by Elizabeth Magee, LRD
What’s just as dangerous to bring up in a social situation besides religion or politics?
- diet pop
- fermented foods
- protein shakes
- iced tea
- flavored water
- energy drinks
Okay, not any of these items, literally. But they do all contain one similar ingredient. Erythritol.
It seems that artificial sweeteners have a way of dividing an audience. There are many strong opinions on them. Are they safe? Do they cause cancer?
First of all, what is erythritol? It’s a sugar alcohol. It tastes like sugar but has no calories. It can be found naturally in some foods and our bodies make it as a response to high glucose levels. Long-term research is mixed, but the FDA deems it perfectly safe for human consumption.
Recently a study came out saying that consumption of erythritol can increase risk of blood clots, which I’m definitely NOT looking for (as I drink my diet pop). It’s a great product for those watching sugar intake due to diabetes – but having diabetes already increases the risk for a heart attack or stroke. This is a predicament. And I’m assuming more research should be done on this topic, but in the meantime, I’m certainly going to try to cut back.
But how?
Everyone’s favorite pastime of reading labels comes into play here. But there’s a catch. Since the FDA says erythritol is safe, it doesn’t have to be listed on the nutrition label.
Until more is learned, be on the lookout for things such as this:
- sugar alcohols
- sugar free
- keto safe/diabetes safe
- low sugar/no sugar
- naturally sweetened
- artificially sweetened
- low calorie/no calorie
- sweetened with natural compounds
Should we avoid all foods that say these things? I know that’s not realistic for me. Will I be cutting back? For sure.
What to do instead? Well, if its drinks you’re looking at – water is life 😊. My personal goal is to drink more water. Plain water. Focus on those whole foods that we are always told to eat more of. If you’re trying to sweeten things up you might want to try honey or table sugar – but if you have diabetes, make sure to watch your blood sugars to see how they react to this.
I don’t know if we need to fear erythritol at this point in the game, but it's good to be aware, and I certainly can cut back on my intake and hopefully avoid the risk I’m already at risk for!!
Elizabeth Magee is a licensed registered dietitian. Her posts appear monthly on OYT.
Other popular posts from Elizabeth:
Weighing in on fruit consumption