Have you ever paused, sucralose packet in hand, and wondered if it's truly compatible with your keto journey? Many people seeking a sugar-free treat turn to sucralose and other sweeteners, but is sucralose on keto diets really ok? Let's dive into the complex relationship between sucralose and the ketogenic diet.
Understanding Sucralose
Sucralose, often marketed as Splenda, is a high-intensity, calorie-free sugar substitute approximately 600 times sweeter than table sugar. It's a popular artificial sweetener found in various products, from coffee and tea to baked goods.
Keto Diet Basics
The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat eating plan designed to shift the body's primary fuel source from carbohydrates to fat. The aim of the keto game is to get your body into a state of ketosis, where it ditches its carb cravings and starts burning fat for fuel. By drastically reducing carbohydrate intake, the body enters a state of ketosis, burning fat for energy instead of glucose.
The Initial Assumption: Sucralose as a Keto-Friendly Option
Because it’s basically calorie-free and doesn’t contain any sugars or carbs, it was traditionally believed that sucralose on keto diets was perfectly fine. The keto diet focuses on minimizing carbohydrate intake to induce ketosis. Minimizing carbohydrate intake keeps blood sugar low, which in turn keeps the hormone insulin low. Previously, it was thought that sugar-free sweeteners like sucralose didn’t affect your insulin levels, because they didn’t contain sugar.
Emerging Research: A Shift in Perspective
So, is sucralose keto friendly? Based on newer research, it certainly seems that sucralose and keto diets aren’t as compatible as we once thought. While sucralose has next-to-no calories, sugars, or carb content, that isn’t the only thing that matters on the keto diet.
Read also: Comprehensive Guide to Sugar on Keto
The Insulin Connection
The main point of the keto diet is to avoid sugars and really all carbohydrates. We’ve already explained that sucralose can raise your insulin levels, but how does this happen, given that it doesn’t contain any sugar? This insulin response, while not as potent as when sugar is consumed, can still be a roadblock on your keto journey. In one recent study, a group of people were either given sucralose or water, and then underwent a glucose tolerance test. When insulin levels are low, the body is more likely to release stored fats to be used for energy. High insulin levels, on the other hand, can hinder fat breakdown and promote fat storage.
Potential Gut Bacteria Alteration
Emerging research also hints that sucralose can alter your gut bacteria, which play a critical role in digestive health.
Reported Side Effects
And let's not forget the possible side effects that many people report from sucralose, like headaches, digestive discomfort, and even a craving for more sweet treats.
Individual Responses and Monitoring
If you decide to bring sucralose on board, monitor how your body responds. Keep track of your blood sugar levels before and after consuming sucralose-containing foods or beverages. Remember, we're all unique, and what works for one might not work for another. Listen to your body - if you notice changes in energy levels, cravings, or any other signals, it might be time to rethink your sucralose strategy.
Embracing Whole, Unprocessed Foods
While sucralose might be tempting, don't forget the beauty of whole, unprocessed foods that the keto diet celebrates. These choices often come with fewer question marks when it comes to their impact on your blood sugar and overall health.
Read also: Troubleshooting Carnivore Diet Diarrhea
Keto-Friendly Sweetener Alternatives
When it comes to sucralose for keto, there are alternatives that won’t take you out of ketosis.
Allulose
Allulose is all the buzz in the keto community. Why? Allulose is a naturally-occurring sweetener found in figs, raisins and jackfruit. Unlike sugar, most allulose isn’t absorbed by your body. Allulose has promising health benefits for the keto crowd. Bottom line? If you’re looking for a keto-approved sugar substitute for all your favorite recipes, consider Splenda Allulose Sweetener.
Baking tip: Allulose browns even faster than sugar, so lower the oven temperature by 25º for your favorite recipes.
