What Is Erythritol?

Erythritol is a sugar alcohol – a type of carbohydrate found naturally in a wide variety of fruits and fermented foods. The body also produces small amounts of erythritol during the normal breakdown of carbohydrates. The erythritol used as a sweetener in packaged foods and beverages today is produced by fermentation.  

Erythritol provides less than 0.5 calories per gram, compared with 4 calories per gram for most carbohydrates and about 2 calories per gram for most sugar alcohols. This makes erythritol a useful low-calorie alternative to sugar in packaged foods and beverages. In products such as baked goods, beverages, candies, chewing gum, and chocolate, erythritol can help reduce calories while providing sweetness, texture, and other physical properties.  

Compared to other sugar alcohols such as maltitol, sorbitol, or xylitol, erythritol provides comparable sweetness, is lower in calories, and is better tolerated by the gut because it is primarily absorbed in the small intestine. Other sugar alcohols travel down to the colon where they are fermented – often resulting in gas, bloating, and diarrhea – especially when consumed in high amounts.  

Additionally, erythritol does not raise blood sugar or insulin levels while other sugar alcohols may cause a small increase in blood sugar.  

Yes, erythritol is safe and has been a part of the human diet globally for thousands of years. A recent review published in the Journal of Toxicology and Regulatory Policy found no reliable scientific evidence that demonstrates that erythritol causes adverse health outcomes in humans when used at exposure levels found in food and beverages.  

Erythritol safety has been extensively reviewed and confirmed by health authorities around the world. In addition to being approved for use in more than 60 countries, erythritol has been given the highest safety rating possible by the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)/World Health Organization (WHO) Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) since 1999. Further, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the European Commission and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) have all issued scientific opinions on erythritol and approved its use.  Finally, unlike some sugar alcohols (e.g. sorbitol and mannitol) which require a label warning about potential laxative effects when consumption is above tolerated levels, erythritol does not require this warning because it is generally well tolerated.  

The US FDA regulatory framework reviews the use of erythritol at specific levels within food categories through the Generally Regarded as Safe (GRAS) process to ensure it is consumed in reasonable amounts across all food and beverage products. For example, erythritol may be used in a yogurt product at about 5%, and up to 15% in granola bars. This would translate to approximately 9g erythritol in a yogurt and about 6g erythritol in a typical granola bar. This differs from the approach that EFSA has taken, with a recommendation to limit intake of erythritol to less than 0.5g per kg body weight per day to reduce the risk of gastrointestinal discomfort. This means that a 150-pound person should limit their intake of erythritol to about 34 grams per day across all food sources.   

Recent research has evaluated the impact of erythritol on various markers of heart health. In a study published in Nature Medicine, the Cleveland Clinic reviewed data on over 4,000 people in the US and Europe and showed that patients with the highest levels of erythritol in their blood had approximately double the risk of a major adverse cardiac event, such as heart attack, stroke, or death, over a three-year period. A small pilot study, covered in the same paper, found that consuming 30 grams of erythritol in a drink raised blood erythritol above levels previously associated with blood clotting risk. In a follow up clinical study, the same researchers compared 10 healthy adults who consumed 30 grams of erythritol with 10 who consumed 30 grams of glucose (sugar). Erythritol consumption resulted in a large increase in blood erythritol levels and an increase in markers of blood clotting, while glucose did not. Although this study extends the researchers’ earlier findings, it was small, examined only the short-term effects of a single 30-gram dose, and did not assess longer-term cardiovascular outcomes. Together, these findings suggest an association and a potential mechanism, but they do not establish that typical erythritol consumption causes these adverse events. 

A recent review also concluded that the observed association between erythritol and major adverse cardiovascular events may reflect underlying metabolic conditions associated with elevated blood sugar and obesity, rather than a cause-and-effect relationship.⁵ Taken together, the available evidence does not establish that consuming erythritol increased the risk of cardiovascular events.   

As noted by the US FDA, these findings raise important questions for future research but should be considered within the broader body of evidence – consisting of hundreds of studies – on erythritol safety and health outcomes.  

The research on erythritol and stroke risk is limited. In a recent University of Colorado study, researchers exposed human cells that line blood vessels in the brain to erythritol for three hours. The exposure resulted in increased oxidative stress and other cellular changes that could potentially contribute to stroke risk. However, this was an in vitro study conducted in a laboratory – not a study of humans consuming erythritol. While the findings identify potential areas for further research, they cannot determine whether similar effects occur in the human body following consumption of foods or beverages containing typical amounts of erythritol.  

No. Despite recent studies suggesting potential concerns related to cardiovascular health and stroke risk, leading regulatory authorities have not changed their conclusions about the safety of erythritol or their recommendations regarding its use or consumption. Erythritol continues to be permitted for use by both the FDA and EFSA.  

While the positions of global health and regulatory associations on the safety of erythritol have not changed, there are some differences in their approaches and recommendations. For example, the FDA has focused on proposed uses of erythritol by food categories and levels as part of the GRAS process. Conversely, EFSA has issued an Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) for erythritol of 0.5g per kilogram of body weight per day based on the potential for gastrointestinal discomfort at higher levels of consumption. Other authorities, such as JECFA and Health Canada are neutral, acknowledging that typical consumption of erythritol is safe and does not require an intake limit.    

