On Sweeteners for the Ketogenic Diet: Which ones can you trust and which ones should you avoid? Guest Blog Post from KetoGenius!

This month we would love to introduce you to our guest bloggers: Mark & Avni from KetoGenius who create amazing ketogenic snack boxes with every imaginable delicious healthy ketogenic snack available! Use code KETOSUPPLEMENTS for 10% off your order  :-).

• Aspartame – One of the most popular artificial sweeteners – has been deemed safe by both the EU and the FDA. However, animal and human studies have found evidence of headaches, dizziness, confusion, memory loss, blurred vision, severe depression, irritability, anxiety attacks and severe drowsiness or sleepiness.
• Surcalose – 600 times sweeter than sugar, Surcalose is also known as Splenda. Initially believed to be biologically inert, recent studies have found it may affect blood glucose and insulin levels and disrupt gut flora.
• Acesulfame potassium / Acesulfame K – Often blended with surcalose. Similar side-effects have been found with this sweetener, including headaches, mental confusion and may even increase your appetite!
• Maltitol – this is different in being a sugar alcohol and a relatively high GI rating of 35, which could kick you out of ketosis even in relatively small quantities. If you’ve ever had it you may know it can include a variety of digestive problems including diarrhea, gas, and abdominal discomfort (!)

While we believe these sweeteners are fine occasionally for the majority of people, when transitioning to a low carb diet, it can be hard to limit them. A quick glance at the most popular low carb products reveals the following:

• Grenade Carb Killa Bars – contains Maltitol & Surcalose
• Atkins Bars / Shakes – contains Maltitol & Surcalose
• Diet Coke / Coca Cola Zero/ Diet Soft Drinks – Asparteme & Acesulfame K (p.s if you really struggle to shake your diet cola addiction, try this one) 
• Diablo Sugar Free Chocolate / Biscuits – Maltitol

Yummy! We would estimate from our experience at least 75%+ of so called low carb products contain at least one of these sweeteners. Products like Grenade are marketed heavily as a healthy alternative and are growing their market share rapidly, especially in the fitness market.

KetoGenius (and ourselves at Keto Supplements) select only products which contain ingredients from the below list, in which we believe ​the risk of harm is significantly reduced as it been used for hundreds of years and/or is derived directly from plants with minimal chemical tampering. And of course, keeps you keto!

• Stevia – The stevia plant has been used for more than 1,500 years by the Guaraní people of Brazil and Paraguay, who refer to stevia as ka’a he’ê, which means “sweet herb.” However there are 3 categories of stevia – with brands like Truvia being full of chemicals (avoid!). We either choose products that use pure stevia (category 1) or a mixture of stevia and erythritol (category 2). Stevia can help regulate blood-sugar levels and improve oral health.

• Monkfruit – Derived from a small round fruit grown in Southeast Asia.  It has been safely used for centuries in Eastern medicine as a cold and digestive aid, and now it is also being used to sweeten foods and beverage. Zero calories and doesn’t affect blood sugar.

• Erythritol – a natural sugar alcohol that’s made from the fermented natural sugar found in corn husks. It has no calories whatsoever and it doesn’t impact blood sugar. It’s normally used in chewing gum, beverages, and in baking. It’s considered very easy to digest because it’s absorbed into the small intestine.

• Xylitol – a low-calorie sweetener obtained from a variety of plants. A variety of fruits and vegetables naturally contain xylitol, including plums, strawberries and cauliflower. Even the human body produces a small amount. However, in large quantities it can cause digestive problems, hence we limit the number of xylitol products you will receive in the KetoGenius box. ​​These are ideal sweeteners for the ketogenic diet.

​Luckily the tide is changing with companies and entrepreneurs such as Keto Kookie realising the benefits of producing more natural products. In the ground-zero of nutrition, the USA, some amazing products and supplements are coming out which we are excited to stock. In the UK too, companies such as Deliciously Guilt Free and Adonis only use these natural sweeteners, who we are proud to partner with.

Of course, you can argue we really don’t need sweeteners at all in our diets – nuts, meat, vegetables, coconuts is all you really need for Keto. BUT, we are only human and choosing the right sweeteners for the ketogenic diet, to be consumed in moderation, is a common sense approach to make sure we can all enjoy the LC / Keto lifestyle without any nasty side-effects.

Thank you Mark & Avni!

And if you haven’t already, head over to KetoGenius and use code KETOSUPPLEMENTS for 10% off your incredible ketogenic snack box!

Learn more about the Ketogenic Diet here.