Erythritol May Undermine Brain Shield, Raise Stroke Risk

New lab and observational evidence suggests the sugar substitute erythritol can damage cells of the blood-brain barrier, trigger oxidative stress, and lower nitric oxide while raising endothelin-1, potentially narrowing cerebral vessels and hindering clot dissolution—factors that could elevate stroke risk; these findings align with studies linking erythritol to higher cardiovascular events, though most experiments used isolated cells and require validation in more realistic models.