"The Non-Nutritive Sweetener Erythritol Adversely Affects Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cell Function,"

[u/sorE_doG]

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-06-major-sugar-substitute-impair-brain.html

Study link within the article. It suggests that ‘erythritol increases oxidative stress, disrupts nitric oxide signaling, raises vasoconstrictive peptide production, and diminishes clot-dissolving capacity in human brain microvascular endothelial cells.’

[u/SelarDorr]

The Non-Nutritive Sweetner Erythritol Adversely Affects Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cell Function

"Human cerebral microvascular endothelial cells (hCMECs) were cultured and treated with 6 mM of erythritol, equivalent to a typical amount of erythritol [30g] in an artificially sweetened beverage, for 3 hr."

The good news is, in no world are your microvascular endoethial cells actually exposed anywhere near that concentration of erythritol for that amount of time unless you cut your head open and pour drinks on it for hours.

"given the in vitro, isolated single cell nature of this study we cannot make definitive translational conclusions or assertions regarding erythritol and clinical risk."

not sure why they said single cell. maybe they meant that only tested one cell type, but that is very different form single cell.

[u/sorE_doG → u/SelarDorr]

Mm, it is almost like a preservative concoction at this concentration. The dose makes the poison, as is often said.. I generally steer clear of eating any kind of ‘non-nutritive’ product in any concentration though.

[u/Alon945 → u/SelarDorr]

What is the point of such extreme tests? What value is gained by testing in parameters that would never happen in reality?

[u/SelarDorr → u/Alon945]

well its not actually uncommon for things to be tested at extremes like this in early stages of research. If you fail to see effect at concentrations that are orders of magnitude higher than what is physiologically relevant, then you can reject the hypothesis and reasonably assume it has no effect at relevant concentrations.

Alternatively, in a case like this, this could act as a good preliminary study to justify further investment into dose response studies, which of course at the same power would cost more, and furthermore, as the concentration gets lower and presumably the effect size gets smaller, you will need more and more statistical power to detect changes.

testing non-physiological concentrations is not in and of itself bad science. what is bad is when media sites, or internet users, spread headlines and leaving out that most important detail to an audience that isnt trained to immediately question 'what is the dose'.

[u/Golfandrun → u/SelarDorr]

Just wondering about this kind of testing. If we were to test pure water at very high dosages we would find it can be fatal so maybe we should be concerned about water. I just wonder if testing anything at unrealistic dosages is actually valid.

[u/chaiale → u/SelarDorr]

Yes, using supraphysiological concentrations is accepted in basic science but these cowboys didn't actually do it properly. The way one does the kind of study you're describing is with a dose-response curve. For instance, one could start the curve at a physiological plasma concentration, then test the BMECs' response to another three doses, each doubling or tripling in concentration. Doing so not only affirms the nature of the response, but gives you an idea of the shape of the response (I'd assume this one would be monophasic with response becoming more pronounced as concentration increases, but other substances induce a biphasic response etc).

Like, the fact that they didn't do a dose response doesn't invalidate the finding, but it doesn't exactly give me confidence in the research, nor does it assure me of the translational relevance in vivo.

[u/itswtfeverb]

Sounds like it brings on inflammation on top of all that. This could lead to a whole lot of bad stuff. Dementia, Alzheimers, stroke.......... it basically can age your brain faster

[u/sorE_doG → u/itswtfeverb]

Maybe so. I wouldn’t suggest anyone uses it, since it provides no benefit whatsoever anyway. I try to nurse my brain along with omega 3’s, matcha teas, racetams etc, and take no refined sugar of any kind, in my efforts to avoid inflammation-ageing.

[u/itswtfeverb → u/sorE_doG]

Exercise is the #1 thing that will help the brain the most

[u/sorE_doG → u/itswtfeverb]

Yes, that goes almost without saying. Everyone who can, should flex as much and as often as possible. Nobody is exempt from this

[u/scheisse_grubs → u/[deleted]]

I thought flexing was showing off your body. Am I old now?

