from Hacker News

Major sugar substitute found to impair brain blood vessel cell function

by wglb on 6/13/25, 12:05 AM with 192 comments

  • by maeln on 6/13/25, 7:12 AM

    The study : https://journals.physiology.org/doi/epdf/10.1152/japplphysio...

    From a quick read : It was tested in a cell culture, so not in a human or animal. That does change a lot of things.

    For the dosage:

    > Thereafter, hCMECs were treated116 with regular media or media containing 6 mM erythritol (Sigma Aldrich, Cat #E7500; St. Louis MO), a117 dose equivalent to a typical amount of erythritol [30g] in a single can of commercially available118 artificially sweetened beverage, for 24 hours (N=5 experimental units)

  • by toomuchtodo on 6/13/25, 1:19 AM

  • by thangalin on 6/13/25, 6:58 AM

    UCSF Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology, explores the damage caused by sugary foods. He argues that fructose (too much) and fiber (not enough) appear to be cornerstones of the obesity epidemic through their effects on insulin.

    https://youtu.be/dBnniua6-oM?t=75

  • by wglb on 6/13/25, 12:05 AM

  • by TimorousBestie on 6/13/25, 12:58 AM

    In vitro with human cells, at a reasonable concentration, apparently. Looks worrying.
  • by latchkey on 6/13/25, 5:32 AM

    Almost every single other sugar substitute is filled with erythritol as an additive. Monk Fruit products tend to be really bad offenders. Check the labels carefully.
  • by rayiner on 6/13/25, 1:41 PM

    Why are companies allowed to put this stuff in food before testing to prove safety? Our system is backwards.
  • by _ink_ on 6/13/25, 6:08 AM

    Is any amount dangerous? Or would you need to drink 6 Bottles of something with Erythritol daily to see the effect?
  • by wglb on 6/16/25, 10:13 PM

  • by voidfunc on 6/13/25, 6:27 AM

    Lol at all the people in this thread stressing out about their artificial sweetener consumption while disregarding all the other dangerous shit they do, eat, and drink.

    Forest for the trees.

  • by almosthere on 6/13/25, 6:56 AM

    Switch to Stevia, but it kind of has a weird taste imo
  • by DidYaWipe on 6/13/25, 6:07 AM

    These sugar alcohols are a scourge. I quit buying my favorite fake crab (Kroger) because it's full of this garbage.
  • by htx80nerd on 6/13/25, 7:04 AM

    Test tube study.

    > Human cerebral cells were cultured and treated with 6 mM of erythritol, equivalent to a typical amount of erythritol [30g] in an artificially sweetened beverage, for 3 hr.

    the cells were in the substance for 3hrs? I'm not reading the whole study now, but that sounds...interesting.

  • by milleramp on 6/13/25, 6:05 AM

    Does this mean it also effects athletic performance due to lowering nitric oxide production?
  • by drakonka on 6/13/25, 7:49 AM

    I wonder if it would be possible to compare the introduction and adoption of erythritol to stroke rate in the population.
  • by umvi on 6/13/25, 5:16 AM

    Dang, I think my favorite brand of sugar free ice cream uses erythritol (Rebel)
  • by HexPhantom on 6/13/25, 10:49 AM

    It is pretty wild how many "healthy" or "sugar-free" products are loaded with erythritol, and how little long-term data we have on what these sweeteners really do. It feels like we’re repeating the same playbook as with artificial sweeteners in the past: new molecule, quick adoption, unintended side effects turn up years later.
  • by maksimur on 6/13/25, 6:15 AM

    There you go. No artificial sweetener seems to be safe...guess I'll have to get used to making unsweetened protein bars and the occasional drinks and ice cream. Their sugar counterparts are too caloric.
  • by linux_devil on 6/13/25, 7:19 AM

    I've been consuming protein bars that has Maltitol, in the ingredients its mentioned as : INS 965(i) . I am not sure how this can impact in the long run , wish there was an easier way to find out
  • by netdevphoenix on 6/13/25, 11:18 AM

    Sounds like stevia is the safer choice
  • by James_K on 6/13/25, 7:57 AM

    Zero-calorie sugar is on of those things that's just too good to be true. It's either gotta taste awful or give you cancer.
  • by macartain on 6/13/25, 9:28 PM

    Another allulose fan here. I use it as part of a half-baked, sort-of-keto approach to help me avoid carbs and sugar. Unlike Stevia, I find it has pretty much no distinctive aftertaste - it seems too good to be true. I'm in the UK and buy it mail-order from the US as it is still awaiting regulatory approval in the EU/UK afaik... Does anyone have more background on this process or why it is delayed? Anything I can find via search seems heavily polluted by quack health BS...