Erythritol has benefits as a sugar replacement. However, many studies describing these benefits are older, with newer studies contradicting their findings.
People with diabetes manage their condition by following a diet that is low in sugar. Alternative sweeteners such as erythritol can make this easier by replacing sugar without sacrificing sweetness.
Older studies from 1994 Trusted Source and 2003 suggest that erythritol does not have a significant effect on blood sugar levels.
A 2019 study Trusted Source suggested that replacing sugars such as glucose, fructose, and sucrose with erythritol could improve post-meal blood pressure.
A 2010 study Trusted Source in rats with diabetes went so far as to suggest that erythritol could serve as an antioxidant that may protect the blood vessels against damage from diabetes.
The 1994 study also found no significant link between erythritol and changes in cholesterol, triglycerides, or carbohydrate metabolism.
A more recent study from 2017 Trusted Source, however, associated erythritol blood levels and increased adiposity in young adults. Adiposity is being severely or morbidly overweight.
This study said the body creates erythritol from glucose, and that some people may genetically convert more glucose to erythritol than others do. Also, it was unknown if and by how much the ingestion of erythritol containing foods affects body composition.
Erythritol has the lowest calorie content of any sugar alcohol at 0–0.2 kilocalories per gram (kcal/g). This measure means it could serve as a beneficial substitute for sugar in a calorie controlled diet.
A 2014 study Trusted Source suggested that erythritol is harmful to fruit flies. As such, agricultural companies may be able to use it as an effective pesticide that is safe for human consumption.
Erythritol is unlikely to be harmful when people consume it in moderation as part of a balanced diet. Despite this, there is a need for more research.