Erythritol and blood sugar after meals in diabetic mice
What it found
In diabetic mice, erythritol lowered the rise in blood sugar after a dose of starch.
The authors say it likely works by blocking an enzyme that breaks starch down into sugar.
What they found
Animal and lab studies
Blood sugar in mice
In diabetic mice, erythritol at 500 mg kg-1 lowered the rise in blood sugar after starch was given into the stomach.
How it may work
The authors found erythritol most likely acts by inhibiting the enzyme alpha-glucosidase in a competitive manner. This was supported by enzyme activity assays and molecular modeling.
Docking in the enzyme
In modeling experiments, erythritol docked into the catalytic pocket of alpha-glucosidase. The authors say the interaction was likely driven by electrostatic interactions involving Asp215, Asp69 and Arg446 residues.
What the authors conclude
“This study suggests that erythritol may not only serve as a glucose substitute but also be a useful agent in the treatment of DM to help manage postprandial blood glucose levels.”
Also in their conclusions
- They suggest that erythritol may not only serve as a glucose substitute but also be a useful agent in the treatment of diabetes to help manage postprandial blood glucose levels.
How it was done
Diabetes is a serious metabolic disorder, and poor control of blood sugar after meals often leads to severe health complications. The authors wanted to see whether erythritol could play a role in controlling blood sugar after meals in diabetes.
They gave erythritol at 500 mg kg-1 to mice with alloxan-induced diabetes and tracked blood sugar changes after giving starch and drugs into the stomach. They also ran enzyme activity tests and molecular modeling experiments.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- These are mouse and lab experiments. They can't show what happens in people.
- The study did not test whether erythritol helps people with diabetes manage their blood sugar.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Northwest Plateau Institute of Biology, People's Republic of China; Xiamen University, People's Republic of China; University of St Andrews, United Kingdom
The paper
- Title
- Erythritol Attenuates Postprandial Blood Glucose by Inhibiting α-Glucosidase
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Animals and lab studies
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Wen H, Tang B, Stewart AJ, et al (2018). Erythritol Attenuates Postprandial Blood Glucose by Inhibiting α-Glucosidase. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry. doi:10.1021/acs.jafc.7b05033PubMed 29361825DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error