It’s no secret that food and drink manufacturers have been at pains to develop sugar alternatives for decades now, responding to increasing global awareness about the dangers of too much sugar in our diets. From the packets of Stevia you’ll find in any given diner to the aspartame in your Diet Coke, scientists have been hard at work to come up with a substitute that satisfies both the sugar craving and the functional role that sugar plays in cooking and sweet commercial products. As far as keto cooks and dieters are concerned, finding the right sweetener can make all the difference in staying on track with happy, healthy eating.
A push for passable sugar
The market pressure to come up with an alternative to sugar that won’t ruin your digestive system is more intense than ever, as populations and governments around the world wake up to the true extent of sugar’s destructive effects on health. The latest foray comes from Ingredion, an ingredient solutions company, who recently partnered with Matsutani Chemical Industry to manufacture and produce a reduced-calorie sugar substitute: Astraea allulose. Produced in Mexico, Astraea allulose has begun to be marketed across North and South America as a smart solution for a desperate food industry.1
The new ingredient is supposed to be 70 percent as sweet as table sugar. That's a far cry from the zero-calorie ideal.2 The reduced calorie count, however, makes a big difference for producers facing sugar taxes in countries like Mexico and Chile, and a growing number of U.S. cities. Each of these taxes asks the deceivingly complicated question: how sweet is your product?
“Reducing sucrose is an emerging global trend and can be a challenge for manufacturers, who are looking to match the sweet taste of sugar while achieving the same functional benefits in their products,” said Ingredion Vice President Tony DeLio. DeLio acknowledged that much of this was being done in anticipation of increased government regulation on sugary products.
Monk fruit, erythritol, and the zero-calorie ideal
While a low-cal sugar like Astraea allulose could be a useful substitute for producers dealing with new regulations, it’s definitely not the solution for keto dieters and anyone serious about dumping sugar. But desperate dieters need not worry: top-shelf zero-calorie alternatives already exist. Monk fruit and erythritol are two zero-calorie alternatives that preserve the sweet taste of sugar without the harmful side effects of aspartame and the like. Whether you’re baking a cake or just need a little kick in your morning coffee, these keto-approved products are definitely the way to go.
NUTRITIONAL DISCLAIMER
The content on this website should not be taken as medical advice and you should ALWAYS consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. We provide nutritional data for our recipes as a courtesy to our readers. We use Total Keto Diet app software to calculate the nutrition and we remove fiber and sugar alcohols, like erythritol, from the total carbohydrate count to get to the net carb count, as they do not affect your blood glucose levels. You should independently calculate nutritional information on your own and not rely on our data. The website or content herein is not intended to cure, prevent, diagnose or treat any disease. This website shall not be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of recipes or recommendations on the Website or actions you take as a result. Any action you take is strictly at your own risk.
Dr. Rosmy Barrios, MD is an aesthetic medicine specialist whose work focuses on patients who are treated for obesity, metabolic syndrome, and other weight-related issues through nutritional analysis, keto diet programs, and supporting medications.
- California Pushes for Cigarette-Like Warning Labels on Soda - July 1, 2019
- Is a Slowdown in Australia's Sugar Consumption a Sign of More to Come? - June 24, 2019
- Groundbreaking Study Says the Sugar Rush Doesn't Exist - June 12, 2019
