A 2025 EMJ Neurology report highlights groundbreaking lab findings that the popular artificial sweetener erythritol—often found in sugar-free drinks—can impair brain blood vessel health. In simpler terms, this means erythritol could reduce blood flow to the brain and increase stroke risk.

Stevia is marketed as a natural, plant-based, zero-calorie sweetener—but multiple studies suggest it might act more like birth control than a harmless sugar alternative.