Monk Fruit
Monk fruit extract contains zero calories and is perfectly compatible with the keto diet. Why is monk fruit compatible with keto? Monk fruit (also called Luo Han Guo) has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine, reportedly for ailments associated with heat and fever. The sweetness of monk fruit is powered by a compound called mogroside V. You can use monk fruit anywhere you would use sugar. For a simple sweetener that’s 1:1 with sugar, try Splenda Monk Fruit Sweetener.
Baking tip: Splenda Monk Fruit Sweetener works for all your baking needs. It has a subtle, brown sugar-like flavor that works well in banana, pumpkin bread and muffin recipes.
Read also: Aspartame and Ketosis
Erythritol
Of all the sugar alcohols-mannitol, maltitol, sorbitol, etc.-erythritol is the keto-friendliest. Like the other sweeteners on this list, erythritol also doesn’t raise blood sugar or insulin levels. That’s why it’s keto-approved. Baking and sweetening with erythritol are easy.
Stevia
Stevia extract is similar to monk fruit extract. The stevia rebaudiana plant has a long history of human usage. The compounds that lend stevia its sweetness (steviol glycosides) are also the compounds that drive stevia’s health benefits. If you’d like to give stevia a try, pick up a package of Splenda Stevia Sweetener. It’s powered by rebaudioside D, the sweetest steviol glycoside, so you don’t have to worry about a bitter aftertaste.
Baking tip: Use 1/2 cup of Splenda Stevia Sweetener Jar to replace one cup of sugar.
Other Low-Carb Sweeteners
Sweeteners like stevia, sucralose, erythritol, xylitol, monk fruit, and yacon syrup can easily fit into a low carb or ketogenic diet. However, you may need to limit your intake of other sweeteners high in carbs or sugar on a low carb diet.
Sweeteners to Avoid on Keto
Here are a few sweeteners that are high in carbs, can increase blood sugar levels, and interrupt ketosis:
- Maltodextrin: This highly processed sweetener is produced from starchy plants like rice, corn, or wheat and contains the same amount of calories and carbs as regular sugar (29).
- Honey: High quality honey contains antioxidants and nutrients, making it a better choice than refined sugar. However, it’s still high in calories and carbs and may not be suitable for a keto diet (30).
- Coconut sugar: Made from the sap of the coconut palm, coconut sugar is absorbed more slowly than regular sugar. However, it’s also high in fructose, which can contribute to impaired blood sugar control (31, 32).
- Maple syrup: Each serving of maple syrup packs a good amount of micronutrients like manganese and zinc but is also high in sugar and carbs (33).
- Agave nectar: Agave nectar is about 80% fructose, which can decrease your body’s sensitivity to insulin and contribute to metabolic syndrome, making it difficult for your body to regulate blood sugar levels (32, 34).
- Dates: This dried fruit is often used to sweeten desserts naturally. Despite supplying a small amount of fiber, vitamins, and minerals, dates also contain a substantial amount of carbs (35).
The Rise of Sweet Proteins
Although sucralose and keto don’t gel together, there’s a natural alternative that’s far superior: Sweet proteins! In some cases, sweet proteins are 5,000 times sweeter than regular table sugar, which means only a tiny amount is needed to sweeten your favorite foods and beverages. Plus, there are even more benefits of sweet proteins than you see at first sight. Sweet proteins are made via fermentation, similar to how beer or cheese is made.
A Word of Caution About Artificial Sweeteners
Why was stevia banned? Another issue with stevia, especially if you’re on a keto diet to lose weight, is its effect on your waistline. Does stevia cause weight gain? Recently, Canadian scientists evaluated the results of almost 40 different studies of various sweeteners and found that the consumption of these compounds actually led to an increase in BMI, weight, waist circumference, and a higher incidence of obesity. As you can see, artificial sweeteners aren’t perfect. There’s also another problem with artificial sweeteners: they aren’t natural. Besides this, sucralose and other artificial sweeteners bring some health concerns, including links with migraines, anxiety, and even certain types of cancer.
