What Is Erythritol? Is It Safe, and Why Is It Mixed with Stevia?

Read the ingredients of almost any stevia sachet and you will usually find “erythritol” or E 968 listed before the stevia itself. So what is erythritol, why is it added, and is it safe? This guide explains it with numbers and sources, and looks honestly at the 2023 heart studies that made headlines.

What is erythritol?

Erythritol is a “sugar alcohol” (polyol), the same family as xylitol, sorbitol and maltitol. The name is a little misleading: it has nothing to do with drinking alcohol and simply describes the shape of the molecule. Erythritol occurs naturally in small amounts in fruits such as grapes, pears and melons and in fermented foods. Commercially it is made by fermenting glucose with yeasts, then purified and crystallised into a white powder that looks like sugar [1].

Erythritol vs sugar and stevia

	White sugar	Erythritol	Stevia Reb-M	Xylitol
Sweetness	reference	about 60–70%	200–350× sweeter	close to sugar
Calories	4 kcal/g	0 (EU rule)	almost none	2.4 kcal/g
Blood sugar	raises it	no rise	no rise	small rise
Digestion	no issue	good in moderate amounts	no issue at normal use	can cause bloating sooner
Label code	—	E 968	E 960	E 967

In the EU, erythritol has counted as zero calories since 2008 [4], because the body gets almost no energy from it. To learn more about Reb-M, read what is stevia Reb-M?

Does erythritol raise blood sugar?

No. Most erythritol (about 90%) is absorbed in the small intestine and leaves the body unchanged in urine without being used for energy; the rest reaches the colon [1]. So it does not raise blood sugar or insulin, which is why it is common in keto and “sugar-free” products. Still, read the whole label, because some products blend it with ingredients that do raise blood sugar. For stevia and diabetes, read stevia for diabetics.

Is erythritol safe, and how much is too much?

EFSA re-evaluated erythritol in 2023 and set an acceptable daily intake of 0.5 g per kg of body weight. The main reason is its laxative effect: large amounts at once can cause diarrhoea [1]. For a 70 kg adult that is 35 g a day.

In practice, erythritol is easier on the stomach than most other sugar alcohols, because most of it is absorbed before reaching the colon. People who eat a lot of “sugar-free” desserts and drinks on the same day are the ones who might approach the limit.

What about the 2023 heart studies?

In 2023 the journal Nature Medicine published a study that found people with higher blood levels of erythritol were more likely to have a heart attack or stroke over 3 years; the participants were already at high risk. In the lab, erythritol increased platelet activity, and a drink containing 30 g of erythritol raised blood levels for more than two days [2].

But this study shows an association, not cause and effect: the body also makes erythritol itself, and higher levels may be a sign of existing metabolic problems. No controlled human trials have yet shown harm [3]. And 30 g at once equals about 30 sachets of a 1 g sweetener, far more than normal use in coffee and tea. The honest summary: regulators allow erythritol, research continues, and anyone with heart disease or a high clotting risk should ask their doctor.

Why is erythritol blended with stevia?

• Bulk: stevia is so sweet that a cup needs only a few milligrams. Erythritol adds volume so a 1 g sachet is easy to measure.
• Taste: it rounds out the sweetness and softens any bitter aftertaste.
• Texture: it looks like sugar and dissolves in hot and cold drinks.
• No calories: it adds no calories and does not raise blood sugar, so the blend stays sugar-free.

Note: in large amounts erythritol gives a light cooling feeling on the tongue, which is less noticeable in hot drinks.

How to find erythritol on the label

• It appears as “erythritol” or the code E 968.
• The first ingredient is the largest by weight; in stevia sachets erythritol is usually first.
• Avoid products that add dextrose or maltodextrin if you want a sweetener that does not raise blood sugar.

For more on labels, read how to spot real stevia and natural sweeteners explained.

Lucarise stevia sweetener

Lucarise sweetener combines stevia Reb-M and erythritol in 1 g sachets, with no sugar and zero calories: Classic for coffee and tea, and Cardamom for karak and Arabic coffee. Start with one sachet per cup. For everything stevia, see The Complete Stevia Guide.

⚖️ Comparing sweeteners? Read stevia vs sucralose vs aspartame: origin, safe daily limits, heat and taste side by side.

🍰 Using stevia in cakes or keto desserts? Read baking with stevia: what works and how much to use.

Erythritol: FAQ

Sources

1. EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings. Re-evaluation of erythritol (E 968) as a food additive. EFSA Journal, 2023. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2023.8430
2. Witkowski M. et al. The artificial sweetener erythritol and cardiovascular event risk. Nature Medicine, 2023. doi:10.1038/s41591-023-02223-9
3. Pafili K., Roden M. The sugar-free paradox: cardiometabolic consequences of erythritol. Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy, 2023. doi:10.1038/s41392-023-01504-6
4. Commission Directive 2008/100/EC: energy conversion factor for erythritol (0 kcal/g). Official Journal of the European Union, 2008. eur-lex.europa.eu