Xylitol vs Erythritol – Which is Healthier?

Our Verdict

When comparing xylitol to erythritol, we picked the xylitol.

Why?

They’re both sugar alcohols, which so far as the body is concerned are neither sugars nor alcohols in the way those words are commonly understood; it’s just a chemical term. The sugars aren’t processed as such by the body and are passed as dietary fiber, and nor is there any intoxicating effect as one might expect from an alcohol.

In terms of macronutrients, while technically they both have carbs, for all functional purposes they don’t and just have a little fiber.

In terms of micronutrients, they don’t have any.

The one thing that sets them apart is their respective safety profiles. Xylitol is prothrombotic and associated with major adverse cardiac events (CI=95, adjusted hazard ratio=1.57, range=1.12-2.21), while erythritol is also prothrombotic and more strongly associated with major adverse cardiac events (CI=95, adjusted hazard ratio=2.21, range=1.20-4.07).

So, xylitol is bad and erythritol is worse, which means the relatively “healthier” is xylitol. We don’t recommend either, though.

Studies for both:

• Xylitol is prothrombotic and associated with cardiovascular risk
• The artificial sweetener erythritol and cardiovascular event risk

Links for the specific products we compared, in case our assessment hasn’t put you off them:

Xylitol | Erythritol

Want to learn more?

You might like to read:

• The WHO’s New View On Sugar-Free Sweeteners ← the WHO’s advice is “don’t”
• Stevia vs Acesulfame Potassium – Which is Healthier? ← stevia’s pretty much the healthiest artificial sweetener around, though, if you’re going to use one
• The Fascinating Truth About Aspartame, Cancer, & Neurotoxicity ← under the cold light of science, aspartame isn’t actually as bad as it was painted a few decades ago, mostly by a viral hoax letter. Per the WHO’s advice, it’s still good to avoid sweeteners in general, however.

Take care!