I have been using erythritol as a sweetener for nearly 20 years.

In addition to using it as an ingredient in baked goods, I use a combination of erythritol and stevia (or monk fruit) to sweeten my coffee and tea almost every day.

As the founder of health-publishing company, Healing Gourmet, I have recommended erythritol as an ingredient in hundreds of recipes over the years.

And as the co-founder of food-product manufacturer, Wellness Bakeries, I have used it in formulations we have sold to the public for more than a decade.

So, I definitely have a “conflict of interest” in this discussion…

I also have a much greater interest in the TRUTH of this matter than your average reporter angling for clicks.

My own health is on the line.

And so is my professional reputation.

If you know anything about me, you might know I am “obsessed” with health and nutritional research.

At an early age, I was forced to carefully consider the foods and ingredients I consumed, when I became very ill for a period of months during college.

My keen interest in biochemistry and ingredient research continued in my adult life, as an author, researcher, and founder of companies in the field of health and nutrition.

So, when I discovered a seemingly-miraculous sweetener called erythritol around 2005, I did a tremendous amount of research.

I wanted to know if this was an ingredient I could safely use.

More importantly, was it one I could recommend in recipes and formulate in products for sale to the public – without any reservation?

My determination at the time – and my educated opinion to this day – is that erythritol is not only safe, but it is also likely quite beneficial to consume.

My stance then and now is informed by a thorough review of dozens of studies.

It is bolstered by observation of decades of human consumption, primarily in Japan.

And it is strongly influenced by the fact that erythritol is a natural compound found in many foods.

In fact, it is even produced within your own body.

More on this important aspect in a moment, but first let’s discuss the most recent study of concern.

Does Erythritol REALLY Increase Cardiovascular Risk? 

The study which has gained recent attention was published in the journal, Nature Medicine and titled, “The Artificial Sweetener Erythritol & Cardiovascular Event Risk.”

Unbelievably, even the title of the study is misleading.

Erythritol is clearly NOT an “artificial sweetener”.

And this point is pivotal, as you'll understand as you keep reading.

It's also worth noting the authors of this study, who are associated with the Cleveland Clinic, did not perform primary research.

Their conclusions are extrapolated from previously-published research.

I'll share why this might indicate a conflict of interest in a minute...

But first, let’s examine the study (and the reporting which has followed)…

The basic conclusion of the study is that: “Circulating levels of erythritol were associated with three-year risk for major adverse cardiovascular events.”

Now, here is why that conclusion is WILDLY misleading (at best) or totally dishonest (at worst):

First, the researchers cited an interventional study, showing that consumption of erythritol significantly raises circulating blood levels of erythritol.

The study states that, “Erythritol ingestion in healthy volunteers induced marked and sustained increases in plasma erythritol levels.”

Okay, no surprise there…

When you consume erythritol it shows up in your blood.

Please note that the study did NOT show any harm.

No adverse events were reported – just that consuming the ingredient raises blood levels.

Next, the researchers cite statistics from blood testing, conducted in the early 2000s.

Keep these dates in mind… they are important!

The blood draws in question were part of a study that had nothing to do with erythritol.

They were selected after the fact because erythritol was present in the blood.

However, it's important to understand that… 

The Subjects of this Study Were Already Very Sick

Here are some statistics, regarding the subjects of the original study:

• 70% had coronary artery disease
• 70% had high blood pressure
• 40% already had a heart attack
• 25% were type-2 diabetics and
• 15% were experiencing heart failure

And here’s the kicker…

The recent study which has gained attention – and widespread media reporting – did not measure erythritol INTAKE.

It only measured levels in the blood.

And that is critically important, because…

The Subjects Did Not Even Consume Erythritol!

Erythritol was not even approved as a sweetener in food and beverage products in the US until 2001.

And it was not widely used until after 2010 – long after the original blood draws were taken.

Therefore, it is HIGHLY unlikely these subjects even consumed the substance.

In fact, they almost certainly DID NOT consume erythritol.

So, why would they have erythritol in their blood?

Studies have shown that elevated serum erythritol is associated with metabolic syndrome.

It has also been proven that consumption of GLUCOSE and FRUCTOSE – especially in the presence of metabolic dysfunction – will increase erythritol in the blood.

In other words, blood levels of erythritol are a SYMPTOM of a poor diet and metabolic dysfunction.

The subjects of the study in question had increased levels of erythritol in their blood – because their metabolism was dysfunctional!

