In the modern world, every individual tries to take care of their health by various methods. One of these methods is diets aimed at losing weight, or on the contrary, at gaining weight. However, these are not the only reasons for the creation of specific eating behavior. Such processes are also related to the peculiarities of the body, diseases, and preventive purposes. Sugar substitutes play an essential role in developing diverse eating behaviors, making it safe to say that there have to be secondary options available to people willing to replace natural sugar with something else. A Keto diet can be described as a positive eating pattern that should be considered to identify the most efficient features of alternative nourishment and reach a relevant verdict about sugar substitutes and the necessity of their use during a keto diet.
Peculiarities of the Keto Diet
The purpose of the keto diet is to “start” the process of ketosis, in which the body begins to use energy not from the glucose present in the blood but stored fat. Typically, a person first uses up the carbohydrates from sugar, sweets, starchy vegetables, and white flour products in daily activities (Sachdev, 2018). These are eliminated from the keto diet, and the body uses up fat reserves (Johnson, 2021). Since the body loses weight quickly, up to five kilos in a month or more, a person does not feel intense hunger thanks to satiating foods in the diet (Taubes, 2020). Preference is given to foods with healthy fatty acids:
- Vegetable and animal oils;
- Sardines and other fatty fish;
- Walnuts and avocados (Johnson, 2021).
Fats during the keto diet are supplemented with proteins, such as eggs, seafood, and meat. To activate ketosis, a person needs to monitor blood sugar levels, minimize carbohydrates in the keto diet, and monitor all foods’ glycemic index (GI) (Koporc, 2018). The index reflects how much a food increases the proportion of glucose in the blood, and the index must be low to trigger ketosis. Therefore, the keto diet is one of the healthies ways to approach one’s health condition. This is the main reason why this diet is quickly becoming popular across the globe among people from various socioeconomic layers.
What Are the Most Popular Sugar Replacements within the Keto Diet?
When following a ketogenic diet, individuals need to choose a sugar substitute with this feature in mind. Many sweeteners have a high glycemic index even though they are low in calories, and they are not suitable for the diet (Moore & Nally, 2018). Sugar has 387 kcal per 100 g, and its GI is 63 (Kossoff et al., 2020). This is high (insulin has a maximum of 100), but even this is lower than many sweeteners that contain fructose (Moore & Nally, 2018). Therefore, corn syrup, “monk fruit,” agave syrup, honey, maltitol are not suitable for the diet (Taubes, 2020). Excessive blood sugar on this diet can lead to dangerous consequences:
- Insulin resistance and sudden spikes in blood glucose;
- Obesity of the liver (Sachdev, 2018);
- Increased hunger due to increased cravings for sweets.
Sugar substitutes on the keto diet should have a minimum GI (glycemic index) and, at the same time, be safe. Therefore, a person should not use, for example, aspartame with very controversial effects on the body. The following types of sweeteners can be used safely:
- A natural sweetener that is well tolerated in small doses (Koporc, 2018). The individual may experience nausea and diarrhea when using 65 g or more per day, so careful consumption monitoring is required (Johnson, 2021).
- Chicory root sweetener. It can be used, but with caution – its carbohydrates are partially digested, which is not suitable for the diet (Kossoff et al., 2020).
- Melon sugar, which has zero calories, does not change blood glucose values and is excreted from the body with urine. It also has side effects – many diet followers note nausea, bloating, diarrhea.
Adverse Effects of Sweeteners on the Keto Diet
Although sweeteners have little effect on blood sugar levels (and weight), their excessive use can harm the body. All sweeteners support cravings for sweets. In addition, adding them to calorie-dense foods (such as a cupcake) increases the sense of enjoyment. Adding sweeteners to the keto diet can make individuals eat more than they need (Taubes, 2020). Adding even non-caloric sweeteners to diet drinks can make it difficult to lose weight.
This means that all sweeteners, including those non-caloric ones mentioned above, have potentially harmful effects (Moore & Nally, 2018). It is advisable to avoid them if possible because the presence of sugar in one’s diet is a counterbalancing measure that makes it harder for people to live a healthier lifestyle. It is worth emphasizing that people on a keto diet tend to have cravings for sweets that decrease over time (Koporc, 2018). However, most people cannot do without sweets, so the rationale behind the existence of sweeteners is clear.
Natural Sugar
Natural sugar comes in many forms: white, brown, cane, coconut sugar, and maple syrup. Raw sugar comprises 50% glucose and 50% fructose, making it a 100% carbohydrate (Sachdev, 2018). Consuming natural sugar will result in higher blood sugar levels and weight gain. These sugars are forbidden to be destroyed on the keto diet, as they will prevent them from achieving the desired effect (Kossoff et al., 2020). It is worth noting that sweeteners such as white and brown sugar, coconut sugar, maple syrup, and dates received 100 points each (Taubes, 2020). This is because they are 100% natural sugar and should be avoided on the keto diet.
Fructose
Some sweeteners are even worse than sugar due to their chemical composition. Regular sugar contains 50% glucose and 50% fructose (Koporc, 2018). On the other hand, sweeteners contain more fructose than glucose (Kossoff et al., 2020). Although these sweeteners raise blood glucose levels more slowly, resulting in a deceptively low blood glucose index, they have an even more significant adverse effect on the body. Getting too much fructose into the body on a keto diet can lead to liver obesity and insulin resistance, increasing the duration of carbohydrates’ adverse effects (Sachdev, 2018). Fructose-based sweeteners include high fructose corn syrup, fruit juice concentrate, honey, and agave syrup (Taubes, 2020). The listed fructose sweetener options on the keto diet are even more harmful than pure sugar. The fructose content of agave syrup is over 60% and is the worst listed option (Ferguson, 2019). Sweeteners with high fructose content are not recommended on the keto diet.
