A prevalent sugar substitute, erythritol, found in a diverse range of products from low-carb snacks to sugar-free beverages, might pose more significant health risks than previously understood. Recent scientific investigations have unveiled that erythritol can adversely affect brain blood vessel cells. This disruption leads to a reduced capacity for these vessels to relax, an escalation in detrimental oxidative stress, and an impaired ability for the body to effectively dissolve blood clots.
These observed physiological alterations establish an environment that could potentially heighten the risk of stroke, a concern that extends even to consumption levels generally considered typical for this widely used sweetener.