Is Erythritol Bad for You?
Studies have raised a concern, and the FDA says they did not prove cause. In 2023 Cleveland Clinic researchers studied over 4,000 people in the US and Europe and found those with higher blood erythritol levels were at elevated risk of a major adverse cardiac event such as heart attack, stroke or death, and lab results showed erythritol made platelets easier to activate and form a clot. The release said follow-up studies are needed, and that clinical observation studies demonstrate association and not causation.
In 2024 Cleveland Clinic reported a new intervention study in healthy volunteers showing erythritol made platelets more active, which can raise the risk of blood clots, while sugar, glucose, did not have this effect. Summarizing the 2023 study, the National Institutes of Health said the results suggest consuming erythritol can increase blood clot formation, which could increase the risk of heart attack or stroke, and that further safety studies are warranted.
The FDA says that in 2023 it reviewed a scientific paper about possible cardiovascular effects of erythritol and determined that the observational studies cited did not establish a causal link between consuming erythritol and the observed effects, and that it will continue to monitor new information. The FDA lists erythritol among the sugar alcohols it permits as sugar substitutes, and its GRAS notice inventory shows a 2001 erythritol notice closed with the response that the FDA has no questions.
Sources checked September 15, 2026. Every point below links the page it came from.
The sources behind this answer
- StudyCleveland Clinic said its researchers studied over 4,000 people and found those with higher blood erythritol levels were at elevated risk of a major adverse cardiac event, and that erythritol made platelets easier to activate and form a clot. Cleveland Clinic ↗
- StudyCleveland Clinic said the authors note the importance of follow-up studies, and that the study’s limitations include that clinical observation studies demonstrate association and not causation. Cleveland Clinic ↗
- StudyIn 2024 Cleveland Clinic said a new intervention study in healthy volunteers showed erythritol made platelets more active, which can raise the risk of blood clots, and that glucose did not have this effect. Cleveland Clinic ↗
- StudyNIH Research Matters said the results suggest consuming erythritol can increase blood clot formation, which could increase the risk of heart attack or stroke, and that further safety studies of erythritol are warranted. National Institutes of Health, NIH Research Matters ↗
- Government sourceThe FDA says it reviewed a 2023 paper on possible cardiovascular effects of erythritol and determined the observational studies cited did not establish a causal link, and that it will continue to monitor new information. US FDA ↗
- Regulatory filingThe FDA permits sugar alcohols, including erythritol, xylitol and sorbitol, as sugar substitutes. US FDA ↗
- Regulatory filingThe FDA’s GRAS notice inventory shows erythritol notice GRN 76, filed April 30, 2001 and closed September 11, 2001 with the letter result that the FDA has no questions. US FDA GRAS Notice Inventory ↗
Sources checked September 15, 2026. A brand statement is the company’s own claim, which we report but have not verified. Our grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests.