When it comes to the keto diet, the benefits are pretty great, but some things can definitely slow you down, especially things like sugar cravings.
I myself was especially prone to sugar cravings when I was bored. On other diets, to try and solve this I’d always opt for chewing gum to help keep my mind at bay between meals and still get a sweet fix, but as many of you might already know, most types of chewing gum are not keto-friendly.
That’s not to say that chewing gum will take you right out of ketosis, but if you’re a former avid chewer like me, you may have been inclined to go through multiple pieces a day.
That’s why I was absolutely shocked when I looked at the nutrition facts and discovered that there’s 2 net carbs in each stick of gum! Even though we don’t swallow chewing gum, our body’s still getting two essentially empty carbs per stick.
If you’re someone that goes through 2 or 3 sticks a day (or even more in some cases) that can quickly add up and put your ketosis at risk.
Fortunately, you don’t have to go through keto without gum. There are a lot of sugar-free alternatives out there, you just need to know what to look for and know where to find them. I hope to help answer those two big questions in this article.
What to Look For in Chewing Gum on Keto?
For finding the right kindsof chewing gum on keto, there’s a few things you’ll want to always look for. One is the presence of certain types of sugar alcohols, and the other is the absence of bad alternative sweeteners. Let me quickly explain what I mean.
Sugar alcohols are generally keto-friendly because they have properties that are not digestible by the enzymes in our saliva and stomach, meaning that while they may be high in carbs, the carbs they bring in don’t actually affect our blood glucose levels or state of ketosis.
That’s why it’s a general rule of thumb to subtract sugar alcohols when you’re calculating your net carbs.
However not all sugar alcohols are created equal, and not all sugar alternatives are keto-friendly.
Some “sugar free” brands of chewing gum can still have things like maltitol, dextrose, and maltodextrin, which are all bad for the keto diet while still being low in carbs, mostly because of the spikes they cause in blood glucose levels.
When evaluating if a gum is sugar friendly, the two most popular types of sugar alcohols to look out for are xylitol and aspartame. Generally xylitol fares a lot better than aspartame because it is more naturally occurring in fruits such as figs, raisins, and jackfruit, but both are okay for the keto diet.
A big thing to watch out for is the side effects of aspartame. It’s found in a lot of sugar free products like coke zero, and has a large list of unwanted side effects. Because xylitol is natural, it’s definitely the preferred of the two.
Other types of sweeteners can still work too however. Stevia for example isn’t a sugar alcohol, but it is perfectly keto-friendly and can often be found in a lot of types of chewing gums and breath mints. Stevia extract is derived from the leaf of the stevia plant, and it is zero carb and extremely low in calories with no effect on blood glucose levels.
It’s a little harder to find in most gum and mint products as sugar alcohols are more popular, but if you come across it stevia is absolutely fine for keto.
Now let’s dive into the best gums with xylitol, aspartame, and stevia for the keto diet.
Best Keto-Friendly Chewing Gums
PUR Gum is a great alternative to most types of chewing gums. As the brand has grown more popular, they’ve started to diversify their different types of flavors and are being a lot more available in different types of grocery stores and can easily be found on Amazon.com.
I ranked it at number one because PUR is definitely my go-to choice when it comes to chewing gums for keto.
The biggest reason behind this is because of PUR’s lack of additives and chemicals. It’s gluten-free, vegan, has no sugar added, and is anti-inflammatory.
The only real drawback is that it tends to lose flavor quickly. But fortunately it’s low in both calories and carbs, so you can really have as much as you want without having to worry about risking your ketosis or your general weight loss goals.
Spry is another type of keto-friendly gum that I’m seeing more and more of both in grocery stores and online retailers.
One of the reasons I’m particularly drawn to Spry peppermint gum is because it’s often marketed specifically as a dental product. Without the corrosive effects of sugar, spry has a lot of benefits for oral health that you won’t get out of other types of chewing gum.
Spry is also xylitol-based, and doesn’t have any dangerous additives.
