--- title: Erythritol url: 'https://foreverfreefrom.com/ingredients/erythritol' markdown: 'https://foreverfreefrom.com/ingredients/erythritol.md' date: '2026-11-14' description: 'Erythritol is a sugar alcohol, or polyol, made by fermentation. It looks like sugar, is a little less sweet, and provides almost no calories, which is why labels often show it as zero. It is the hidden base of many "natural" sweeteners: most granulated stevia and monk fruit products are mainly eryt…' taxonomy: ingredient_category: - sweeteners diet: - vegan - vegetarian - dairy-free - keto --- # Erythritol: Keto Sweetener, Gut and Heart Questions Erythritol is a sugar alcohol with almost no calories, used in most stevia and monk fruit blends. A 2023 study linked high blood levels to heart events. Also called E968, sugar alcohol, polyol Suitable for - Vegan: yes - Vegetarian: yes - Dairy-free: yes - Keto: yes - Low FODMAP: it depends Contains None of the major allergens as an ingredient Erythritol is a sugar alcohol, or polyol, made by fermentation. It looks like sugar, is a little less sweet, and provides almost no calories, which is why labels often show it as zero. It is the hidden base of many "natural" sweeteners: most granulated [stevia](https://foreverfreefrom.com/ingredients/stevia) and [monk fruit](https://foreverfreefrom.com/ingredients/monk-fruit) products are mainly erythritol. That makes it worth knowing about even if you never buy a bag labelled erythritol. ## Is erythritol vegan, gluten-free or allergen-free? | Diet | Suitable? | Why | |---|---|---| | Vegan | Yes | Made by fermenting plant sugars. | | Vegetarian | Yes | | | Dairy-free | Yes | | | Keto | Yes | Labels list it as carbohydrate but with almost no calories. | | Low FODMAP | It depends | Monash names erythritol among the polyol FODMAPs in sweetened foods. Check the Monash app. | ## Using erythritol in the kitchen ### What erythritol tastes like About as clean as sugar but less sweet, with a cooling feel on the tongue. ### How to use erythritol Granulated erythritol replaces sugar in drinks and many bakes. It does not brown like sugar and can recrystallise in creams and icings. ### Substitutes for erythritol | Substitute | How much | Best for | |---|---|---| | Allulose | Follow the pack's guide | No cooling taste, and it browns. Not authorised everywhere. | | Stevia drops | A few drops | For drinks. Gives no bulk in baking. | | Sugar | Follow the pack's guide | If you can have it, the most reliable in baking. | ## What to look for when buying erythritol Erythritol is often hidden behind another name on the front of the pack. "Stevia" and "monk fruit" sweeteners are frequently mostly erythritol, as on [Truvia](https://foreverfreefrom.com/ingredients/stevia) and most [monk fruit blends](https://foreverfreefrom.com/ingredients/monk-fruit). Read the ingredient list, not the front of the pack. ## Side effects and who should be careful **Heart study:** in a [2023 study](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-023-02223-9), people with higher blood levels of erythritol had more heart attacks, strokes and deaths over three years. The groups studied were 2,149 US and 833 European patients having heart check-ups. The study was observational, so it does not prove cause. In 8 healthy volunteers, one erythritol drink raised blood levels for more than two days, and in lab tests similar levels made platelets more likely to clot. The authors call for long-term safety studies. **Gut:** like other polyols, large amounts can cause wind, bloating or loose stools. ## What the research says The evidence on heart risk is early. One research group has published the main studies, on erythritol in 2023 and on [xylitol](https://foreverfreefrom.com/ingredients/xylitol) in 2024, and both mix population data with lab work. No long-term trials in healthy people exist yet. ## Questions about