![\"\"](\"https:\/\/34.94.124.19\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Best-Sweeteners-410x1024.png\")
<\/h2>\n<\/h2>\nAt Keyto, we recommend keeping away from all sugars while pursuing a Ketogenic diet – especially concentrated or artificial sweeteners like fructose, aspartame, and sucralose. We’ve found that after a few days of flexing your willpower muscles and avoiding all sugars and sweeteners, cravings will begin to disappear rapidly – especially once that weight starts coming off! That being said, sometimes cravings do hit and in those cases, we recommend the following Keto-friendly sweeteners:<\/p>\n
Sweet cravings are normal when starting the Keto diet, and you\u2019ll be happy to know these usually dissipate after a couple of weeks. However, you may find yourself experiencing cravings once in a while and don\u2019t let it get you down \u2013 it happens to everyone. Instead of giving into temptation and gorging on a bag of Reece\u2019s Pieces or a massive slice of chocolate cake, it\u2019s possible to add sweeteners your repertoire to satisfy the cravings.<\/p>\n
Generally speaking, try and avoid all sweeteners when first starting out on Keto. The sweet tastes will linger and likely make your cravings intensify, and if you use and abuse them (i.e. consume them too much), it\u2019s possible they\u2019ll stall your progress.<\/p>\n
But like everything else out there \u2013 there are good and bad sweeteners. Pay special attention to those that state \u2018carb free\u2019, because the majority of them still actually contain hidden carbs.<\/p>\n
There are a few sweeteners that are Keto-friendly, having little to no impact on your blood sugar levels.[i]<\/a> However any kind of sweetener, good or bad, results in more cravings for sweet foods. When you add sweeteners to more calorific foods such as muffins and tarts, you create a feeling of reward, increasing the risk that you\u2019ll over-consume or eat more than you need. This can slow down your weight loss considerably, or even worse, cause you to gain weight.[ii]\u00a0<\/a>There\u2019s also some research that suggests zero-calorie sweeteners, which have been added to diet sodas, can make it more difficult to shed the pounds.[iii]<\/a><\/p>\n Sugar As A Sweetener <\/strong><\/p>\n Maple syrup, dates, and honey are all made up of sugar. They negatively affect your blood sugar levels, insulin resistance, and weight.<\/p>\n Fructose <\/strong><\/p>\n Who would\u2019ve thought that there\u2019s actually a sweetener that\u2019s worse than sugar? Normal sugar is made up of half glucose half fructose, but a fructose sweetener has more fructose in it, hence the name. These sweeteners may act slower when it comes to raising your blood glucose levels, but beware \u2013 they\u2019re more harmful than you think. Too much fructose often results in insulin resistance and fatty liver.[iv]\u00a0<\/a>Fruit juice concentrate, corn syrup, honey, and agave syrup all contain high levels of fructose and therefore are more likely to negatively affect you.<\/p>\n When it comes to the best sweeteners for a Keto diet, there are three that stand out from the rest \u2013 Stevia, Xylitol, and Erythritol.<\/p>\n Stevia <\/strong><\/p>\n Stevia is probably the best sweetener for a Keto diet in terms of its safety and impact on ketosis. So what makes Stevia the best sweetener for Keto? Other than being a natural plant-based extract, Stevia is both carb and calorie free, so it doesn\u2019t negatively affect your blood sugar levels. It\u2019s also non-toxic and safe to consume.[v]<\/a><\/p>\n However, a sweetener is not without its drawbacks. Despite all its benefits, Stevia doesn\u2019t really mimic sugar\u2019s taste. Instead it has a distinct licorice flavor to it and when used in larger amounts in baking, it leaves you with an obvious aftertaste in your mouth. It’s recommended in smaller amounts, such as sweetening your tea or coffee.<\/p>\n Stevia comes in a liquid, powdered, or granulated form, all of which have the same level of sweetness and taste, so it\u2019s up to you what variation of Stevia you choose to buy, but if it\u2019s simply just for sweetening your favorite hot beverage, liquid Stevia is probably the best option.<\/p>\n Monk Fruit<\/strong><\/p>\n Monk fruit is a relatively new sugar substitute. It’s 100-250 times sweeter than sugar, so a little goes a long way and it’s often used in a blend with Stevia or Erythritol as it’s a little more palatable. The only drawback is that it’s a little expensive.