There’s a new sweetener is on the market that is causing a stir in the keto community. Typically, any sweeteners are used cautiously because sweet things often lead to a break in ketosis. We have all had the feeling of disappointment when we find out one of our favorite meals actually is not keto friendly. Allulose however, is unique. It’s a non-gmo sugar that has only 10% of the calories of regular sugar.
The bottom line about Allulose is that it will NOT take you out of ketosis. Not only will it keep you in ketosis, but it has no significant effect on insulin or blood sugar. The FDA has approved Allulose for commercial use and some studies have even shown it can help with weight loss.
For the serious keto dietitian, we will go into more detail about what exactly Allulose is and how the body handles the sugar itself.
On the chemical level, Allulose has the same structure as fructose. The only difference is that one “OH” (Hydroxide) is facing the other direction than it does in regular fructose. The majority of the sugar is absorbed into your bloodstream, which seems like a red flag for many. But because of its structure it’s not actually used as fuel by the body.
When it passes through your gut biome, it shows no signs of fermentation which often leads to bloating and gas. Not only does it not cause inflammation but it acts as an anti-inflammatory chemical as well.
Because allulose is not used as fuel by the body, it’s simply flushed out by the kidneys. All of the allulose you ingest, exits the body through urine. Needless to say, from the studies we are seeing today, allulose is shaping up to be a serious game changer for the American diet.
This is not only a revelation for the keto community, Allulose can change the lives of those suffering from diabetes and other sugar related issues. The anti-hyperlipidemic effect along with the anti-inflammatory nature of allulose can help prevent both obesity and diabetes.
The conclusion to the above study is as follows: “we demonstrated that d-allulose is able to reduce body fat mass in overweight or obese subjects. Further, the preliminary study also indicates that the effects of d-allulose supplementation are likely to be dose-dependent.” In other words, this does not mean we can start adding allulose to everything, there are still some limitations. But overall, it’s a safe and possibly revolutionary sugar.
Many leaders in the keto community have made videos taste testing Allulose. Officially, it’s reported to be 70% as sweet as regular sugar. There has been some debate as to whether that number is accurate, but the majority of testers agree that it does taste exactly like sugar and it has no aftertaste like some other artificial sweeteners.
This is great for the keto community because we are able to get the taste of sugar, at a slightly lower intensity, while having none of the guilt of breaking our diet. Be aware that it does have some calories, but it’s about 1/10 the amount of normal sugar.
Everybody is different so you may not know how you will react to the sugar replacement until you try it. However, the good news is, no matter what you think of the product, it’s perfectly keto-friendly.
Think of all the doors that suddenly open to the keto community now that a safe, keto-friendly, sugar is on the market. Allulose has it’s on properties and reacts to the baking process a little differently than regular sugar, well break down what you need to know:
Allulose will brown quicker than regular sugar. So from an aesthetic point of view all kinds of cookies and cakes will reach the same level of “brown” that we’ve come to expect. Be aware that this effect will happen fast so it may give the illusion that your cookies are done when they still need a bit more time.
Sometimes we have to settle with keto substitute meals that don’t quite have the same structure that we’re used to. Luckily for us, allulose has almost the exact same structure when baked as sucrose. Moisture is held well which prevents the dry brittle affect us ketoers have come to accept.
Allulose also blends perfectly with water. This makes it a great option for adding to mixed drinks or protein shakes. For manufacturers, this is also good news because it works well with ready to drink products.
Even though we are at the early stages of learning about this new product, the future looks bright. The long term benefits of switching from sugar to allulose can reach far beyond the keto community and may have serious effects on the common American diet.
The main thing we need to know right now is that it’s safe, it’s tasty, and it’s keto friendly. So if you see Allulose in some of the products you consume, don’t worry about it. You may even be inclined to order a bag off amazon and try it for yourself!
