Truvia sweetener is keto-friendly, it is a mix of erythritol and stevia, two other keto-friendly keto sweeteners. There has been much debate over the years as to whether Truvia is a natural or synthetic sweetener, due to it being a stevia and erythritol blend, but we will not concern ourselves with that here. Instead, let’s learn more about Truvia sweetener on the keto diet.
What is Truvia Sweetener?
Truvia was developed jointly by Coca-Cola and Cargill. Truvia is made of stevia leaf extract, erythritol, and other natural flavors.
In the US this is sold as a tabletop sweetener for coffee etc.
Does Truvia have an Insulin Response for the Keto Diet?
Truvia is calorie-free and doesn’t spike blood glucose levels. i.e have an insulin response, making it perfect for the keto diet.
By not spiking your blood glucose levels, it is less likely to cause cravings for sweet foods by helping keep your insulin (blood sugar) levels regulated.
This means that Truvia, will not kick you out of ketosis.
If you are new to keto or want to know more about the foods you can and cannot eat on keto, check out our Keto Beginners Guide.
Stevia is a naturally occurring sugar, erythritol is a sugar alcohol.
What are Sugar Alcohols
Sugar alcohols, such as erythritol, have a chemical structure that is similar to carbohydrates, but their molecules have a different arrangement.
This structure prevents the body from completely breaking down the ‘sugar’ and therefore it is not absorbed into your bloodstream in its entirety.
Sugar alcohols are only partially absorbed unlike traditional sugars, such as granulated sugar (table sugar), icing sugar, or brown sugar, which are wholly absorbed.
Instead, they are passed through the digestive system and expelled by the body as waste. This is why sugar alcohols are known as being ‘insoluble’.
This means that sugar alcohols are considered a “low-glycemic sweetener,” which means they won’t spike your blood sugar as quickly as traditional sugar.
Sugar alcohols are also called ‘polyols’. They have zero calories and can often be found in foods such as Skinny Syrups and a lot of keto-friendly goodies.
Polyols include Xylitol, Sorbitol, Erythritol, Isomalt, and Maltitol, just to name a few. They are popular sugar substitutes in keto-friendly foods such as sugar-free mints, sweets, and baked treats.
List of Polyols
Polyols occur naturally in lots of foods, like fruit and vegetables, or can be manmade. It is the manmade polyols that are added as low-calorie sweeteners to a lot of ‘diet’ foods, including keto foods.
The polyols that you need to be looking out for on your nutritional labels are;
- Acesulfame K
- Alitame
- Aspartame
- Brazzein
- Curculin
- Cyclamate
- Erythritol
- Glycerol
- Glycyrrhizin
- Inulin
- Isomalt
- Lactitol
- Luo Han Guo
- Mannitol
- Miraculin
- Monellin
- Neotame
- Oligofructose
- Pentadin
- Saccharin
- Sorbitol
- Stevia
- Sucralose
- Thaumatin
- Xylitol
- Yacon Syrup
How to Count the Net Carbs from Truvia?
All of the above score a 5 or less on the Glycaemic Index(GI), meaning they will not spike your blood pressure and therefore can be deducted in full from the total number of carbs listed on your nutritional label.
Net carbs from Truvia will be zero.
For more on net carbs check out our article here.
How Does the Body Process Sugar Alcohol?
It’s important to note that different people react in different ways to sugar alcohols. Some people experience side effects with sugar alcohol. This is more prevalent with xylitol, as opposed to Truvia, however, it is something to be mindful of
These side effects can include, bloating, gas, and diarrhea, even when consumed in small amounts.
If you find that this is the case, maybe try using stevia only rather than this blend.
Keto sweets are the prime example of this, if you buy any sugar-free sweets or gum, be careful as eating too many can soon have laxative effects.
Watch out For This
There are a number of different takes on Truvia these days, not all of which are keto-friendly,
Truvia has produced a brown sugar blend and a cane sugar blend which are high in carbs and are not keto-friendly. Please be aware of this when shopping in-store or online.
If you have previously used or read that Truvia is keto-friendly, you need to be mindful that this does not relate to all products produced under the ‘Truvia’ brand name.
Final Thoughts: Can You Use Truvia Sweetener on the Keto Diet?
Yes, if you are living a ‘dirty keto’ lifestyle, you can use Truvia on the keto diet. It scores low on the glycaemic index, therefore will not spike your blood pressure. With Truvia you can deduct all of the carbs. Just be mindful that although Truvia is keto-friendly, not all produced branded under the ‘Truvia’ heading, will necessarily be keto friendly.