<\/p>\n Erythritol <\/strong><\/p>\n People that don\u2019t like Stevia claim that Erythritol is the best sweetener for Keto. Erythritol, which naturally occurs in melons and grapes, does resemble sugar. But, unlike sugar, the body only partially digests and absorbs it. With almost zero calories, there are virtually no carbs in Erythritol, and once it has been absorbed, it is then passed through urine without the body using it at all.[viii]<\/a> Also, many other sweeteners are thought to contribute to dental plaque and cavities, however, it\u2019s believed that Erythritol may help prevent this.<\/p>\n However, like Stevia, Erythritol has a distinct aftertaste with an obvious cooling sensation. This sensation is particularly evident when used in larger amounts. Also, while Erythritol doesn\u2019t cause as many digestive issues as other sweeteners, it can sometime cause bloating, gas, and diarrhea.<\/p>\n Erythritol is slightly less sweet than sugar and can be bought in either a granulated or powdered form. In some cases, you can purchase certain brands that are a blend of Stevia and Erythritol, such as Truvia.<\/p>\n A Word on Xylitol <\/strong><\/p>\n Xylitol is another preferred sweetener. A natural sweetener which has been extracted from certain fruits and vegetables, Xylitol is safe and non-toxic. When produced for commercial purposes, it\u2019s made from either birch trees or corncobs. This popular Keto sweetener is probably the most widely used, and it\u2019s even a key ingredient in a number of sugar-free chewing gum brands[vi]<\/a> and mouthwashes.<\/p>\n This sweetener has a low GI of 13, and only half of it is absorbed by the small intestine. Therefore, when you use Xylitol in smaller amounts, there\u2019s minimal impact on you\u2019re insulin and blood sugar levels.[vii]\u00a0<\/a>Xylitol tastes similar to sugar in terms of its sweetness, but it\u2019s also quite high in calories with 2.5 calories per gram. Regular sugar contains 4 calories per gram; therefore, it\u2019s worth considering whether or not using Xylitol in large amounts is actually worth it. When consumed in larger amounts, it can cause a few uncomfortable and slightly embarrassing digestive issues such as gas and bloating. Last but not least, it’s HIGHLY TOXIC TO CATS, DOGS, AND OTHER PETS. Even a small amount can be fatal to them.<\/p>\n The Dirty Truth About So-Called \u2018Zero-Calorie\u2019 Sweeteners <\/strong><\/p>\n There are some sweeteners blatantly labeled as “zero-calorie sweeteners”. You would think these are some of the best sweeteners for Keto. Don\u2019t be fooled \u2013 they\u2019re almost 100% carbs. Packets of Equal, Splenda and Sweet\u2019n Low are all labeled this way, but all is not what it seems. The FDA stipulates that any serving that has less than 1 gram of carbs and fewer than 4 calories can be marked as zero-carbs. So what do the manufacturers do? They fill their sweetener packs with 0.9 grams instead of a full gram. So, if you do the math and use ten packets of Equal in a day, you\u2019ll be using around half of your daily Keto carb limit.<\/p>\n What\u2019s Wrong With Maltitol? <\/strong><\/p>\n If you look at the ingredients on the back of \u2018sugar-free\u2019 candies and \u2018low-carb\u2019 products, you\u2019ll continue to see one ingredient popping up \u2013 Maltitol. This ingredient, which is a sugar alcohol, is much cheaper than Xylitol and Erythritol, making it a popular choice for manufacturers to use.<\/p>\n But Maltitol is one of the worst sweeteners for Keto, as the small intestine absorbs about 40% of it, which raises both your insulin and blood sugar levels.[ix]<\/a> If that isn\u2019t bad enough, Maltitol also has around two-thirds as many calories as your regular sugar, making it one of the highest calorie sweeteners on the market.<\/p>\n Diet Soda \u2013 The Debate<\/strong><\/p>\n Many people drink diet soda on the Keto diet, especially when it comes to mixing alcoholic beverages. And while these are much lower in carbs than your full-fat regular versions, you should still avoid them as much as possible.