Meh…. It’s a research from the US. Let’s wait till more reputable sources confirm the studies.
this post was submitted on 25 Jul 2025
322 points (95.2% liked)
science
20480 readers
664 users here now
A community to post scientific articles, news, and civil discussion.
rule #1: be kind
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
fair, but more reputable countries may not have exposed their populations to this poison to begin with
Maybe the ultimate answer will turn out to be JUST EAT LESS FUCKING SUGAR.
Add the fucking shit to the headline: Spoiler: it's Erythritol
I always told my buddy who was dieting in college that getting fake sugar sodas isn't the solution, it's to stop drinking soda...
Not even that, find something healthy that scratches the itch. Your body indicates it wants energy (unless your addicted in which case its the microbiome or something), get it some berries or throw them in some water with lemon juice
I've found that a lot of times when I'm craving something sweet, what I actually want is water. It seems my brain associates sweetness (such as from fruit) with hydration. When I can, I'll have some fruit. But when fruit's unavailable, I know I just have to drink more water.
Why not just say, “Popular sugar substitute, erythritol…” in the title?
I mean we both know the answer is for clicks
God damn it, I've been using this a lot. It's almost flavorless except sweet and doesn't take much to sweeten a large amount of water. I've been using the Truvia packets one in a large bottle of water with 1/8 of a teaspoon of crystalized lime or orange ( from a brewer supply co). All the other ones seem to have a chemical aftertaste to me.
Oh well, the second best time to stop is now I suppose.
load more comments
(2 replies)
The authors caution that their study was a laboratory study, conducted on cells, and larger studies in people are needed.
Ok, nice to know, moving on.
There are other studies using humans, see https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/erythritol-cardiovascular-events
This sugar substitute is going to be the asbestos of sweeteners in the next few decades. And I find it remarkable it is in so many foods.
I took a look at the two most famous colas and two fake colas, and the only sweeteners I was able to find were aspartame, acesulfame K, and sucralose. No sign of erythritol. I wonder if I've ever even seen a beverage with that stuff in it. However, I have seen bags of it sold in supermarkets, so apparently it isn't restricted in that sense.
No sign of erythritol.
It's significantly more common in baked goods (because it's stable under oven temperatures) and extremely more common in "fitness" branded alternatives like low calorie yogurt, low calorie peanut butter, and so on.
aspartame
ethrthiol isnt that common, its more associated with stevia substitute, it has well known side effects of causing GI problems in sensitive people.(might be useful for constipate dpeople.)
Where I am at (Texas) I find it in many sugar free yoghurts
I'm beginning to think this must be one of those EU things. I couldn't find a single yogurt like that in my local supermarket.
Reading more of the comments here, from Spain and Denmark, it seems it is in other food items in the EU; perhaps there are better regulations with yogurt?
I don't consume many sugar-free products, except Coke Zero Sugar. Not Coke Zero, but Coke Zero SUGAR. They are two separate products (which taste significantly different), and even servers in restaurants often don't know the difference. They've got to be phasing out the Zero in favor of the Zero SUGAR, became ZS tastes far better.
Anyhoo, I've been wondering about the artificial sweetener they must be using for them, and now I'm wondering if it's this stuff. Your post seems to indicate that I'm in the clear.
Just read the label or look it up.... What the fuck is this "I'm just gonna decide on it being this way without even lifting a finger even though all the info is readily available"? If it is that sweetener you're great proof that it does indeed damage brain cells and if not...then you're just this dumb naturally.
Not dumb, just don't care. One advantage to getting old is that the dangerous stuff that takes years to kill you won't have the time to get you before you die anyway, so you can go wild. If it tastes better, I'll drink it. It'll kill me in 30 years? Yeah, but I'll be dead in 20, and it tastes good, so I don't care.
I have seen a few people who are similar to that become old; struggling for decades with damage done to their bodies when younger.
I am not judging others , just remarking the survival rate is high
load more comments
(2 replies)
load more comments
(1 replies)
Just another thing to check labels for, none of the drinks I have contain it which is good
So what brand is this stuff sold under so that I can speedrun that stroke?
Truvia in the US.
Cool, I hope they sell it by the pound.
In America, it's usually branded as "sugar alcohol", and is found in many sweeteners as an additive.
load more comments
(1 replies)
What even uses this stuff? I only see Acesulfam-k, Sucralose, Stevia.
Edit: i'm european.
Lot of things. Here in Spain I have a big box of sweetener little packages that have "STEVIA" la el big but it's 96% eritriol and only 3% stevia.
Brand names in the US are Swerve and Truvía. I don't think it gets added to much in junk food factories, but it is available in packets for tea and such.
load more comments
(1 replies)
I fucking knew it, this shit made me feel weird all the time.
If you can, avoid any fake sugar. I love science, but science sugar tricking your brain that something is sweet feels wrong.
Or not. I'm not a nutritionist I don't know anything about anything.
Thats because it is wrong, youve hit the nail on the head. Anything that is sweet activates certain receptors on your tongue, and that stimulates the production of insulin. That insulin is then going to travel your body looking for sugars to break down. Thing is, insulin only breaks down sugars, not artificial sweeteners. So its going to break down sugars elsewhere in your body or leave free insulin in your blood. That fucks you up good and leads to diabetes.
ALL ARTIFICAL SWEETENERS ARE BAD, unless you already have diabetes.
Actually you could be a nutritionist if you call yourself one since it's not a legally protected term. Dietitian is the actual one that is a protected term.
load more comments
(1 replies)
load more comments
(1 replies)
load more comments
(2 replies)
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.
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.
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).
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?
not all of them, sweetleaf doesnt have any of the substitute. there are others.
load more comments
(3 replies)
load more comments
(2 replies)
view more: next ›