And this is where it is important – as always – to remember that…

Correlation Does Not Equate to Causation

The authors of the study state that erythritol is “associated with” a higher risk of cardiac events.

The news media goes even further.

For example, a headline in People Magazine states that, “Erythritol is linked to blood clotting, stroke, heart attack and death.”

Did you catch the two phrases… “linked to” and “associated with”?

That part is true… there IS a link.

When you are very sick with cardiovascular and metabolic disease – and when you consume excess glucose – your blood levels of erythritol may rise.

But the subjects of the study in question did not even consume erythritol!

Their own bodies PRODUCED it as a symptom of disease.

Other studies have clearly proven this, including one published in the journal Nutrients, which states:

“Observational studies indicate positive association between plasma erythritol and cardiometabolic disease. It is unlikely that dietary erythritol is mediating these associations. Rather they reflect […] impaired glycemia or glucose-rich diet.”  

In other words, when it comes to today’s study…

The subjects were already diseased… and that is what CAUSED erythritol to increase.

This is clearly a case of “reverse causality”.

And it’s happened a number of times before…

Some years ago, another study came out which showed that a group of obese college students also had elevated blood levels of erythritol.

As usual, the media quickly pointed to erythritol as the possible cause – without mentioning that GLUCOSE was actually to blame for the rise in erythritol… and the blubber on their bodies!

This is akin to blaming skid marks for traffic accidents.

Just because they’re almost always present at the scene, does NOT mean they caused the accident.

Likewise, it’s clear that consumption of ice cream and the number of drownings BOTH increase during summer months.

But you would never blame ice cream for drownings!

It is obviously only a “correlation” and not the underlying cause.

Before concluding, allow me to remind you that… 

Erythritol is NOT an “Artificial Sweetener”

As you recall, the Cleveland Clinic study and related press release label erythritol as a “Common Artificial Sweetener”.

This is blatantly false.

Erythritol is a natural compound.

It is found in pears, grapes, corn, wine, mushrooms, and many other foods.

It is also produced within the human body!

Your body readily recognizes erythritol for this reason.

And while it is true that the product is “processed” for use in food and beverage products, it is still a naturally-occurring compound.

Many of the foods we consume are “processed” in some way.

That doesn't automatically make them unhealthy… or inherently unnatural.

Erythritol is NOT a chemical that was discovered in a laboratory and patented… like aspartame, sucralose, or saccharin.

It is a natural compound. And to paint it in the same category as these truly “artificial sweeteners” is wholly dishonest… especially when your own study involves the NATURAL production of the compound.

Why Would Cleveland Clinic Push this Flawed Research?

There is one final point to cover about this study… and it might help explain the motivations of those behind it.

The study authors performed an experiment where they added erythritol to blood in the lab.

This experiment showed that the erythritol caused clotting factors in the blood to increase.

However, this is quite suspicious, because the researchers already had access to the blood that was drawn from volunteers who CONSUMED erythritol.

Remember, they used this to establish that consumption raises blood levels.

So, why didn’t they test clotting factors in the blood that was DRAWN from the volunteers?

Why would they ADD it to blood in the lab?

It is likely they did perform this experiment, but it didn’t yield the results they wanted.

So, they added erythritol directly to the blood.

This is obviously not how the human body works. You do not inject erythritol.

If this scenario is correct, it suggests that the researchers were not interested in the truth.

Rather, they were interested in achieving the outcome they wanted.

But that is not how good science works. That would be deceptive and misleading.

What motivation might an institution like the Cleveland Clinic have for blaming a natural substance for “blood clots”?

Is it possible they might have a vested interest in muddying the waters about what might really be causing increasing numbers of people to suffer from “blood clots”?

I'll let you be the judge of that.

But one thing is clear… their conclusions and inferences are not supported by facts!

On the contrary, the facts strongly suggest that… 

Erythritol is Perfectly SAFE to Consume

Erythritol is naturally found in many foods.

It has also been widely used in food and beverage products around the world for more than 30 years.

After decades of research and hundreds of studies, it was labeled by the FDA as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS).

It should be noted that a very small subset of people experiences digestive distress when consuming erythritol (and other sugar alcohols).

But studies clearly show that for the vast majority of people, this product is perfectly safe to consume.

In fact, many studies show that it is more than safe…

It functions as a potent antioxidant and has been shown to BENEFIT cardiovascular and metabolic health, promoting healthy blood vessels and blood pressure.

To Your Health,