Deciphering Keto-Friendly Sweeteners
How can we decipher the difference between keto-friendly sweeteners and a sugar-substitute we should avoid? These qualities provide us with a helpful framework to judge the legitimacy of any potential keto sweetener. Overall, it is best to use keto-friendly sweeteners that have been well-researched and widely-used for years.
Natural Sweeteners: An Overview
Simply put, natural sweeteners are sweeteners made from concentrated components of edible plants. Stevia extract, for example, consists of plant compounds that are extracted from the naturally sweet leaf of the stevia plant. When investigating whether or not a sweetener can be a part of your diet, you must examine it on its own and learn how it affects the body.
Stevia: A Deeper Dive
Stevia is an herb commonly known as the sugar leaf. Stevia extract has been found to promote health as well. This triple effect (i.e., stevia’s impact on inflammation, blood sugar regulation, and blood pressure) makes stevia particularly useful in the treatment of patients with obesity, metabolic syndrome, heart disease, and/or diabetes. When purchasing, look for the liquid-based stevia. Typically this is raw powdered stevia mixed with a solution that keeps it pure. With any stevia product, make sure you read the ingredients label.
Recommendation: Use it! It’s a great sweetener for any diet and can even have a positive health impact. Your best option is liquid stevia (or any other stevia extract that has no added fillers).
Maximum Daily Dosage Recommendations: The FDA defines the acceptable daily dose at half this amount (4 mg/kg per day of a stevia product with 95% pure glycosides). That being said, some human studies using prolonged intake of up to 1.5g daily show no adverse effects. (For reference, 360 mg of pure stevia extract powder is all you need to replace the sweetness one cup of sugar. Buying Tips: Liquid stevia or 100% pure powdered or granulated stevia are your best options.
Allulose: Further Insights
Allulose is one of the most sugar-like low-calorie sweeteners on the market. The reason why allulose has no glycemic index or net carb content is that 100% of it is excreted from the body without being metabolized at all. However, this doesn’t mean that allulose is just some inert sweet substance. Some studies have even found that it has antioxidant and blood lipid lowering properties as well. The only thing to be cautious about with this sweetener is that the long-term effects it has on the microbiome are not yet known. In general, however, allulose has only been found to cause positive effects.
Recommendation: Use it sparingly with other sweeteners. Although allulose is shaping up to be an ideal keto-friendly sweetener, it may be best to wait until more high-quality research is conducted and the sweetener is less expensive. Try using erythritol instead. Usage Tips: You can use allulose as a replacement for table sugar to make carb-laden recipes into keto-friendly treats. To match the sweetness of table sugar, add around 1.4 to 1.5 times more allulose.
Inulin: A Complementary Sweetener
Although it has only 35% of the sweetness of sugar, inulin can be a helpful option in your keto kitchen. It helps improve the flavor when mixed with other sweeteners, can caramelize like sugar, and typically doesn’t have any aftertaste as you may find with the others. Some studies have even shown it to help improve digestive health and optimize cholesterol levels. Unfortunately, inulin has been found to degrade into smaller fructose chains when exposed to temperatures above 275 degrees Fahrenheit. Simply put, if the inulin you consume is exposed to temperatures above 275 degrees Fahrenheit, then some of it will be digested as fructose, which contributes hidden calories that indirectly decrease ketone production.
Recommendation: Use sparingly to mix into other sweeteners (like erythritol or stevia) If you want to reduce aftertaste. Maximum Daily Dosage Recommendations: 20 grams per day of inulin has been found to cause no adverse effects.
Monk Fruit: Additional Information
Also known as Luo Han Guo, monk fruit is native to China, where it has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for decades. The only downside to using monk fruit extract is that it tends to have an unusual taste and bitter aftertaste.
