How to Find the Best Protein Powder Without Erythritol

📌 Overview and Key Takeaways

This is a Dietitian’s guide on how to find the best protein powder without erythritol.

Discover how to supplement your protein intake without sugar alcohols.

Last Updated
Jan 28, 2026

Author and Medical Reviewer

Written by Jack, CNC

Jack is a National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Nutrition Coach.

Erythritol-Free Protein Powder

What Is Erythritol?

Erythritol is a sugar alcohol added to many processed foods as a sweetener.

It is virtually sugar-free, but still stimulates sweet taste receptors on your tongue.

This makes it a popular ingredient in low calorie and sugar-free products.

Keep in mind that although erythritol occurs naturally in some fruits, the erythritol added to foods, beverages, and supplements was commercially produced by fermenting glucose.

And the amount used is 1,000-times greater than the levels found in nature.

It is also important to note that erythritol is often used in combination with other sweeteners like stevia or monk fruit.

You might never know, however, because sugar alcohols are not required to be listed individually on the Nutrition Facts label.

Is Erythritol Bad for You?

In many ways, erythritol is a marvelous sweetener.

For starters, it contains only 0.2 calories per gram, which is significantly lower than the 4 calories per gram found in sugar.

It is also absorbed into the bloodstream, but not metabolized, meaning it has a minimal impact on blood sugar levels and insulin response.

Unfortunately, however, these benefits might be too good to be true because a study recently found a link between erythritol consumption and cardiovascular events (Nat Med, 2023).

In fact, it found that people with the highest erythritol levels (top 25%) were about twice as likely to have cardiovascular events as those with the lowest (bottom 25%).

For this reason, many people choose to avoid erythritol.

What Is the Best Erythritol-Free Protein Powder?

Instead of using erythritol, we sweeten our Protein Powders with pure monk fruit.

Monk fruit, also known as luo han guo, is a melon-like fruit that grows in Southeast Asia.

Its intense sweetness, which is approximately 200 times that of sugar, comes from non-caloric compounds called mogrosides.

There are several reasons why we opt for monk fruit.

Firstly, it is the most natural sugar substitute on the market.

Monk fruit sweetener is made by removing the seeds and skin, crushing the fruit, and collecting the juice, which is then dried into a powder.

We also like monk fruit because it tastes like sugar.

Other sugar substitutes, like stevia, activate bitter taste receptors in addition to sweet taste receptors (Genes Nutr, 2014).

And for the record, the monk fruit we use contains a single ingredient, meaning it is not blended with sugar alcohols or any other sweeteners.

Sources

1. Nature Medicine (Nat Med). The artificial sweetener erythritol and cardiovascular event risk. 2023.
2. Genes & Nutrition (Genes Nutr). Genetic signature of differential sensitivity to stevioside in the Italian population. 2014.

Editorial Guidelines

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This article was written by a Registered Dietitian and reviewed by a Physician Assistant. We rely on peer-reviewed research and trusted medical sources, and regularly update our content to ensure accuracy and clarity.