There’s a common misconception among those who adopt the keto diet that artificial sweeteners are allowed in the diet. They consume zero-calorie sodas or sugar-free sweets in the belief that it’s all good.
This is not true. The keto diet does not allow for artificial sweeteners, and there are several salient reasons for this.
* Keeps you addicted to sweet foods
One of the benefits of the keto diet is that it weans you off sugar and puts an end to sugar addictions. Since sugar elevates the glucose levels in your blood, it is anathema to the keto diet.
However, if you keep consuming artificial sweeteners, your body constantly craves sweet foods. You never truly get used to not having sweet stuff to eat. That makes it more difficult to comply with the keto diet.
* Artificial sweeteners are harmful
There are many studies that link artificial sweeteners to several health problems. They are toxic in the long run. Your goal should be to use the keto diet to improve your health and not consume these harmful substances which ruin it.
* It’s not always about glucose levels
While sweeteners like aspartame, acesulfame, sucralose and saccharin will not elevate your blood sugar levels, they do have a negative effect on insulin sensitivity. These sweeteners can cause overeating, obesity and constant food cravings.
* May affect ketone levels
Since your goal is to achieve ketosis, the fastest way to go about it will be to consume natural, wholesome food that’s not man-made. Like the famous health guru, Jack LaLanne once said, “If man made it, don’t eat it.”
All artificial sweeteners are man-made and not as harmless as they proclaim to be. For some people, these sweeteners may take them out of ketosis or make it more difficult to reach a state of ketosis.
It’s very difficult to predict how these sweeteners may negate your efforts because every individual is different. However, what we can all agree upon is that these are unhealthy and detrimental substances that your body just doesn’t need… and have no place in the keto diet.
* How do you sweeten your foods?
It can be tough being on a diet that strictly limits your sugar intake and doesn’t allow for artificial sweeteners either. What is your good ol’ sweet tooth going to do now?
Take heart. There are healthy alternatives, though these should be consumed in moderation too.
The first one is stevia. It’s far sweeter than sugar and still natural. The good news is that it has almost no calories and will not elevate your blood sugar levels.
Besides stevia, there are sweeteners like monk fruit, etc. People often wonder if they can use raw honey when on a keto diet.
This is a tricky question because while raw honey is a very healthy food to consume, it does contain calories and carbs that can elevate your blood sugar levels. The only way to know the impact of honey on your ketosis will be to test it out.
Consume a spoonful of raw honey and use the ketone meter an hour later to see if you’re still in ketosis. If you are, then a teaspoon of honey can be part of your diet and won’t hurt your efforts.
If you’re no longer in ketosis, that teaspoon may be too much and you should just avoid honey.
To conclude, just remember that avoiding the artificial sweeteners is the wise thing to do. There are only advantages and no downside at all.
You may not be able to get much sweetness in your diet, but over time, you’ll discover that you don’t crave sweet foods at all… and that’s a wonderful thing.
