Erythritol

Additive · E 968

Erythritol is a sugar alcohol used to sweeten reduced-sugar foods and drinks. It is produced commercially by fermentation and occurs naturally in small amounts in some foods. It supplies little energy, and the body can also make erythritol from glucose.

Also known as

E 968 · E968 · INS 968 · INS968 · meso-erythritol · erythrite · erythrol · 1,2,3,4-butanetetrol · tetrahydroxybutane

Why PRūF tracks it

Dose-related diarrhea is established, while small platelet experiments and observational blood-level associations raise cardiovascular questions that remain unresolved because dietary exposure, study conditions and clinical relevance differ.

Read the research

Erythritol provides sweetness with little energy and has a smaller immediate effect on blood glucose than sugar. Larger amounts can cause diarrhea, with tolerance depending on dose and how quickly it is consumed. EFSA set a daily value of 0.5 grams per kilogram of body weight to protect against diarrhea and its consequences; this is not a cardiovascular safety threshold. Studies linking higher blood erythritol to cardiovascular events cannot reliably separate dietary intake from erythritol made by the body or differences in kidney function.

A small 2024 experiment found increased platelet responses after a 30-gram dose, but did not measure heart attacks or strokes. A later conference study reported no platelet changes under different test conditions, and a five-week trial found no vascular or metabolic treatment differences. Neither establishes long-term safety. New cell and animal studies raise additional questions about blood vessels, intestinal inflammation and reproduction, but their exposure conditions and reporting limitations prevent direct conclusions about human dietary harm.

The evidence supports caution about substantial intake without claiming that erythritol has been shown to cause cardiovascular disease or infertility in people.

Research reviewed on September 5, 2026 · 12 sources