18/07/2025
That “sugar-free” snack comes with hidden risks. New research links a common sugar substitute to blood vessel damage.
A widely used sugar substitute may not be as safe as once thought.
New research from the University of Colorado Boulder has found that erythritol—a common ingredient in sugar-free, keto, and low-carb foods—can damage the delicate cells that line the brain’s blood vessels.
In laboratory tests, just a single dose of erythritol, similar to what’s found in one diet beverage, caused brain blood vessel cells to produce less nitric oxide (a molecule that relaxes vessels) and more endothelin-1 (which constricts them).
This shift toward tighter, less flexible vessels raises the risk of clots and stroke. The cells also lost their ability to release enough clot-busting t-PA when needed, further amplifying stroke risk.
These findings support earlier large-scale studies that linked higher blood levels of erythritol to significantly increased rates of heart attacks and strokes, even after accounting for other risk factors. The damage appears to result from oxidative stress and disrupted signaling inside the vessel-lining cells. While erythritol has long been considered safe due to its low calorie count and minimal impact on blood sugar, this study suggests it may come with serious cardiovascular downsides—especially when consumed frequently. Experts now urge consumers to moderate their intake of sugar substitutes like erythritol until more human-based trials confirm long-term safety.
source
Berry, A. R., Ruzzene, S. T., Ostrander, E. I., Wegerson, K. N., et al. (2025). The non-nutritive sweetener erythritol adversely affects brain microvascular endothelial cell function. Journal of Applied Physiology.