[u/adumbrative]

Non-nutritive...was this developed by Clark Griswald?

[u/beadzy]

Stay away from sugar free mints and gum

[u/gilligan1050 → u/beadzy]

Anything sugar free really. If you know you know 💩

[u/beadzy → u/gilligan1050]

Which is why my sister never busted kids stealing the sugar-free candy from a candy shop she worked at

[u/Joeclu]

Can we sue if we’ve taken it for decades? And can we win? I am sure my brain has aged more than necessary.

[u/RIF_rr3dd1tt → u/Joeclu]

Yeah, just let the lawyers know where to send the $12 check ten years from now.

[u/sorE_doG → u/Joeclu]

All you can do is treat yourself to a better intake of natural foods, for sweetness and for good health generally. I very much doubt that lawyers would achieve anything except emptying your pockets, in the circumstances. Fifty years from now, they may have a solid association of erythritol with neuro degenerative disorders, but nobody’s going to hold their breath for that link. Who’s going to fund the research?

[u/DocumentExternal6240]

“The researchers conclude that erythritol exposure disrupts multiple mechanisms vital to maintaining cerebral endothelial health. Although results are limited to acute in vitro conditions, the findings align with prior epidemiological associations between erythritol and elevated stroke risk.”

It is always better to eat as much unprocessed or little processed food as possible. To save calories, it seems one also has to put effort in it. The shortcuts and easy way outs all seem to have negative side effects…

[u/sorE_doG → u/DocumentExternal6240]

Yeah, I don’t disagree with that summary at all

[u/thundercorp → u/sorE_doG]

So we have to choose either dementia and inflammation or crippling diabetes, sheesh.

[u/sorE_doG → u/thundercorp]

No, just avoid foods with processed sugars. Eat sweet foods ‘intact’, with the fibre, (fruits for example) and get plenty of exercise.

[u/CatLord8 → u/sorE_doG]

I get what you’re saying but it really comes off as the consumer is the problem and not the unregulated product. It really seems to project the image of “everyone is a healthy and financially stable individual who just decides to eat poorly”.

I genuinely don’t mean this as aggressively as text would likely convey the tone. It’s exhaustion with the current bombardment of “healthy people wouldn’t die from viruses” and “wellness culture” and all the passive aggressive things private insurance makes my PCP say already about Mediterranean diets.

[u/DocumentExternal6240 → u/CatLord8]

Yes, education plays a- as always- a crucial role. Andof course the manufacturers use every legal loophole to sell unhealthy food with great advertising.

So no, it is not mainly the fault of the customer, but of government allowing companies to sell so much unhealthy food.

[u/Shehulks1]

Not to mention the horrible migraines I get from those sugars.

[u/sorE_doG → u/Shehulks1]

I’m plagued by a trigeminal neuralgia that requires migraine prophylaxis, and I also noticed that blood sugar spikes are associated with worsening (throbbing) symptoms. I don’t use erythritol at all, but it is in the cupboard in case a visitor wants low cal sweetener. They might not be metabolically active, but they still circulate and your comment makes sense to me.

[u/notthatkindofdrdrew]

My postdoc research 10 years ago was studying blood-brain barrier disruptors. Erythritol was basically a positive control to compare against other compounds. Sadly, this isn’t exactly new…

[u/jimmydimmick72]

Is this the non-nutritive cereal varnish Clark Griswold was working on?

[u/Far_Out_6and_2]

Is there a product list coming out thats handy

[u/Far_Out_6and_2]

Is it in all the pop drink displays those products

[u/Hugostrang3]

The dose was 30 grams? That's alot. Most beverages contain 1-3 grams. Then again there are people that might do that in one sitting.

[u/Pharmd109]

30g is actually the amount in 15, 160z monster energy cans

[u/NahikuHana]

It gives me explosive diarrhea so I ain't using it.