Erythritol is a sweetener that’s often used in sugar-free snacks, drinks, and protein bars.
Many people choose it because it has almost no calories and doesn’t raise blood sugar levels, which makes it especially popular with people who have diabetes or want to lose weight.
It’s part of a group called sugar alcohols, which are meant to be safer and healthier than regular sugar.
But new research is raising concerns that erythritol might not be as safe as people once thought. Scientists from the University of Colorado Boulder recently shared their findings at the 2025 American Physiology Summit in Baltimore.
They discovered that erythritol could be harmful to the blood vessels in the brain and may increase the risk of serious problems like heart attacks and strokes.
In the study, the researchers used special cells that line the small blood vessels in the brain. These cells are very important because they help control blood flow, protect the brain, and help prevent blood clots. The scientists exposed these cells to an amount of erythritol similar to what you might get from drinking just one sugar-free soda.
What they saw was troubling. The cells started to show signs of stress. There was more oxidative stress, which means harmful molecules were damaging the cells. This kind of stress can cause inflammation and weaken the blood vessels.
Another issue was a drop in something called nitric oxide. This is a gas that the body makes to help blood vessels relax and widen. Without enough nitric oxide, blood can’t flow properly, and this could raise the risk of blood clots and lead to heart attacks or strokes.
Auburn Berry, the lead researcher and a graduate student, said that while erythritol is often added to products that are marketed as healthy, people should be careful about how much they consume. She pointed out that more research is still needed to know how it affects our blood vessels and overall health.
It’s important to remember that this study was done in a lab using human cells, not in people. So, while the findings are worrying, they don’t prove that erythritol definitely causes these problems in everyday life. Still, the results are similar to what past studies have found in people who had high levels of erythritol in their blood.
Together, all of this research is starting to change how scientists think about erythritol. It may have benefits like being low in calories and not affecting blood sugar, but the possible damage it could do to brain and heart health is becoming harder to ignore.
Until more is known, it might be wise to limit how much erythritol you eat or drink. Eating real, natural foods and not too many processed items may still be the best way to take care of your body. When it comes to your heart and brain, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
If you care about nutrition, please read studies about why vitamin K is so important for older people, and this snack food may harm your heart rhythm.
For more health information, please see recent studies about vitamin that may protect you from type 2 diabetes, and results showing this common chemical in food may harm your blood pressure.
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