Because erythritol is rapidly absorbed early in the digestive system – primarily in the small intestine – it is minimally metabolized by the body. Instead, most is excreted unchanged in the urine with little to no impact on blood glucose or insulin levels.  

Yes, people with diabetes can use erythritol. Erythritol can replace added sugars in foods and beverages – which is particularly useful for people with diabetes who are managing their carbohydrate, added sugar, or calorie intake.   

Generally speaking, there are no major side effects when erythritol is consumed at levels typically present in packaged foods and beverages. While some other sugar alcohols, such as sorbitol, maltitol, or mannitol, can cause negative gastrointestinal symptoms, erythritol tends to be better tolerated. A clinical study of 12 healthy adults (men) demonstrated that incremental daily consumption of one gram per kilogram body weight of erythritol in various foods and beverages over the course of seven days is well tolerated by adults as compared to sucrose (sugar) containing foods. In this study, erythritol was incorporated into a variety of foods including yogurt, cookies, soft drinks, and chocolate. 

Erythritol is a sugar alcohol – a type of carbohydrate found naturally in a wide variety of fruits and fermented foods. The body produces small amounts of erythritol during the normal breakdown of carbohydrates; erythritol can be added to packaged foods or beverages as well. Erythritol safety has been extensively reviewed and confirmed by health authorities around the world, and it has been given the highest safety rating possible by the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)/World Health Organization (WHO) Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) since 1999. Generally speaking, there are no major side effects when erythritol is consumed at levels typically present in packaged foods and beverages. Erythritol can be used by people with or without diabetes as a tool to manage sugar intake. 

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2. Shindou T, Sasaki Y, Miki H, Eguchi T, Hagiwara K, Ichikawa T. Determination of Erythritol in Fermented Foods by High Performance Liquid Chromatography. J Food Hyg Soc Jpn. 1988;29(6):419-422_1. doi:10.3358/shokueishi.29.419 

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4. Noda K, Nakayama K, Oku T. Serum glucose and insulin levels and erythritol balance after oral administration of erythritol in healthy subjects. Eur J Clin Nutr. 1994;48(4):286-292. 

5. Burgoon LD, Von Hendy M. A systematic review exploring potential relationships between dietary erythritol and human health outcomes. Journal of Toxicology and Regulatory Policy. 2025;1(1):1-11. doi:10.69982/JTRP-25-0004 

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7. World Health Organization. Erythritol. Evaluations of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). Accessed September 21, 2026. https://apps.who.int/food-additives-contaminants-jecfa-database/Home/Chemical/961 

8. US Food and Drug Administration. GRAS Notices – Erythritol. Updated September 15, 2026. Accessed September 21, 2026. https://hfpappexternal.fda.gov/scripts/fdcc/index.cfm?set=GRASNotices&sort=GRN_No&order=DESC&startrow=1&type=basic&search=erythritol 

9. Scientific Committee on Food, European Commission. Opinion of the Scientific Committee on Food on Erythritol. European Commission; 2003. SCF/CS/ADD/EDUL/215 Final. Accessed September 21, 2026. https://ec.europa.eu/food/fs/sc/scf/out175_en.pdf 

10. EFSA (European Food Safety Authority). Scientific Opinion on the safety of the proposed extension of use of erythritol (E 968) as a food additive. EFSA Journal. (2015;13(3):4033). doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2015.4033 

11. EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings (FAF), Younes M, Aquilina G, et al. Re‐evaluation of erythritol (E 968) as a food additive. EFS2. 2023;21(12). doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2023.8430 

12. 21 CFR §184.1835 — Sorbitol. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations; Updated July 29, 2016. Accessed September 21, 2026. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/part-184/section-184.1835 

13. 21 CFR §180.25 — Mannitol. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations; Updated July 29, 2016. Accessed September 21, 2026. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/part-180/section-180.25 

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15. Witkowski M, Nemet I, Alamri H, et al. The artificial sweetener erythritol and cardiovascular event risk. Nat Med. 2023;29(3):710-718. doi:10.1038/s41591-023-02223-9 

16. Witkowski M, Wilcox J, Province V, et al. Ingestion of the Non-Nutritive Sweetener Erythritol, but Not Glucose, Enhances Platelet Reactivity and Thrombosis Potential in Healthy Volunteers—Brief Report. ATVB. 2024;44(9):2136-2141. doi:10.1161/ATVBAHA.124.321019 

17. US Food and Drug Administration. An Evaluation of the Article “The Artificial Sweetener Erythritol and Cardiovascular Event Risk” by Witkowski et al., Nat Med. 2023 Mar;29(3):710-718. Memorandum. June 15, 2023. Accessed September 21, 2026. https://www.fda.gov/media/182122/download 

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19. EFSA (European Food Safety Authority). Re-evaluation of erythritol (E 968) as a food additive. Updated December 20, 2023. Accessed September 21, 2026. https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/plain-language-summary/re-evaluation-erythritol-e-968-food-additive 

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21. Health Canada. Sugar Alcohols (Polyols) and Polydextrose Used as Sweeteners in Foods. Updated May 4, 2017. Accessed September 21, 2026. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/food-safety/food-additives/sugar-substitutes/sugar-alcohols-polyols-polydextrose-used-sweeteners-foods-food-safety.html 

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