An added bonus of the oral health benefits is that it also can help reduce acid reflux and promote digestion. I often turn to spry gum whenever I’m feeling a heavy bout of nausea come on.
I will say that the peppermint flavor isn’t as strong as other brands, and like PUR it does tend to fade away pretty quickly, but these are small drawbacks for all the benefits it brings to the table.
I’m a big fan of Xyloburst Peppermint Mints as my go-to for when I want to improve my breath without needing any chewing gum.
These mints are 100% xylitol based with no aspartame or added sweeteners or additives, and are pretty fast-acting when it comes to improving the quality of your breath. This is especially helpful for those on keto struggling from bad breath because of the dry mouth symptom that tends to come on in the early stages of ketosis.
These mints are also recommended by dentists worldwide as being good for dental health, and can be a great way to get that sweet craving fixed between meals without taking on carbs or calories.
Another great Spry product that I enjoy is their natural cinnamon gum. Before the keto diet, cinnamon flavored gums were definitely my preferred choice, and while it’s great to see a lot of keto chewing gums and mints on the market, until Spry I was never able to find that cinnamon flavor of gum that I’d been missing.
Similarly to its peppermint counterpart, Spry Fresh Natural Cinnamon Gum is great for promoting oral health, reducing acid reflux, and is entirely xylitol based without any unwanted and unnecessary additives and sweeteners.
Along with being a great brand for breath mints, Xyloburst makes a lot of great flavors of gum. Xyloburst’s fruit flavored gum is probably my favorite from this brand, because it’s unique and still pretty flavorful.
Like the Xyloburst breath mints, this fruit flavored gum is entirely keto-friendly, and great for those who simply miss the flavors of natural fruit or fruit flavored candies. I was a huge fan of sugary fruit flavors before starting keto (skittles and starburst were definitely my biggest weakness), and this product makes for a great alternative that’s both healthy and can keep my sweet tooth cravings at bay.
Last but not least is Stevita, which is an entirely stevia-based gum.
As I mentioned above, sugar alcohols don’t have to be the only sweetener for keto-friendly gum options, and as long as they don’t include other high glycemic sweeteners and additives, stevia products are a great choice.
I like to go with Stevita from time to time because it’s completely natural, and the brand makes a ton of different flavors so you never have to get bored with one type of chewing gum.
Another reason I’m big into stevita is because it’s been around forever. It was founded in 1988, and has been approved for both diabetics and those following a ketogenic diet for literal decades. While keto products seem to be a new fad for a lot of companies, Stevita’s been getting it right from the very start.
Drawbacks of Sugar-Free Gum
Now that you know what to look for in a ketogenic gum and know exactly where to find some of the best options, it’s important to still know some of the side effects and drawbacks that come with these products.
One of the big side effects of sugar alcohols (less so with xylitol, but more in additives in keto gums like mannitol, sorbitol, and isomalt) is digestive troubles.
Sugar alcohols are widely known to have laxative like affects, which can definitely take place if you end up going through too much chewing gum, despite the low calories, low carbs, and low glycemic index values.
As a good rule of thumb, you should always evaluate how you feel after consuming something with sugar alcohols in it, because not everyone reacts to them in the same way, and sometimes other medications or facets of your daily diet can interact negatively with them.
Another big thing to watch out for is allergies. A ton of sugar alcohols have been linked to allergic reactions like runny nose, hives, and in extreme cases, trouble breathing and anaphylaxis.
If you have a known allergy to any types of fruit, or perhaps allergies to sugar alcohols already, you should definitely consult with your doctor before considering adding a sugar alcohol based chewing gum into your daily routine.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to keto-friendly chewing gum and breath mints, there’s a lot of options out there, but ultimately you’re always going to want to check the ingredients list to make an informed and safe decision.
As long as you know exactly what’s going into your gum, and are aware of the side effects and potential allergic reactions, you’ll be in the right position to safely add in chewing gum to your diet to help fend off those sweet cravings.
Do you have any favorite keto gums or mints that I didn’t mention above? Drop a comment below! I’m always on the hunt for cool new flavors and types to try out.