There are other natural sugar alternatives without such terrible side effects. Stevia is one of them. Monkfruit is another. But beware! Some of the good sweeteners you find at the grocery store are mixed with erythritol!
Read labels carefully! That includes those Valentine’s Day chocolates you plan to give!
As in all things, do your research and use your judgment. Don’t fall for marketing hype or “science” sponsored by vested interests.
Here’s to a healthier 2026!
Winston Kao