For individuals following a ketogenic diet, maintaining proper hydration and electrolyte balance is crucial. Sports drinks like Gatorade are often considered for replenishing electrolytes lost during exercise. However, the original Gatorade is high in sugar, making it unsuitable for a keto diet. Gatorade Zero, on the other hand, is marketed as a low-carb and sugar-free alternative, leading many to wonder if it's a keto-friendly option.
What is Gatorade Zero?
Gatorade Zero is a low-carb sports drink designed to replenish electrolytes without the added calories and sugar found in the original Gatorade. It comes in various flavors and aims to provide a healthier option for those looking to cut down on sugary beverages. A 20 fl oz bottle of Gatorade Zero provides a decent amount of electrolytes, including 160 mg of sodium and 50 mg of potassium, which can help alleviate keto flu symptoms.
The Keto Diet: A Quick Overview
The ketogenic (keto) diet is a high-fat, very low-carb diet that forces the body to switch from burning glucose (sugar) to burning fat for energy. This metabolic state is called ketosis. When carbohydrate intake is drastically reduced, the body breaks down fat into ketones, which become the primary energy source. The standard keto diet focuses on limiting carbs to promote weight loss. However, a more holistic approach, the Healthy Keto® diet, emphasizes overall health by eliminating ultra-processed foods and potentially harmful additives.
Is Gatorade Zero Keto-Friendly?
Technically, Gatorade Zero can be considered keto-friendly because it contains zero grams of sugar and is low in carbohydrates. Swapping sugary sodas with Gatorade Zero is a keto-friendly option if you're regularly drinking sugary sodas. However, it's essential to consider the ingredients beyond just the carb content, especially if your goal is to follow a nutritious Healthy Keto® diet.
Downsides of Gatorade Zero
Despite its low carb and sugar content, Gatorade Zero has some potential downsides that may make it unsuitable for those seeking optimal health on a ketogenic diet.
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1. Artificial Sweeteners
Gatorade Zero contains artificial sweeteners like sucralose and acesulfame potassium. Acesulfame potassium is about 200 times sweeter than sugar, while sucralose is 400 to 700 times sweeter.
- Acesulfame Potassium: This artificial sweetener is made by transforming acidic acid and combining it with potassium. Research published in the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology suggests that acesulfame potassium can trigger inflammation, interfere with hormone production, cause gut lining damage, and may contribute to an imbalanced intestinal microbiome.
- Sucralose: While it doesn't spike blood sugar levels like regular sugar, research published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that sucralose reduces cellular insulin sensitivity, potentially leading to insulin resistance. This metabolic imbalance can interfere with fat burning and contribute to obesity and diabetes.
The sweet flavor from these zero-calorie sweeteners can trigger cravings for more sweets.
2. Artificial Colors
Gatorade Zero contains artificial colors like Blue 1 and Red 40. These synthetic dyes provide no nutritional value and have been linked to various health concerns. Evidence published in Cellular & Molecular Immunology found that Red 40 may be a risk factor for chronic inflammatory conditions like colitis. The study also observed that Red 40 ingestion caused rapid activation of immune cells and significantly disrupted the gut’s microbial balance. These artificial colors have also been linked to hyperactivity and attention issues in children, as well as potential carcinogenic effects.
3. Lack of Nutrients
While Gatorade Zero provides some electrolytes, its nutrient profile isn’t ideal. Sodium is the only significant electrolyte it offers, which most people already consume in excess in the form of table salt. Gatorade Zero falls short when it comes to other essential electrolytes like potassium, offering just 70 milligrams per serving. The body requires 4,700 to 6,000 milligrams of potassium daily to maintain optimal health and proper bodily functions. Relying on Gatorade to achieve optimal electrolyte balance isn’t a good strategy.
4. Highly Processed Ingredients
Gatorade Zero contains ingredients that undermine the principles of a health-conscious lifestyle. For example, Gatorade Zero Glacier Freeze powder contains maltodextrin, a highly processed carbohydrate derived from corn, wheat, or potato starch, as the second listed ingredient. Despite its utilization in low-carb products, maltodextrin has a higher glycemic index than table sugar, meaning it causes significant blood sugar spikes. This effect can quickly knock you out of ketosis, making it one of the worst ingredients for those following a keto diet. Natural flavors are another common ingredient found in many Gatorade Zero products. These flavors are often derived through extensive physical, enzymatic, or microbiological processing. Manufacturers aren’t always required to disclose the specific source or quality of the ingredients used to produce these natural flavors, making it difficult for consumers to make informed choices.