Recommendation: Use it! Monk fruit is a safe and healthy keto sweetener that you may find more palatable than other sweeteners. It can be found in liquid form, powdered form, or as a sweetener blend. Maximum Daily Dosage Recommendations: There is no known maximal healthy dose. Buying Tips: Liquid monk fruit extract, monk fruit extract powder, and monk fruit sweetener blends (with stevia, xylitol, and/or erythritol) are your best options, and they all can found online.
Tagatose
Tagatose naturally occurs in dairy, fruits, and cacao. Although it is a simple sugar like glucose, tagatose is metabolized differently. Tagatose has a mild cooling effect (similar to erythritol) but caramelizes similarly to sugar (while erythritol does not). Because of its relatively low glycemic index, tagatose only has a small effect on blood sugar levels and can be used with other sweeteners in a low carb diet.
Recommendation: Use it sparingly with other sweeteners. It can pair well with lower glycemic index sweeteners in moderation, but it does contain about 35g carbs per 100g so be careful with the amount that you use.
Sugar Alcohols: A Closer Look
Sugar alcohols are a category of sweet carbohydrates that are partially resistant digestion. As the name implies, they are like hybrids of sugar molecules and alcohol molecules. However, these alcohol molecules will not get you drunk. Because sugar alcohols have a similar chemical structure as sugar, they activate the sweet taste receptors on your tongue.
Erythritol: Expanded Details
Erythritol is found naturally in some fruits and vegetables and is commonly extracted from corn. According to some recent studies, erythritol does not change blood sugar or insulin in healthy individuals. Erythritol has also been found to act as an antioxidant and may improve blood vessel function in people with type 2 diabetes. We can consume a substantial amount of it without experiencing any side effects, at about 0.45 grams of the sweetener per pound of body-weight. Usually, sugar alcohols will proceed undigested into the large intestine, where they will be fermented by bacteria or pull excess water into the digestive tract. With erythritol, most of it is absorbed in the small intestine and excreted in the urine. Altogether, this sugar alcohol is safe, may improve some aspects of health, and has virtually no impact on ketosis and weight loss.
Recommendation: Use it! It’s almost completely excreted through urine and causes very little gastric distress. Maximum Recommended Daily Dose: Use less than 0.45 grams of the sweetener per pound of body-weight daily to prevent digestive issues. Buying Tips: Look for organic granulated erythritol, erythritol and stevia blends, or erythritol and monk fruit blends.
Xylitol: More Information
Xylitol is a naturally occurring sugar alcohol that is usually found in fruits and vegetables. It is as sweet as sugar, but 40% less caloric. Among the sugar alcohols, xylitol has the most significant impact on our dental health. Studies have found that xylitol starves the bad bacteria in the mouth and increases calcium absorption by the teeth, both of which help prevent cavities. Note/Warning: Xylitol is toxic to many different types of animals and can be lethal to cats and dogs in small doses.
Recommendation: Use sparingly with other sweeteners. Although this is a great sweetener and can be used as an almost exact replacement of sugar, it can cause gastric distress when over-eaten and may impair ketone production.
Maltitol: A Sweetener to Avoid
Maltitol is commonly used in sugar-free products as it is very similar to sugar. However, due to the current laws we have, many products are allowed to calculate these out of the net carb counts. While you are on a low carb diet, it’s best to avoid maltitol and be skeptical of products that use it. Many also complain of the laxative effects maltitol has.
Recommendation: Skip it. Although it’s one of the most commonly consumed sugar alcohols, it has a relatively high glycemic index and can cause a lot of gastric distress. Not to mention many people complain about it kicking them out of a ketosis. There are many other sugar alcohols out there, but most of them should be avoided. Recommendation: Be very cautious of products claiming they are keto-friendly, sugar-free, or zero carbs. They typically contain a sugar alcohol that should be avoided.
