xylitol and stevia

l3long

I have a couple of green drink powders I like to supplement with. One is unsweetened (yuck :-)) The other is sweetened with stevia and xylitol. The second one seems more satisfying which makes me wonder if my brain sees the sweeteners as carbs? What is your experience with stevia, xylitol and ketosis?

KnitOrMiss

For me, anything other than Sweet Leaf brand stevia triggers and insulin reaction. Even xylitol and erythritol, which aren't supposed to trigger sugar reactions, do for me.

But I am insulin resistant, and so any sweet TASTE and my body triggers the insulin deal. I've learned to sweeten to tolerance NOT to taste, to manage this some.

But yes, your body can see a slightly sweet taste as more satisfying, because it saturates and satisfies more taste buds, etc. Make sure you're not making it overly sweet... Maybe combine the two? Also, look at the total fat profiles. It's possible one has more fats in it, too. A good balance is needed.

KnitOrMiss

Dextrose and maltodextrin are common fillers to give bulk to sweeteners, but they have a higher reaction as far as blood sugars than sugar itself, so try to avoid those. If your powder has no fillers, then that shouldn't be an issue.

CoffeeSalty

I have no idea if my brain sees any sweeteners as carbs or not. But I did make the decision awhile back to ditch any powdered sweeteners and only use liquid Stevia. I prefer Swerve, Erythritol, and Xylitol (watch the pets, though) to bake with. Using any of these don't seem to interfere with ketosis for me.

KnitOrMiss

I have been Keto roughly a year, and I'll make fat bombs with AS, but I haven't "baked" with them... @CoffeeSalty what type of things do you bake? (I'm lucky in that I can still cook SAD stuff for others without much temptation, especially since I love baking so much.)

CoffeeSalty

@KnitOrMiss, it's mainly low carb Cheesecake Muffins that I bake. I do want to try the I Can't Believe It's Not Cornbread and the mock Cheddar Bay Biscuits but haven't done them yet. Luckily I don't do any real baking any more (other than around the holidays) because if it's a chocolate cake I need to make, I'd be found head first in it. I adore chocolate!

KETOGENICGURL

13long, you are on the right track, it's just not that your brain sees them as carbs, the body- pancreas-liver- react to these AS as a "real sugar load" coming thru..and it can totally wreck insulin levels..

Dr. Jason Fung is adamant that *kitten* are as bad a real sugars..so using them added to food or drinks, or as diet sodas gets blasted by him.

Personally I can't enjoy any diet or plan of eating without some sweetener in my life…so I just keep Fung's advice in mind…but do use Stevia, some powdered erythritol, and saccharin.

and as Knit says AVOID maltodextrose (any powdered AS claiming to be Stevia (Stevia in the raw, etc) is ONLY 5% stevia, and ALL the rest is 'sugar'..very sneaky and unfair to the consumer.

CoffeeSalty

I ditched the powdered stuff for the same reasons. I will keep a few packets of monk fruit in my purse if my only choices are Splenda, Equal, or Sweet-n-Low when eating out and I forgot my bottle of Stevia. I heard on a Jimmy Moore podcast that Splenda was actually a science experiment gone wrong, aka chemicals!!!!

macchiatto

I haven't really noticed any differences when I use AS (I use liquid stevia and splenda; I have xylitol but haven't tried it yet) but I know everyone's different.

ncprice1

Hiya,

I enjoy TruVia (which is a stevia blend) and Splenda. I tolerate them well and have had no issues with negative side effects or cravings.

Best wishes,
NC

Yi5hedr3

Xylitol does have carbs, Stevia does not. Best to stick with Stevia. Liquid form is less bitter.

eatingfatbeingfat

Liquid Stevia and nothing else. My body just can't cope. The longer I am on keto, the less tolerant my body seems to be to artificial anything. Liquid ones taste better (in my opinion). Trader Joes and 356 (whole foods) are the best/most affordable ones I have bought.

It took a full 6 months for me to get used to the bitter after taste, but I did adapt.

KnitOrMiss

eatingfatbeingfat wrote: »

Liquid Stevia and nothing else. My body just can't cope. The longer I am on keto, the less tolerant my body seems to be to artificial anything. Liquid ones taste better (in my opinion). Trader Joes and 356 (whole foods) are the best/most affordable ones I have bought.

It took a full 6 months for me to get used to the bitter after taste, but I did adapt.

Sweet Leaf Stevia does not have a bitter aftertaste unless you use too much. I find that some brands of stevia have "natural flavors" and trigger instant migraines for me. Not something I recommend for others.

bodyandsoulsustenance

@KnitOrMiss, how are you measuring your insulin after eating?

KnitOrMiss

@bodyandsoulsustenance I'm not measuring it officially, as sadly there are no home testers for that aside from insulin pumps as far as I know. I have food reactions that if I have too much insulin in my bloodstream, I will essentially pass out. It is called postprandial somnolence. I call it food narcing out. I think some people call it a food coma, but mine isn't like that per se. When I have that reaction, I know my system us overwhelmed, etc.

bodyandsoulsustenance

@KnitOrMiss Ok, thanks for responding!