Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 21, 2025
Characterization of Metabolic Status in Nonhuman Primates with the Intravenous Glucose Tolerance Test
Published on: November 13, 2016
Mammalian metabolism of erythritol: a predictive biomarker of metabolic dysfunction
Semira R Ortiz1, Martha S Field
1Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.
Purpose Of Review:
To summarize recent advances in our understanding of mammalian erythritol metabolism and its use as a predictive biomarker of cardiometabolic disease risk.
Recent Findings:
Elevated serum erythritol predicts future central adiposity gain and type 2 diabetes mellitus in healthy adults. Erythritol is a newly recognized human metabolic product of glucose, synthesized through the pentose phosphate pathway. The final conversion of this metabolic pathway is catalyzed by the enzymes sorbitol dehydrogenase and alcohol dehydrogenase 1. Erythritol is also a well characterized nonnutritive sweetener. Recent studies show that dietary erythritol can be metabolized to erythrose or erythronate in humans before excretion.
Summary:
Elevated serum erythritol predicts risk for cardiometabolic disease, but more research is required to maximize its utility as a biomarker, including characterizing the determinants of endogenous erythritol synthesis from glucose. New insights into dietary erythritol metabolism also highlight the need to evaluate the effects of long-term erythritol consumption.