Artificial Sweeteners: A Complex Landscape
Artificial sweeteners are sugar substitutes that are produced using synthetic methods. The truth behind the health effects of these sweeteners, however, is much more complex. Most of the news headlines you’ll see about these sweeteners are based on mice studies, which don’t accurately reflect many aspects of dosage and metabolism for humans. However, some interesting patterns have emerged recently when comparing human data for artificial vs. However, when you contrast these findings with the research on natural sweeteners and keto-friendly sugar alcohols, artificial sweeteners aren’t worth the risk. The sweeteners we recommend (i.e., stevia extract, monk fruit extract, erythritol, and xylitol) all have been found to have positive health effects. Overall, the current evidence indicates that artificial sweeteners should only be consumed sparingly or avoided altogether. However, not all artificial sweetener affect us in the same way. There are some that may be safer than others.
Sucralose: An In-Depth Look
Before we talk explicitly about sucralose, there is a slight controversy about the glycemic index. There are many sources claiming different numbers, but on average, we see that it’s about 80 GI in powdered bulked form (Splenda). The good part about it is that sucralose can typically be found in pure form (liquid and powdered) too. The glycemic index for pure sucralose is 0, so you can use this as you would stevia extract. In pure form, it has little to no effect on blood sugar levels. Recent studies have demonstrated that sucralose becomes chemically unstable when heated, releasing chlorinated aromatic polycyclic hydrocarbons (compounds that increase cancer risk) and other potentially toxic compounds.
Recommendation: Skip it! Use monk fruit extract, stevia extract, and/or erythritol instead. They are safer, healthier, and can easily be used to replace sucralose.
Aspartame and Saccharin: Sweeteners to Avoid
Aspartame is probably the most controversial sweetener of them all. It’s been behind many stories of multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus, methanol toxicity, and blindness, among many other things. Even though the negative claims haven’t been replicated in studies over the last 40 years (it’s one of the most thoroughly studied sweeteners), it may be best to stay away from this one as there are better alternatives.
Recommendation: Avoid it. This sweetener is not very commonly found or used anymore, as the popularity for saccharin has gone down significantly. In the 1970’s, all saccharin products had to place a warning label that it may induce cancer in man or animals. This was then removed during 2000 when the animal-based testing couldn’t ethically be done on humans. Other than the controversy surrounding saccharin, another reason to avoid it is that during the cooking process, it can cause an extremely bitter aftertaste. Recommendation: Avoid it.
The Importance of Purity
Overall, it’s always best to go with pure sucralose and stevia as your sugar alternatives - not only for the taste and versatility but also the calorie counts and carb counts.
Sweetener Blends: Proceed with Caution
Many “low sugar,” “low carb,” and “keto-friendly” sweetener blends have become increasingly popular in recent years. Some sweeteners will combine popular keto-friendly sweeteners with other ingredients like maltodextrin, dextrose, or some form of oligosaccharides. These additives are used to help provide bulk, cut down sweetness levels, and/or emulate some of the properties of sugar. The current research indicates that maltodextrin, dextrose, and isomaltooligosaccharides (IMO) all are readily digested and contribute extra net carbs to the diet that will not be reflected on the nutrition facts label. On the other hand, you will also find “oligosaccharides” as a popular sweetener blend ingredient (e.g., you will this on Swerve’s ingredient labels). It was previously thought that all oligosaccharides acted like dietary fiber, but recent research indicates that some are almost fully digestible (i.e., isomaltooligosaccharides), partially digestible, or completely indigestible. The simplest way to sort through the confusion of oligosaccharides (and any other dubious ingredients) found in any given sweetener is to see if any research backs up their marketing claims. At first, I was skeptical of Swerve’s products because they contain two potentially hidden sources of net carbs, oligosaccharides and natural flavors. The good news, however, is that Swerve’s sweetener was tested in a double-blind, randomized controlled trial to compare its effects on blog sugar and insulin levels with table sugar and Splenda. The same cannot be said, however, for other lesser known sweetener blends. If you find a sweetener blend with ingredients that you are not sure about, it is best to be cautious.