Dr. Berg’s Healthy Keto and Intermittent Fasting Podcast

Erythritol Linked to Heart Attacks and Strokes, Really?

Oct 11, 2023

06:46

Snipd AI

A study linking erythritol to heart attacks and strokes is analyzed. The hosts point out flaws, such as correlation not implying causation and the study's focus on endogenous erythritol. They discuss how erythritol may actually be beneficial, countering the bad effects of sugar with its antioxidant properties and potential health benefits.

AI Summary

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Correlation does not imply causation, highlighting the misinterpretation of correlation as causation in the study.

The study focused on blood erythritol levels instead of dietary erythritol consumption, raising questions about the true cause of cardiovascular events observed.

Deep dives

Problems with Correlation as Causation

The podcast highlights the first problem with the study, which is the misinterpretation of correlation as causation. The example of the correlation between government spending on science and space technology and the number of suicides from hangings is given. Another example is the correlation between cheese consumption and deaths from being tangled in bedsheets. The speaker emphasizes that a correlation does not imply causation. The study in question was an observational study, and correlation alone cannot establish a cause-and-effect relationship.

Introduction

2min

Correlation between Revenue and Misinformation, Erythritol Study Analysis, and Counter Information

3min

The Potential Benefits of Erythritol

2min

A new study on erythritol and heart attacks has been in the news and found its way to social media—let’s talk about it.

This study correlates erythritol in your blood to higher incidents of heart attacks and strokes. However, I see some serious problems with this study.

Here are four key points about this study:

1. Correlation does not mean causation.

2. This study was based on endogenous erythritol and did not measure dietary erythritol. The body makes endogenous erythritol.

3. The body produces erythritol when you metabolize sugar, have oxidative stress or belly fat, or consume alcohol. The great majority of people in this study were in poor health, so how do we know erythritol was the problem?

4. Other research has linked erythritol to many different health benefits.

Could it be that erythritol is increasing in the body to counter the bad effects of sugar? It seems to me that erythritol is something that’s trying to help you and not hurt you.

DATA:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science...

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export