erythritol Does erythritol raise blood sugar? Not in the way sugar does, which is why it is popular on keto and diabetic diets. It still appears as carbohydrate on labels. Is erythritol bad for your heart? A 2023 study linked high blood levels with more heart events, but it was observational. It does not prove that eating erythritol causes them. Can erythritol cause diarrhoea? In large amounts, yes, as with other sugar alcohols. Most people tolerate small servings better than xylitol. ## Sources 1. [Witkowski et al., The artificial sweetener erythritol and cardiovascular event risk (Nature Medicine, 2023)](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-023-02223-9) 2. [Monash University: High and low FODMAP foods](https://www.monashfodmap.com/about-fodmap-and-ibs/high-and-low-fodmap-foods/) 3. [Consumer NZ: How much monk fruit is in your monk fruit sweetener? (2026)](https://consumer.org.nz/shopping/food-and-drink/how-much-monk-fruit-is-in-your-monk-fruit-sweetener) Last fact-checked 12 November 2026. General information only, not medical advice. If you have an allergy or a health condition, check with your doctor or dietitian. ## Similar ingredients Sweeteners ### [Agave Nectar](https://foreverfreefrom.com/ingredients/agave-nectar) Agave nectar is a vegan syrup from the agave plant. Most of its sugar is fructose, so it is not a low FODMAP or keto choice, despite its health image. - Vegan: yes - Gluten-free: yes - Dairy-free: yes Sweeteners ### [Allulose](https://foreverfreefrom.com/ingredients/allulose) Allulose is a rare sugar that browns like sugar but has 0.4 kcal per gram. US labels leave it out of sugars, but EFSA could not confirm its safety in 2025. - Vegan: yes - Dairy-free: yes Sweeteners ### [Coconut Sugar](https://foreverfreefrom.com/ingredients/coconut-sugar) Coconut sugar is dried coconut-blossom sap. It is vegan and swaps 1:1 for sugar, but it is still sugar and is low FODMAP only at about one teaspoon. - Vegan: yes - Gluten-free: yes - Dairy-free: yes Sweeteners ### [Honey](https://foreverfreefrom.com/ingredients/honey) Honey is a bee-made syrup that is about 41% fructose by weight. It is not vegan, it is high FODMAP, and it is not safe for babies under one. - Vegan: no - Gluten-free: yes - Dairy-free: yes Sweeteners ### [Monk Fruit](https://foreverfreefrom.com/ingredients/monk-fruit) Monk fruit extract is intensely sweet, so packs use very little of it. Most granulated monk fruit sweeteners are about 99% erythritol, which matters for FODMAPs. - Vegan: yes - Dairy-free: yes Sweeteners ### [Stevia](https://foreverfreefrom.com/ingredients/stevia) Stevia sweeteners use purified steviol glycosides, but most packs are mainly erythritol, dextrose or maltodextrin. Some tablets even contain milk. - Vegan: it depends - Gluten-free: yes - Dairy-free: it depends Sweeteners ### [Sugar](https://foreverfreefrom.com/ingredients/sugar) White sugar is sucrose from sugar cane or sugar beet. It is gluten-free and low FODMAP, but some cane sugar is filtered through animal bone char. - Vegan: it depends - Gluten-free: yes - Dairy-free: yes Sweeteners ### [Syrups](https://foreverfreefrom.com/ingredients/syrups) Pure maple syrup is vegan, gluten-free and low FODMAP. Pancake syrup is mostly corn syrup, and brown rice syrup can carry arsenic. Compare them here. - Vegan: yes - Gluten-free: yes - Dairy-free: yes Sweeteners ### [Xylitol](https://foreverfreefrom.com/ingredients/xylitol) Xylitol is a sugar alcohol in sugar-free gum and sweeteners. It has 2.4 kcal per gram, can upset the gut, and is very dangerous for dogs, even in small amounts. - Vegan: yes - Dairy-free: yes --- ## Navigation - Parent: [Ingredients](https://foreverfreefrom.com/ingredients.md) - Previous: [Coconut Sugar](https://foreverfreefrom.com/ingredients/coconut-sugar.md) - Next: [Gluten-Free Flour](https://foreverfreefrom.com/ingredients/gluten-free-flour.md)