this post was submitted on 25 Jul 2025
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Erythritol, a widely used sugar substitute found in many low-carb and sugar-free products, may not be as harmless as once believed. New research from the University of Colorado Boulder reveals that even small amounts of erythritol can harm brain blood vessel cells, promoting constriction, clotting, and inflammation—all of which may raise the risk of stroke.

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[–] scytale@piefed.zip 4 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Well shit I use it daily for my coffee and home-made milk tea. Reading all this stuff coming to light about sugar substitutes is gonna make me just go back to regular sugar or maybe coconut sugar, and I’ll just control my intake.

[–] Redditsux@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago (2 children)

You can use Stevia. It's a natural product, zero calories. There is a more expensive option in monk fruit as well. I live on Stevia. It's easily available in groceries and stores, and reasonably priced too.

[–] scytale@piefed.zip 3 points 2 days ago (2 children)

I do use Stevia. The thing is, all the stevia products I see at the grocery store are laced with erythritol. Does the product you consume exclusively use stevia only?

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 1 points 2 days ago

not all of them, sweetleaf doesnt have any of the substitute. there are others.

[–] Redditsux@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I buy stand alone stevia product, and never buy drinks or baked goods in the store. I make them myself at home. I have not been able to find stevia-made drinks or foods like ice cream here so I just don't consume them. It's summer, and I'd love to have some ice cream once in a while but I don't.

[–] scytale@piefed.zip 5 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

Sorry, I meant I buy stand-alone stevia but all the options like Truvia and the store brand variant have erythritol in their ingredients. Which brand do you use?

[–] Redditsux@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

I use generic 100% stevia. It is a shame branded ones contain erythritol. You should be able to get them on amazon if you can't find it in a store.

[–] GreenKnight23@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

stevia is not a natural product. there is indeed a plant named stevia and it can be used as a sweetener. Stevia that you buy at the store is chemically produced and is derived through a complex process that uses petroleum based chemistry to extract the chemicals from the plant.

raw sugar has far less environmental impact than buying stevia. if you truly want a sugar alternative grow your own sugar beets. it's literally raw sugar(sucrose).

[–] Revan343@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 day ago

if you truly want a sugar alternative grow your own sugar beets. it's literally raw sugar(sucrose).

So it's literally not a sugar alternative

[–] Wahots@pawb.social 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Honestly, I've had better luck just getting higher quality tea and cutting sugar from morning beverages entirely. (I don't drink coffee, but low quality teas tend to become bitter, which required sugar. Higher quality teas never become bitter)

These days, I'm cutting sugar across the board. Shredded wheat with frozen raspberries tastes better than honey bunches of oats anyways. And the sugar I'm eating is pretty much just for fun, like pie or ice cream. No reason to accidentally ingest 28g of sugar in a breakfast bar that doesn't even taste that good.

[–] dxc@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 days ago

Never got why coffee needs sugar. Its supposed to be bitter. If its too bitter then you may add milk. But sugar? That doesn't belong in coffee.