How can a food have no calories but carbs?

paj315

I just logged the SoBe Life water that I drank and realized that for the 20 oz bottle it has 15 grams of carbs but yet says that its zero calories.

I thought that each gram of carb contained 4 calories? So shouldn't this drink be 60 calories? Or am I missing something?

grannygethealthy1111

This is the response directly from the manufacturers:

You might be familiar with the general rule of thumb that carbohydrates have 4 calories per gram, proteins have 4 calories per gram, and fats have 9 calories per gram. Please know, however, this is only a rough estimate. According to the FDA’s approved method of calculation, not all carbohydrates are created equally.

Our new SoBe Zero-Calorie Life Water products contain two natural sweeteners, PureVia and erythritol, with erythritol providing nearly all of the carbohydrate content. However, erythritol does not have the caloric content of most carbohydrates. There are approximately 1.2 calories (due to the erythritol) per 8 ounce serving, and according to FDA labeling guidelines, any beverage containing fewer than 5 calories is considered a zero-calorie product.

paj315

Thanks! I never even thought to check the manufacturer!!

I thought it might by a sugar alcohol thing.

JamesBradford2

It's important to note that this is sugar alcohol they're using. If you are diabetic, those carbs can spike your blood sugar artificially because your body thinks it's getting sugar.