Murdering our brain cells. Stroking us out. New research confirms Erythritol is trying to kill us.
It’s murdering our brain cells and stroking us out.
The University of Colorado Boulder just confirmed that erythritol seriously damages our brain’s microvascular endothelial cell function leading to a drastically higher risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events.
And that’s in amounts found in your standard-sized artificially sweetened drinks.
University of Colorado Boulder’s researchers treated human cells that line blood vessels in the brain with about the same amount of erythritol contained in a typical sugar-free beverage for three hours. Here’s what the cells went through.
- They experienced oxidative stress, which is like them getting “rusted” or damaged.
- They produced less nitric oxide , which normally helps blood vessels relax for good blood flow.
- They produced more endothelin-1 (ET-1), a chemical that causes blood vessels to tighten.
- Their ability to release t-PA, a natural “clot-busting” protein, was weakened.
Altogether, this indicates that erythritol can make the brain’s tiny blood vessels unhealthy, contributing to an increased risk of ischemic stroke.
Erythritol is linked to heart attacks and strokes
There’s a general association between the body’s circulating erythritol levels and enhanced thrombotic potential and increased risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events such as heart attacks and strokes.
What’s worse is that higher erythritol levels were associated with non-fatal and fatal heart disease and stroke over 3 years!
This isn’t the only research showing how bad erythritol is. Prior research has shown that consuming about 30 grams of erythritol (or a pint of sugar-free ice cream) caused blood platelets to clump, potentially forming clots. Combine that with the body’s reduced ability to break up blood clots due to erythritol constricting the blood vessels and things get even more dangerous.
So are stable blood glucose and insulin levels worth the risk? We have to say no and the scientists are on the same page.
Our study adds to the evidence suggesting that non-nutritive sweeteners that have generally been purported to be safe, may not come without negative health consequences.
Christopher DeSouza, professor of integrative physiology and director of the Integrative Vascular Biology Lab at University of Colorado Boulder
Of course diabetics and the sugar sensitive have to be careful. Just be aware that erythritol (sometimes labeled as sugar alcohol) is incredibly bad for you – constricting blood vessels, leading to blood clots, and producing reactive free radicals that age and damage your cells and cause inflammation.
So try to avoid this sugar substitute and reach for healthier, truly natural options that fit within your medical guidelines.
