From The July 2001 Issue of Nutrition Science News

Erythritol is a Sweet, Low-Calorie Sweetener

The next generation of low-calorie sugar substitute could be a linear four-carbon sugar alcohol called erythritol. It's intended for use in beverage and bakery products, candy, and chewing gum.

Toxicology studies show erythritol to be safe, according to a recent issue of Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology and a comprehensive review by William Berndt, Ph.D., of the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, which was published in Food and Chemical Toxicology.

Developed by Cerestar USA, based in Hammond, Ind., erythritol occurs naturally in alcoholic beverages, soy sauce, some fruits, and is also found in small amounts in human plasma. Its sweetness is 60-80 percent that of sucrose and it is produced from corn or wheat starch by enzymatic hydrolysis yielding glucose, which is fermented by osmophilic yeast. Once erythritol is separated from the fermentation broth, it is purified to a crystalline product that is more than 99 percent pure.

One entire issue of Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology was devoted to 15 different studies evaluating the safety of erythritol. In his review, Berndt refers to these studies and others. Most were animal feeding experiments in which up to 20 percent of the diet consisted of erythritol. Long-term feeding studies were used to determine carcinogenicity, and two-generation studies explored reproductive effects. Embryo, teratagenic, and mutgenic studies all examined different areas of concern. Every animal study found that erythritol was harmless. The only side effects occurred at very high doses and consisted of a slight laxative effect, decreased weight gain, increased water consumption, and increased urination.

Human studies also found erythritol to be well tolerated and safe. Erythritol is well absorbed and is excreted unchanged in the urine, 90 percent within 24 hours. One human study of three male and three female healthy subjects examined tolerance in a seven-day, double-blind, two-way crossover study in which a high dose of erythritol (1gm/kg body weight/day) or sucrose was incorporated into sweet foods. A slight increase in urinary excretion of calcium and albumin on the erythritol diet was determined to be clinically inconsequential. At high levels, a few people experienced bloating and flatulence, but less than that caused by a comparable amount of table sugar. In diabetics, erythritol decreased hemoglobin A1c levels, showing improved diabetic control. People accept erythritol as readily as table sugar in cake, but prefer table sugar in other sweets.

Based on "the large body of published data" Berndt concluded that erythritol is safe for its intended use in food. It may be become an effective sugar substitute for diabetics and for those who wish to control their weight.

References

Food and Chemical Toxicology 1998;36:1139-74; Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology 1996;24(2).