Erythritol, Common Sweetener in Gum and Jam, Tied to Higher Cardiovascular Risk

Erythritol, a zero-calorie sweetener widely used in chewing gum, sugar-free jam, baked goods and keto-friendly products, has once again been associated with elevated risk of major cardiovascular events. Two prominent UK outlets reported this week on fresh data that appear to strengthen earlier concerns first raised in 2023.

Observational Evidence Accumulates

Both The Guardian and The Telegraph covered research that tracked thousands of adults and found those with higher circulating levels of erythritol were more likely to experience heart attack, stroke or death from cardiovascular causes. The association held after adjustment for traditional risk factors such as diabetes, obesity and smoking.

The new analyses largely replicate findings from Cleveland Clinic researchers published in 2023. In those earlier studies, people with the highest erythritol blood levels showed roughly double the risk compared with those having the lowest levels. Laboratory work suggested erythritol may promote platelet aggregation, potentially making blood more prone to clotting.

Disagreement Over What the Data Actually Show

The central tension in the scientific room is whether elevated erythritol in the blood is a cause, a consequence, or simply a marker of underlying metabolic dysfunction. Critics note that the body produces small amounts of erythritol endogenously, especially when glucose metabolism is disordered. Thus people already at higher cardiometabolic risk may simply generate or retain more of the compound.

• Observational studies — consistently show association between erythritol levels and events, yet cannot prove the sweetener itself drives pathology.
• Randomised controlled trials — remain limited; most safety data on erythritol come from short-term studies using doses lower than typical real-world “keto” consumption.

The data are provocative but do not yet justify removing erythritol from the food supply. We need longer-term feeding studies that track hard clinical outcomes.

The Guardian

Practical Questions for Families

Most people encounter erythritol not in isolated laboratory doses but within ultra-processed foods that often displace more nutrient-dense choices. The real dietary risk may lie less in any single sweetener than in overall patterns heavy in packaged low-carb products. Those with existing heart disease or strong family history may reasonably choose to minimise it while awaiting clearer evidence.

Public-health messaging has struggled to communicate nuance: the sweetener is not acutely toxic, yet repeated observational signals deserve rigorous follow-up rather than reflexive dismissal or alarm. Future trials will need to randomise participants to erythritol versus other sweeteners and measure actual cardiovascular events over years, not merely surrogate markers.

Until then, the prudent stance is moderation, preference for whole foods, and recognition that no single ingredient explains the majority of cardiovascular burden in populations.