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Keto-Friendly Alternatives to Gatorade Zero
If you’re looking for keto-friendly alternatives to Gatorade Zero, here are some options to consider:
- Keto Perform: This electrolyte drink is specifically created for keto dieters and contains much more electrolytes than Gatorade Zero. This makes it the perfect energy drink for during and after workouts because it replenishes lost electrolytes.
- Electrolyte Powders Sweetened with Stevia: These powders can be mixed into water and provide electrolytes without artificial sweeteners.
- Homemade Electrolyte Drinks: You can create your own electrolyte drink by mixing water with a pinch of salt, a squeeze of lemon or lime juice, and a keto-friendly sweetener like stevia or monk fruit.
- Bone Broth: Animal bones are rich in nutrients like phosphorus, potassium, zinc, and iron, while fish broth is full of iodine.
- Choose a healthy keto electrolyte drink: Ensure the electrolyte drink you plan to use contains minimal net carbs, and opt for products free from sugar, artificial sweeteners, colors, and preservatives. Instead, look for products that utilize natural ingredients and sweeteners, such as monk fruit or stevia. Read labels carefully, familiarize yourself with misleading natural claims, and learn to recognize hidden carbohydrates. Your electrolyte drink should provide a significant amount of essential minerals, including potassium, magnesium, chloride, and calcium. This will help maintain proper hydration, muscle function, and energy levels. When reviewing electrolyte content, aim for a 2:1 potassium-to-sodium ratio, ideally offering around 1000 milligrams of potassium per serving.
Other Keto-Friendly Drinks
Besides electrolyte drinks, there are many other beverages you can enjoy on a keto diet:
- Water: Staying hydrated is crucial on any diet, especially keto, to avoid the "keto flu."
- Sparkling Water: A great way to hydrate with zero carbs and zero calories.
- Coffee: Enjoy it black or with keto-friendly coffee creamers.
- Unsweetened Tea: A carb- and calorie-free choice for a warm day.
- Diet Soda: A permitted indulgence in moderation, as long as you’re not overdoing it. Choose diet sodas made with naturally derived zero calorie sweeteners like stevia or erythritol.
- Non-Dairy Milk: Unsweetened cashew or almond milk provides fats and protein without the carbs.
- Keto-Friendly Shakes: Look for shakes with minimal carbs and sugar. Atkins shakes are a convenient option.
- Herbal Teas: Herbal teas are infusions derived from dried flowers, fruit, leaves, or herbs. As such, you may want to check the carb count of packaged tea products before purchasing them.
- Vegetable Juice: Some juiced vegetables are low in carbs and can be included on the keto diet. Still, keep in mind that juicing removes most of the nutritious fiber from the veggies unless you choose to drink the pulp. Some keto-friendly vegetables that can be juiced include celery, cucumber and leafy greens like kale and spinach.
- Low carb beer: Some of the lowest carb beers, which clock in at 2-3 grams of net carbs per 12-ounce (355-mL) bottle, are Budweiser Select 55, Michelob Ultra, and Miller 64.
- Hard liquor: Hard liquors like vodka, whiskey, rum, and tequila are naturally carb-free and therefore appropriate for the keto diet. However, you should be careful with mixed drinks, as they’re often loaded with sugar from fruit juices or soda. You should also check the label on flavored liquors for any added sugars. To keep your drinks low carb, try drinking hard liquor straight or use zero-carb mixers like diet soda or seltzer water. Try to avoid tonic water, as it contains added sugar.
- Low carb hard seltzer: You can also choose low carb hard seltzers, which are made with flavored seltzer water or sparkling water and added liquor. If you happen to avoid gluten, you’ll want to check the label carefully because many of them are made with malt liquor.
Drinks to Avoid While Eating Keto
- Non-Diet Soda: High in carbs and can derail keto progress.
- Sports/Energy Drinks: Ridden with sugar and carbs.
- Vitamin Water: Packed with sugar. Opt for Vitamin Water Zero instead.
- Hot Chocolate: High in carbs and sugars.
- Mocha: Carb-filled due to milk, whipped cream, and mocha sauce.
- Fruit Juices: High in carbs and added sugars.
- Lemonade: Typically jam-packed with sugar.
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