Erythritol
“We are oft to blame in this,
(‘Tis too much proved) that with devotion’s visage
And pious action we do sugar o’er
The devil himself. ”
I first read the word “erythritol” in 2016 when I read the book, How Not to Die by Michael Greger, M.D. I devoured that book, drinking in every word of Dr. Greger’s journey and research into plant-based diets that are scientifically proven to prevent and reverse certain lifestyle diseases.
His story was similar to mine, in that foods of poor nutrition, refined sugars and white flour, as well as fried foods and processed foods (BBQ corn chips, anyone?), were the stuff of childhood.
Greger’s grandmother, wheelchair-bound and given a death sentence at age 65 based on heart disease (he says she had so many bypass surgeries that she couldn’t have any more because she ran out of plumbing), changed to a healthy diet and lifestyle under the supervision of Dr. Nathan Pritikin, and lived another thirty-one years, to the age of 96.
Michael Greger (left) and his grandmother, Frances Greger (right)
Frances Greger actually lived long enough to see her grandson graduate from medical school. From there, he began a career in helping people treat and reverse heart disease using a plant-based diet. Here’s his take on the issue:
“In general, the dividing line between health-promoting and disease-promoting foods may be less plant- verses animal-sourced foods and more whole plant foods versus most everything else.”
The premise of the book is that increased consumption of whole plant foods results in improved health and even reversal of diseases like Type II diabetes, heart disease, and many cancers. One of the ways that Dr. Greger recommends increasing plant based foods is to substitute erythritol for sugar. He posits that erythritol is found naturally in pears and grapes, and may have some antioxidant properties. He uses erythritol to increase consumption of cranberries, cocoa powder, and hibiscus tea.
His recipe for hibiscus tea is to add a handful of bulk dried hibiscus (or 4 hibiscus herbal tea bags) to eight cups of water, plus the juice of one lemon and three tablespoons of erythritol. Mix them up, and then leave in the fridge overnight to cold brew. In the morning, strain out the hibiscus, shake, and drink throughout the day.
I haven’t tried it yet, but now that I’m writing this, I think I’m going to do it!
Hibiscus tea
I thought that the book was interesting, but even the name “erythritol” seemed sort of chemical and processed to me, so I didn’t really follow up on those recipes. I simply stopped eating any added sugar at all, other than in the form of whole dates (which are very sweet, but also have lots of fiber and micronutrients to balance out the sugar).
NOTE: I tried stevia, which I knew was a plant, but even the organic version has such a nasty chemical taste to me that I can’t stand to have the tiniest drop of it in anything that I eat or drink. (I’m not sure why that is, but there has been a 30-year debate over whether stevia, when broken down in the human digestive system, is toxic in certain doses).
Then last year, my sister, who was eating a form of paleo-keto diet, turned me on to a sweetener that she had just discovered.
My sister, Ginger (left), and me.
The sweetener, called “Swerve, “ is made from erythritol, and my sister raves about it. She uses it for everything from coffee sweetener to baking and swore to me that it tastes great.
She and I ate alot of sugar as kids, so something that had her seal of approval for taste was going to be a no-brainer.
This is the granular “white sugar” version, which is a mix of erythritol and prebiotic oligosaccharides.
They also have a “brown sugar” version for baking.
It has no calories, no sodium, no fat, and no sugars in one serving, which is one teaspoon.
It even has a non-GMO certification, bakes like sugar, and is non-glycemic. The package says that it is made from ingredients found in select fruits and starching root vegetables, and contains no artificial ingredients, preservatives, or flavors.
The best part is that unlike stevia for me, it actually tastes pretty good.
Although I don’t use it all the time (I still go without added sugar for the most part), my favorite way to use it is to add it to coffee or iced tea.
What is your go-to sweetener? Have you tried Swerve or other erythritol versions?
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