Common Sweetener Could Damage Critical Brain Barrier, Risking Stroke

Found in everything from protein bars to energy drinks, erythritol has long been considered a safe alternative to sugar.

But research suggests this widely used sweetener may be quietly undermining one of the body's most crucial protective barriers – with potentially serious consequences for heart health and stroke risk.

A study from the University of Colorado suggests erythritol may damage cells in the blood-brain barrier, the brain's security system that keeps out harmful substances while letting in nutrients.

The findings add troubling new detail to previous observational studies that have linked erythritol consumption to increased rates of heart attack and stroke.

In the recent study, researchers exposed blood-brain barrier cells to levels of erythritol typically found after dri