Is This "Safe" Sweetener Damaging Your Brain?
By
Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Posted August 9, 2025
The headlines are alarming…
“Popular Sugar Substitute Linked to Brain Cell Damage” and “Erythritol Could Damage Critical Brain Barrier” are just two of the dozens I’ve spotted recently.
But before you toss every sugar-free product in your pantry, let’s take a closer look at what this study actually shows—and what it doesn’t.
The latest research on erythritol and brain health has generated plenty of scary headlines. But the truth is, the study has some serious limitations that should make us pause before we panic.
The research everyone’s talking about was conducted entirely in lab dishes—not in actual people or even animals. Researchers exposed brain cells to erythritol in a controlled environment and observed changes over 24 hours.
While this type of research can provide valuable insights, it’s important to understand that cells in a petri dish don’t behave the same way they do in your body.
In real life, your body has sophisticated systems for processing, metabolizing, and eliminating substances. A lab dish simply can’t replicate the complexity of the human body.
One of the most significant issues with this study is the concentration and duration of the erythritol exposure.
The researchers claim they used “physiological doses,” but this doesn’t tell the whole story. In the human body, erythritol is poorly absorbed, and studies show that about 90 percent of erythritol is rapidly excreted unchanged in urine within 24 to 48 hours.
This means that even if you consume a lot of erythritol, very little of it actually stays in your bloodstream for extended periods. Yet in this laboratory study, brain cells were bathed in erythritol for a full 24 hours—a scenario that doesn’t reflect what happens in your body.
Plus, the amount of erythritol in real-world products is usually much lower than what was used in this study. A typical weight-loss or keto drink has about 15 grams of erythritol—roughly one-quarter of the dose used on those isolated brain cells.
For folks managing diabetes, obesity, or simply trying to cut back on sugar, erythritol can be a useful option.
That said, I am not a fan of sugar substitutes, including erythritol.
To begin with, they’re usually found in ultra-processed foods that you’re better off avoiding. And research on sugar substitutes has found they can mess with your gut, raise blood sugar, and increase diabetes risk.
And to top it off, earlier research has linked it and other sweeteners to blood clots.
Clearly, sugar substitutes are not chemically inert. But it’s also important to keep findings in perspective. Laboratory studies are just the first step in understanding potential health effects. They need to be followed by animal studies, then human studies, before we can draw definitive conclusions about real-world safety.
It’s possible that future research could reveal more legitimate concerns about erythritol. So, limiting your intake—and skipping the ultra-processed foods it hides in—just makes sense.
But there’s no need to panic and make drastic dietary changes based on preliminary research conducted in petri dishes.
The key to good health remains what it’s always been: a balanced diet focused on whole, minimally processed foods, regular physical activity, and moderation in all things—including both sugar and sugar substitutes.
P.S. Artificial sweeteners linked to heart risk.
Source:
Auburn R. Berry, Samuel T. Ruzzene, Emily I. Ostrander, Kendra N. Wegerson, et al., The non-nutritive sweetener erythritol adversely affects brain microvascular endothelial cell function, Journal of Applied Physiology, Volume 138, Issue 6, June 2025, Pages 1571-1577
Written By Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Nearly 25 years ago, failed mainstream medical treatments left Dr. Olson in constant pain – and his health in ruins. And that’s when he did something REVOLUTIONARY. He began his career in medicine – and dedicated his life to uncovering the true, underlying causes of disease.
Through his innovative medical practices in Tennessee and Colorado, Dr. Olson has helped cure countless seniors from across America of arthritis… heart disease… diabetes… and even cancer. All without risky prescription drugs or painful surgeries.
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