A widely used sugar substitute found in some sugar-free and low-calorie foods may not be as benign as previously thought, according to a new study.
Small amounts of erythritol, which was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2001, may damage brain blood vessel cells and could lead to a higher chance of stroke, researchers from the University of Colorado said in a news release.
Erythritol is considered a sugar alcohol, produced mostly by fermenting corn. It’s found in a large number of products such as candy, sugar-free gum, soft drinks, mouthwash, ice cream, protein bars, and more.
In the July 14 news release, the researchers said that after treating human cells that line blood vessels inside the brain for three hours with roughly “the same amount of erythritol contained in a typical sugar-free beverage,” the cells were impacted in several ways….