Revolution Health Radio RHR: Erythritol: The ‘Safe’ Sweetener That’s Anything But
Mar 31, 2026
Discussion of new research linking erythritol and other sugar alcohols to blood clotting and cardiovascular risk. Exploration of how erythritol accumulates in the bloodstream and evades regulatory scrutiny. Comparison to xylitol and gut-related side effects of polyols. Presentation of safer sweetener alternatives like allulose, stevia, and monk fruit.
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High Erythritol Levels Linked To Double Cardiovascular Risk
- Large cohort studies linked high blood erythritol to roughly double the risk of heart attack and stroke over three years.
- Dr. Stan Hazen's metabolomics work found erythritol as the top predictor and validated it in US and European cohorts.
Erythritol Rapidly Enhances Platelet Clotting
- Laboratory and human intervention studies show erythritol rapidly increases platelet reactivity and clot formation.
- A single erythritol-sweetened beverage raised blood levels >1,000-fold and increased clotting measures for days in healthy volunteers.
Erythritol Creates A Perfect Storm For Stroke
- Erythritol harms endothelial cells by increasing oxidative stress, reducing nitric oxide, boosting endothelin-1, and blocking clot breakdown.
- University of Colorado work used 6 mM erythritol on brain microvascular cells and found these four pathological changes within hours.