The Ultimate Guide To Keto Sweeteners

The ketogenic diet is one of the most popular ways to lose weight. Many dieters, who still desire to have sweet food opt for keto sweeteners that are safe to use as a sugar substitute.

However, the biggest challenge is navigating through the journey, especially when trying to pick out the most suitable sweeteners. When deciding on a sweetener, you need to ensure that whatever you choose doesn’t affect your insulin, blood glucose, and weight gain.

Sugar is considered poison with any person on a keto diet. It’s composed of a double molecule of fructose and glucose, which makes it a total carbohydrate. That’s why you need keto sweeteners that contain less of these molecules.

Unsuitable Keto Diet Sweeteners

Sweeteners with high carbohydrates counts aren’t recommended while on a keto diet. The following sweeteners can interfere with ketosis, making it challenging to lose weight successfully.

Beware of the Zero Calorie Fad

Some manufacturers label their sweeteners as having zero calories when they are full of carbohydrates. The FDA standards allow products with less than one gram of carbs per serving to be labeled as having zero calories.

In other words, sweeteners with as much as 0.9 grams of carbohydrates per serving, will seamlessly get into anyone’s kitchen without their realization. Such products include Sweet’n Low, Equal, and Splenda, which are falsely labeled zero calories when they are pure carbohydrates. It, therefore, pays to be informed when you decide to get on the ketogenic diet.

These products that promise to offer what they don’t can derail any person on the ketogenic diet.

Pure Fructose Is the Worst

Sugar is bad for your health, whether on the keto diet or not. However, fructose is worse than sugar. Fructose has the potential to cause serious metabolic problems, even worse than sugar. If taken in large amounts, it can increase unhealthy lipid profiles, insulin resistance, fatty liver, and more. Fructose is not an option when on the keto diet.

Honey Is Not Keto

Many people wonder why honey isn’t recommended when on the keto diet. As much as this sweetener is natural and beneficial in other areas, it is 80 percent carbohydrates. Remember, the keto diet restricts carbohydrates for successful weight loss and overall wellbeing.

No-Calorie Keto Sweeteners

Dieters who are finding it difficult to sustain the keto journey because of sweet cravings should know there are safe options. A person on the keto diet can still indulge in sweet treats every once in a while by substituting sugar with recommended sweeteners with zero calories.

The following are sugar substitutes that will not hinder your weight loss, and they will make it easier for your body to adjust to a comfortable life without sugar.

Stevia

This natural sweetener has a strong taste, even sweeter than sugar. Stevia gets its flavor from a compound called steviol glycosides, which is found in the leaves of South American plant Stevia rebaudiana. 

This sweetener is by far the best choice when you are on the keto diet. It has zero carbohydrates and zero calories. One of the most notable benefits of stevia is that it doesn’t affect insulin and blood sugar levels. 

No studies have shown the impact it may have when used for a long time. You can find it in granulated and liquid form.

Erythritol

Erythritol is made from fermented cornstarch, and it has zero calories and carbohydrates. Using this sweetener is safe for dieters on the keto diet, as it doesn’t raise blood sugar or insulin. One of the reasons erythritol doesn’t affect weight loss in the keto diet is because it passes into the urine without using its active compound. Even though it is safe to use on the keto diet, many don’t find it as a good substitute only because of its minty sensation on the tongue.

One downside to using this sweetener is that it causes gastrointestinal issues like bloating and diarrhea. 

Monk Fruit

Monk fruit sweetener is a new sugar substitute in the market despite coming from a fruit around Southeast Asia for centuries. This sweetener is 200 times sweeter than sugar, deriving its taste from a non-caloric compound called mogrosides. It is said to have been cultivated and used by monks in Southern China and Northern Thailand.

It is sweeter than sugar and stevia without any aftertaste. It doesn’t have any gastrointestinal effects or affect sugar levels. Monk fruit is an excellent option for dieters who complain of the aftertaste that stevia leaves or the digestive issues that erythritol has.

Xylitol

Like erythritol, this sweetener is a plant-based sugar alcohol. It’s found in sugar-free gums and commercial mouthwashes. Xylitol tastes like sugar and is extracted from the fibrous corn cobs. It’s one of the most common sugar substitutes in the market.

When you use this sweetener in small quantities, it has little to no effect on insulin and blood sugar levels. Unfortunately, Xylitol has some carbohydrates which can build up if not used in moderation. This sweetener may be amongst the most natural sugar substitute in the market, but it is not suitable for a keto diet.

Sweetening Your Diet Naturally

Natural sweeteners are available for people on the keto diet, but not highly recommended. It is healthier and more beneficial when you allow your taste buds to adapt to natural food tastes. The unsweetened flavors of some foods may be unpleasant at first, but with time, you will be comfortable having them.

As you may have noticed, most sweeteners on the market are not suitable for dieters who have embraced the keto diet. And though training our taste palates may take time, adapting to having natural foods is the best way to achieve safe weight loss and optimal health.