A popular sweetener used in protein bars and sugar-free energy drinks may increase the risk of strokes and heart attacks, a new study suggests.
Researchers from the University of Colorado at Boulder exposed human brain cells to erythritol in amounts they said mirrored a diet drink.
The cells showed worrying changes within hours, including a decrease in the amounts of proteins that dissolve blood clots, which are vital for preventing strokes.
Auburn Berry, the doctoral student who led the research, said:
"While erythritol is widely used in sugar-free products marketed as healthier alternatives, more studies are needed to fully understand its impact on vascular health."
"In general, people should be aware of the amount of erythritol they consume each day."
This discovery comes at a time of a mysterious increase in stroke cases in young people, which have increased almost 15 percent in people under 45 since 2011, according to CDC data.
Erythritol is a widely used sweetener, found in drinks like Vitaminwater Zero Sugar, Monster Zero, and Arizona Iced Tea, and in Quest protein bars. It's also found in the sweetener Truvia, which is often used in coffee as a sugar substitute.
Although this new study was small and used isolated cells, it adds to the growing body of evidence raising concerns about erythritol.
A 2023 study from the Cleveland Clinic, which followed 4,000 people, found that those who consumed erythritol were more likely to experience heart attacks, strokes, or early death.
This latest study was published in the Journal of Applied Physiology.
The researchers isolated human cerebral microvascular endothelial cells—cells that line blood vessels in the brain.
After exposing them to erythritol for three hours in the lab, the researchers identified several harmful changes.
These included causing the cells to produce 75 percent more compounds that can damage them and surrounding tissue.
They also produced about 20 percent less of a compound that helps blood vessels relax, allowing more blood to flow and minimizing the risk of clots forming.
The researchers also noted that erythritol reduced the production of a clot-dissolving protein called t-PA, which helps dissolve clots and prevent strokes.
In their conclusions, they said that erythritol "potentially contributes to an increased risk of ischemic stroke."
An ischemic stroke occurs when a blood clot blocks a blood vessel in the brain, preventing oxygen and blood from reaching brain tissue.
This can cause brain cell death within minutes.
Limitations of the study include the fact that it was conducted in a laboratory, outside the human body, and may not reflect real conditions inside the body.
For example, it was not clear how much erythritol is typically absorbed by these cells in humans.
The study also exposed the cells to the equivalent of 30 grams of erythritol. The researchers claimed that this amount was “equivalent to the typical amount in a diet drink.”
But the declared amounts of erythritol in these drinks usually fall below this level.
For example, Monster Energy Zero contains about two grams of erythritol, according to consumer website Open Food Facts.
Meanwhile, Vitaminwater says less than one percent of its 500ml bottles contain erythritol, or less than five grams.
Quest protein bars also contain up to five grams of erythritol each, according to the company's website.
Erythritol is about 70 percent as sweet as sugar, but has only six percent of the calories.
It is found in small amounts naturally in some foods, but in diet drinks it is usually produced by processing corn.
It's also not easily processed by the body, meaning it's usually excreted in the urine. However, some can accumulate in the body — and its effects can build up over time. It was approved by the FDA as safe for food use in 2001.
The study comes at a time of alarming increases in stroke cases among young Americans, with previous work blaming increased stress, a more passive lifestyle and higher drug use than previous generations.
Obesity, high cholesterol, and diabetes also play a role—all three of which are more common in young people today than in the past.
In previous research from last year, scientists also found that when people are given erythritol, the cells in their blood that cause clotting become more active.
In particular, they found that the sweetener caused platelets (clotting cells) to become activated and stick together, forming clots. /GazetaExpress/
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