Sucralose
Before analyzing sucralose, there is a little controversy about the glycemic index. Many sources show different numbers, but the average is about 80 GI in powdered form (Dalenberg et al., 2020). The negative effect is that this glycemic index is higher than in sugar and can cause a substantial rise in blood sugar – so a person should avoid the powdered form. Sucralose is the most questionable sweetener that can be included in the keto diet. It could be a valuable add-on to a detailed keto diet where a person will be ready to rely on sugar substitutes. There are many reasons why one could side with sucralose when engaging in a keto diet, but numerous drawbacks have to be considered.
The Point of Sugar Substitutes on the Keto Diet
On a keto diet, an individual should consume plenty of fats and moderate amounts of protein. Carbohydrates are recommended to be no more than 5% of the daily food composition, but hardly anyone can give up sweets resolutely (Ferguson, 2019). It has been proven that people instinctively choose sweet foods to comfort themselves or to reward themselves for a job well done. It is important to note that the keto diet does not restrict the consumption of sweets, as long as the percentage of pure carbohydrates in them is kept to a minimum (Ferguson, 2019). People who follow the ketogenic diet can add a sugar substitute to drinks or healthy desserts: this is not dangerous and has no adverse consequences (Moore & Nally, 2018). Nevertheless, it should be understood that many of the usual sweeteners do not meet the principles of the keto diet because they contain too many carbohydrates.
Conclusion
The current paper reinforces the idea that the keto diet is a positive trend that helps people alter their eating behaviors to allow for more efficient nourishment and better understand how sugar substitutes could contribute to one’s diet. As a recap of the current research, it should be noted that sugar substitutes do not do any good during the keto diet, but only some of them can be called harmful. One of the keto diet principles is to reduce a person’s carbohydrate intake, and sweeteners violate this principle. Nevertheless, if there is a need for sweets for objective reasons, it is essential to choose the most harmless sweetener, for example, zero glycemic indexes. Otherwise, there will be no weight loss, and, consequently, the diet will be useless.
References
Dalenberg, J. R., Patel, B. P., Denis, R., Veldhuizen, M. G., Nakamura, Y., Vinke, P. C., Luquet, S., & Small, D. M. (2020). Short-term consumption of sucralose with, but not without, carbohydrate impairs neural and metabolic sensitivity to sugar in humans. Cell Metabolism, 31(3), 493-502. Web.
Ferguson, L. (2019). Keto diet. Burn more fat and boost our metabolism faster. Self-Publisher.
Johnson, V. (2021). Keto diet for women. Intermittent fasting and ketogenic dieting tips for rapid weight loss. Self-Publisher.
Koporc, Z. (2018). Ethics and integrity in health and life sciences research. Emerald Publishing Limited.
Kossoff, E. H., Zahava Turner, R. D., Cervenka, M. C., & Barron, B. J. (2020). Ketogenic diet therapies for epilepsy and other conditions. Springer Publishing Company.
Moore, J., & Nally, A. (2018). The keto cure. A low-carb, high-fat dietary solution to heal your body and optimize your health. Victory Belt Publishing.
Sachdev, R. (2018). Sugar substitutes & their role in dentistry. Lulu.com.
Taubes, G. (2020). The case for keto. Rethinking weight control and the science and practice of low-carb/high-fat eating. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.
Reflection
During writing the essay, several sources were studied to maximize the objectivity and reliability of the information. An excellent example of this is that the harmfulness or neutrality of sweeteners is evaluated by the glycemic index, which was taken from a study and comparison of the works of Sachdev, Kossoff, and Dr. Nally. The analysis reveals characteristics that are of vital importance to know when classifying the sweeteners.
Moreover, the entire work is accompanied by a literature analysis of competent experts, which ensures there are no pieces of work in which there can be any doubt. No facts have been invented independently; the authoritative opinion of researchers predetermines everything. Nevertheless, refinements and corrections may be necessary after the work has been checked. I am prepared for this, and I notify you that the best way to provide feedback is to send an e-mail to me.
It took me two full days to revise the draft and ensure that there were no problems with the paper’s overall flow and the vocabulary used to appeal to the audience. The first and foremost revision strategy for me was to eradicate all the sources of distraction and focus on the contents of the work. I have re-read the essay slowly to understand better what worked for the current paper and paid exceptional attention to the elements of formatting and referencing.
The first revision related to removing any typos or logical disconnections across the paper to improve the flow. The second revision was to add missing sources and format the reference list appropriately so that it would remain in line with the APA7 guidelines. The ultimate revision was to run several spell checks and grammar analyses to ensure that the readers’ attention will not be carried away by the prevalence of hard-to-read sentences and inappropriate wording.
After taking this course, I believe that I started paying much more attention to how I deliver my thoughts and what kind of language I use to convey the idea to the audience. Good writing plays a crucial role because it complements the research and adds to the overall value of the effort exerted by the author. Therefore, relevant knowledge concerning the writing process might become a helping hand instead of an obstacle on the way to a detailed essay.