If you are searching for what to replace sugar with, Erythritol will pretty quickly make your list. There are actually many “touted” alternatives to sugar, and as you may be aware most of them actually are really not that good, and actually some harm the liver as much as sugar. So the question we need to tackle today is: is Erythritol really safe for NAFLD? In this post, let’s discuss this popular – almost as sweet as sugar – sugar substitute.
First, let’s understand what makes Erythritol very interesting. You would often find carb content listed in the nutritional label of Erythritol. And yet, the overall impact of Erythritol in your body is equivalent to zero carbs and zero sugar. Why? The primary reason is that Erythritol gets out of your body instead of getting metabolized into the bloodstream – hence carbs do not get the chance to do any real damage.
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Second, you must understand that Erythritol is a sugar alcohol. However, do not confuse Erythritol with actual alcohol that can make you drunk or cause any of the issues with the liver like alcohol does.
And finally, the FDA and the WHO have both approved Erythritol as safe to consume. There are some restrictions in terms of “how much” you can consume in a day that I will cover in this article.
Zero sugar content and no blood sugar spikes! – Even though you will find some carb content on the label, the carbs do not get metabolized in the bloodstream.
So let’s answer the question we first posed – Is erythritol safe for Fatty Liver? Yes, erythritol is considered to be safe for Fatty Liver / NAFLD. Erythritol is also one of the best NAFLD Sugar substitutes. However, you need to be aware of certain things while consuming Erythritol:
Quantity:
Unfortunately, there is a limit to how much Erythritol you can consume. Going over the limit results in minor side effects such as bloating, gas, nausea, or sometimes diarrhea.
The safe quantity of Erythritol is 0.45 grams per pound of body weight per day. This means that a 100-150 pounds person, should not eat more than 3-5 tablespoons a day. 3-5 tablespoons is a lot and hopefully, you do not consume that much anyway.
Recommendation: Depending on your weight, staying within the limits of daily recommended consumption would almost eliminate any risk of side effects.
Foods containing Erythritol:
Marketers have taken note that Erythritol is a preferred sugar alternative and hence you will find a lot of store-bought items with a “made with Erythritol” label. Just because something contains Erythritol in it doesn’t make that item Fatty Liver friendly. Erythritol by itself is safe for fatty liver, however, if you are baking a cake then you need to be careful about other ingredients such as flour that add to the overall carb and sugar content of the item. Hence, for any “Made with Erythritol” item, I recommend that you read the nutrition label and make sure you are not being fooled into buying or eating something that will cause your Fatty Liver condition to get worse.
Just because something contains Erythritol in it doesn’t make that item Fatty Liver friendly.
Please understand that the items made with Erythritol may still contain ingredients that can increase the overall carb and sugar content of the item – so please make sure to read the nutrition label!
What brands of Erythritol should you use?
Below are the brands that I tried before I switched almost completely to Monk Fruit as Fatty Liver sugar substitute (affiliate links):
However, I am very interested to learn which brands of Erythritol have you tried and what has been your experience with them.
Please tell me about your favorite Erythritol brand in comments below!
Conclusion – Erythritol and NAFLD
If you are looking for sugar alternatives to help with your Fatty Liver condition, Erythritol is the highly recommended option. There are however other Sugar substitutes for NAFLD that you may also consider.
Verdict: Safe. Fatty Liver Friendly. Go for it!