Does Erythritol Count Like an Artificial Sweetener?

Hey, it's J.J. here. You know, I've been talking about environmental toxins forever, and laundry detergent is a sneaky one. A lot of them contain harsh chemicals like dyes, preservatives, and even UV brighteners. Those brighteners don't actually clean anything. They just coat fabric so your eyes think things look whiter or brighter. That's more chemicals I don't want on my family's sheets or skin. And if you've got sensitive skin or allergies around the house, this can be a big problem. That's what got my attention about Earth Breeze. It looks like a dryer sheet, but it's actually laundry detergent. You toss one in the washer and that's it. No pouring, no mess, and no heavy plastic jug. Their packaging is lightweight cardboard, which helps reduce plastic waste. And if you choose the fragrance free option, it's gentle, hypoallergenic, non irritating, and non sensitizing. I really like how simple it is and how fresh and clean everything comes out without those unnecessary chemicals. Right now you can try Earth Breeze for up to 40% off with free gifts@earthbreeze.com virgin that's earthbreeze.com virgin for up to 40% off plus free gifts on your first order. Hey, JJ here. Can you believe how fast the holidays are knocking at the door this year? One minute it's pumpkin spice season, the next you're getting your guest room ready and wondering where their wrapping paper went. And that's when I turned to Wayfair. From bedding and towels to holiday decor and last minute stocking stuffers, Wayfair has everything you need to get your home and holidays together fast. And for way less. With Wayfair, I know I can refresh my guest room in no time. Maybe I'll add a soft new comforter or a few holiday throw pillows. With Wayfair, it's so easy and everything arrives super fast. Plus, there's free shipping for any order over $35 easy and total peace of mind. So whether you're hosting, gifting, or just adding those final festive touches, Wayfair has your back. And when the holidays wind down, Wayfair has everything you need to tuck it all neatly away. Smart storage solutions for every room from the kitchen to the closet. Get organized, refreshed and ready for the holidays. For way less, head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home. Wayfair. Every style, every home that's W a y F A I R.com the holidays.

Are all about family. But at the Chrysler Wrap up the Year Sales event, it's all about you. Enjoy every mile in the most awarded minivan in America, the Castle Chrysler Pacifica with the most standard safety features in its class, available Stow n Go seating and the available Stow and back built in vacuum. Make the most of the holidays with a great deal at the Chrysler Pacifica Wrap up the Year sales event based on Ward's small van segment. Based upon the latest available competitor information, Chrysler is a registered trademark of FCA US llc.

Does Erythritol Count like Artificial Sweeteners? This is JJ Virgin, four time New.

York Times Best selling author, author, celebrity.

Nutrition expert and Fitness hall of Famer. I've been on a lifelong quest for answers to the toughest health questions and now I'm sharing what I found with you.

Welcome to Ask the Health Expert.

Maddalena from Instagram asks, does erythritol count like artificial sweetener? I know you say how bad artificial.

Sweeteners are and I would like to.

Make sure I don't eat them, but.

I'm not sure which ones you're referring to.

All right, one of my favorite subjects we are going to deconstruct sugar, sugar, alcohols, artificial sweeteners. Stay tuned. I'll be right back.

Hey, it's J.J. here. Now let's be honest. The holidays are basically a financial ambush. Travel, hosting gifts, surprise holiday school things. Suddenly you're wondering how December turned into a spirit spending spree. If you want to keep your finances under control this holiday season, you need to be using Monarch. It's rated the Wall Street Journal's best budgeting app of 2025. Monarch is the all in one personal finance tool that brings your entire financial life together in one clean interface on your laptop or your phone. What really grabbed my attention is how fast those little holiday expenses pile up. With Monarch. Seeing everything in one place makes it a lot harder to accidentally overspend. And honestly, I appreciate anything that keeps me from starting January with a money hangover. You'll love exploring the holiday spending category. Imagine how good it will feel to actually see what's happening before your credit card statement does that whole dramatic reveal thing. Monarch basically shows you exactly where the money is going in real time, and that level of clarity could change everything, right? Don't let financial opportunity slip through the cracks. Use the code virgin@monarch.com in your browser for half off your first year. That's 50% off your first year@monarch.com with.

Code Virgin Ray Ban Meta Glasses Come with open ear audio so you can listen to your favorite music without blocking out the world around you.

Hey, Meta, play Gorgeous. Here's Gorgeous by Doja Cat.

You can also ask Meta AI questions.

Hey, Meta, when's Doja Cat's next concert? Doja Cat is playing at the Los Angeles theater next Tuesday.