<\/p>\n Diet soda, like any kind of soda, can be addictive, and if you consume too much, it\u2019s likely you\u2019ll experience some negative side effects. Drinking diet soda gives you a taste for sweet things, and this will only encourage your cravings. On top of that, despite many diet drinks stating they\u2019re zero calories, there\u2019s some evidence to suggest that it makes losing weight harder. One explanation is that it affects hormones while another suggests it tampers with the gut microbiota[x]<\/a>.<\/p>\n Many diet drinks also contain some of the more harmful artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame[xi]<\/a>, sucralose, and acesulfame K, all of which have been known to affect ketosis negatively. Additionally, aspartame has been linked to certain cancers.<\/p>\n In short, diet drinks have a high chance of negatively affecting your attempts to follow a low-carb, high-fat diet.<\/p>\n It\u2019s clear that some sweeteners are better than others. At the end of the day, the way you can achieve optimal health and lose weight is to ditch sweeteners altogether and enjoy natural LCHF(low carb, high fat) whole foods.<\/p>\n It\u2019s going to take some time for you to get used to a life without sugar, but it does get easier, and the more strict you are with yourself at the beginning, the easier it will be in the long run.<\/p>\n An important thing to remember is that zero-calorie sweeteners, when consumed alone, rarely cause you to gain weight. But when you include them in scrumptious baked goods, such as cakes and breads, it\u2019s likely you\u2019ll want to eat more because they taste so good!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [i]<\/a> http:\/\/care.diabetesjournals.org\/content\/1\/4\/223.short<\/a><\/p>\n [ii]<\/a> https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC2892765\/<\/a><\/p>\n [iii]<\/a> https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/ajcn\/article\/100\/3\/765\/4576435<\/a><\/p>\n [iv]<\/a> https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S0168827808001645<\/a><\/p>\n [v]<\/a> https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/BF02942413<\/a><\/p>\n [vi]<\/a> https:\/\/patents.google.com\/patent\/US3899593A\/en<\/a><\/p>\n [vii]<\/a> https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/BF03216221<\/a><\/p>\n [viii]<\/a> https:\/\/www.karger.com\/Article\/Abstract\/59714<\/a><\/p>\n [ix]<\/a> https:\/\/europepmc.org\/abstract\/med\/7859694<\/a><\/p>\n [x]<\/a> https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/ajcn\/article\/84\/2\/274\/4881805<\/p>\n [xi]<\/a> https:\/\/www.ramazzini.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/03\/New-study-reignites-aspartame-cancer-concerns.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" At Keyto, we recommend keeping away from all sugars while pursuing a Ketogenic diet – especially concentrated or artificial sweeteners like fructose, aspartame, and sucralose. We’ve found that after a few days of flexing your willpower muscles and avoiding all sugars and sweeteners, cravings will begin to disappear rapidly – especially once that weight starts […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":612,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[44],"class_list":["post-304","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-keyto"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-content.getkeyto.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/304","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-content.getkeyto.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-content.getkeyto.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-content.getkeyto.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-content.getkeyto.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=304"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wp-content.getkeyto.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/304\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-content.getkeyto.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/612"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-content.getkeyto.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=304"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-content.getkeyto.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=304"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-content.getkeyto.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=304"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}The Best Sweeteners For A Keto<\/h3>\n
A Summary<\/h3>\n