Not all artificial sweeteners are made the same.

Some Provoke both an insulin response and glucose response, some trigger one or the other response. The best artificial sweeteners for Keto will trigger neither.

 

Aspartame (NutraSweet & Equal) , while it isn't the best thing to put into your body, it is Keto friendly as it does not spike insulin or glucose. Aspartame is primary sweetener used in these diet soda's: Diet Dr. Pepper, Diet Cherry Dr. Pepper, Diet Mug Rootbeer.  You can also buy aspartame packets. 

 

Stevia is a much safer sweetener that also not spike glucose or insulin. However It can be extremely sweet or somewhat bitter. You can get this in many different forms. It can come in liquid, crystals, powders, in bags or packets. 

 

Erythritol is another good option by not spiking unsulin or glucose. It also seems to  inhibit fructose absorption. 

 

A great combination sweetener using stevia and erythritol is called Truvia and Splenda now has "Splenda Naturals", which is made of just erythrotol and stevia leaf extract.  

 

Let's talk about the ones that should be avoided! 

Sugar alcohols are long chain carbohydrates that are not sugar or alcohol. They are maltitol, sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, erythritol, lactitol, and hydrolyzed starch hydrolysates. They can be used to make a lot of yummy treats but are not all are absorbed by your intestine which causes side effects like gas, bloating and diarrhea for a lot of folks. Some of these effect people differently and may increase blood sugar and insulin levels.

Maltitol, sorbitol and xylitol seemed to be the worst of these causing an insulin response of about half that of normal sugar. (Erythritol is fine. See the above mentioning) 

 

Acesulfame Potassium  (Ace-K)  It has a bitter taste so it is often paired  with aspartame to improve the taste. It does not raise blood sugar but it significantly increases the insulin response just the same as eating glucose.  Avoid Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Diet Pepsi, Diet Mountain Dew, Sprite Zero, Fresca,  Barq’s Diet Root Beer. (Look at the ingredients) Just Aspartame alone is keto friendly, but not with Acesulfame Potassium. 

 

Sucralose (normal Splenda)  Because of maltodextrin is used to make it, it contains about 0.5 grams of carbohydrate per teaspoon. It does cause a mild insulin release and may lead to weight gain or weight loss stalling when used in excess. 1 cup of Splenda is equal to 2 tablespoons of sugar.

(Personally even very small amounts of regular Splenda will kick me out of ketosis)

 

Saccharine (Sweet N Low)  It doesn't increase blood sugar, but it does stimulate an insulin response and can be a problem in weight loss.

​

*****Sugar*****

Your body does not need you to add sugar! The human body needs about 1 spoonful of sugar per day, but not from foods or additives. It is perfectly capable of creating the sugar it requires from protein you consume threw gluconeogenesis. 

​

SUGAR... Has over 61 different names that can be listed on ingredient labels. The higher to the top of the list, the greater the amount. If its 1st on the list no matter what the carb count, I personally would put the product down. If it's further down on the list the less amount it has mixed in. If the Total Carbohydrates listed on the nutrition label are low, you can use your best judgement. You could always try the product (calculated risk) and see if you are kicked out of ketosis or stalled in weight loss. 

​

• Agave nectar

• Barbados sugar

• Barley malt

• Barley malt syrup

• Beet sugar

• Brown sugar

• Buttered syrup

• Cane juice

• Cane juice crystals

• Cane sugar

• Caramel

• Carob syrup

• Castor sugar

• Coconut palm sugar

• Coconut sugar

• Confectioner's sugar

• Corn sweetener

• Corn syrup

• Corn syrup solids

• Date sugar

• Dehydrated cane juice

• Demerara sugar

• Dextrin

• Dextrose

• Evaporated cane juice

• Free-flowing brown sugars

• Fructose

• Fruit juice

• Fruit juice concentrate

• Glucose

• Glucose solids

• Golden sugar

• Golden syrup

• Grape sugar

• HFCS (High-Fructose Corn Syrup)

• Honey

• Icing sugar

• Invert sugar

• Malt syrup

• Maltodextrin

• Maltol

• Maltose

• Mannose

• Maple syrup

• Molasses

• Muscovado

• Palm sugar

• Panocha

• Powdered sugar

• Raw sugar

• Refiner's syrup

• Rice syrup

• Saccharose

• Sorghum Syrup

• Sucrose

• Sugar (granulated)

• Sweet Sorghum

• Syrup

• Treacle

• Turbinado sugar

• Yellow sugar

​

​

​

​

​

​