Sweet Ray Ban Meta Glasses. Available at Ray Ban stores and other authorized retailers.

All right, what the heck is erythritol? So erythritol is a sugar alcohol. They're also known as polyols, which just makes it a little less confusing than a sugar alcohol. And the reason it's called a sugar alcohol, which is the worst possible name, because it's not a sugar and it's not alcohol, but it is a type of carbohydrate whose structure resembles sugar and alcohol. So that's why they called it that, which I think just has confused everybody everywhere. So they're similar to sugar, but the difference is they're not absorbed like sugar is or digested like sugar is. So where sugar is 4 calories a gram, these are usually around 2 calories a gram. So they're different. So they taste sweet, but they're just not absorbed that way. And depending on the type that you're eating, they can be fermented. Sometimes they might give you a little gas, depending on the ones. But usually people can tolerate them in small amounts, which is why you'll see them used in a lot of different things, especially in things like toothpaste and chewing gum, et cetera, because actually some of them, xylitol especially, can be great for your teeth as well. So again, these are natural, they are not alcohol, and they're not sugar. They are a type of a carbohydrate. And the structure kind of resembles sugar and alcohol. They're metabolized different than a carbohydrate. Your body doesn't absorb most of them, so you only get about 2 calories per gram. And as long as you don't overload on them, which can cause some gas and bloating, they can work really well. So, again, they're natural. So let's go into artificial versus natural. All sugar except for artificial sweeteners are natural, but that doesn't make it okay. So you'll look at things like honey, which is like, oh, it's from bees. It must be okay. Nope, not necessarily. Now, a little bit of raw, organic, local honey used medicinally maybe to help with allergies, like half a teaspoon. Okay. But that's probably not what we're doing taking out the bear and squeezing it like crazy on our oatmeal or in our coffee, thinking it's fine, it's honey. Nope, all sugar. Your body doesn't know when you're doing that. It doesn't know it came from a bee. It says honey and it starts raising your blood sugar. Plus the fructose part of that honey goes beelines to the liver where if there's no room for it, it starts making fat and can cause some insulin resistance and hypertension along the way. So let's look at what things are acceptable here. Here's your ideals. The herb, the sweet herb, stevia, monk fruit, which has been used in Asian cultures for centuries, or also known as Luo hang Go. Another one that can be used, the newcomer allulose, which you're going to start seeing more and more of because the FDA has changed its ruling on it. And used to be that you had to report it as if all the calories got absorbed. Very few do. And it's now showing some benefits in weight loss as well. So allulose is another great one. And then the sugar alcohols, especially erythritol, xylitol, if you can tolerate it good for your teeth, can be a little bit challenging in higher amounts. But erythritol and xylitol, those sugar alcohols, and then once we don't often think about cinnamon, and cinnamon balances blood sugar and has natural sweetness. Vanilla, which can boost serotonin, there's another great thing that we don't often think about. And so those are some other ones that we could use as well. So there are a lot of great options out there. The ones you want to stay away from. Artificial sweeteners, they don't have any place. They shouldn't even be around. To me, they are the ultimate Frankenfood. They are the science experiment gone wrong. And then you really want to transition from using sweeteners like sugar or over to things like, again, monk fruit, allulose, erythritol, xylitol, stevia. But don't go crazy on these things. You're just doing that transition. We really want you to get to the point, or I do. I want you to get to the point where you like the natural sweetness of food. And when I wrote the Sugar Impact diet, if you are having issues with sugar, I walk you through how to retrain your taste bud to appreciate the natural sweetness, which is where we want to go. And then use these sweeteners if not needed, when we are making something special.

This is JJ with Ask the Health Expert.

I do this five times a week, so make sure you never miss a show by going to subscribetojay.com.

Hello listeners, this is Anne Bogle, author, blogger and creator of the podcast what Should I Read next? Since 2016, I've been helping readers bring more joy and delight into their reading lives. Every week I check all things books and reading with a guest and guide them in discovering their next read. They share three books they love, one book they don't, and what they've been reading lately, and I recommend three titles they may enjoy reading next. Guests have said our conversations are like therapy, troubleshooting issues that have plagued their reading lives for years and possibly the rest of their lives as well. And of course, recommending books that meet the moment. Whether they are looking for deep introspection to spur or encourage a life change or a frothy page turner to help them escape the stresses of work, school, everything, you'll learn something about yourself as a reader and you'll definitely walk away confident to choose your next read, with a whole list of new books and authors to try. So join us each Tuesday for what Should I Read Next? Subscribe now wherever you're listening to this podcast and visit our website what Should I read next podcast.com to find out more.