Is Xylitol Keto Friendly?
Being on the keto diet, you can get overwhelmed with all of the “sugar free” food and candies that are available to you. But don’t be fooled. You should be asking if the ingredients are actually ok to eat on the ketogenic diet. A common ingredient for a sugar substitute is xylitol, but is xylitol keto friendly?
Xylitol is NOT keto friendly. I would stay away from this sweetener while on the keto diet. Find the glycemic index chart below and keep reading to find out why. I will also tell you which sweeteners are keto friendly at the end of my findings.
What is xylitol?
Xylitol is a natural sweetener found in many fruits and vegetables. Believe it or not, the human body also produces trace amounts of xylitol naturally. It is often reffered to as a sugar alcohol.
What is Xylitol’s glycemic index?
Xylitol has a glycimex index of 7 which is very low on the glycemic index scale.
What does glycemic index mean?
According to the direct definition from Google’s Dictionary glycemic index is: a system that ranks foods on a scale from 1 to 100 based on their effect on blood-sugar levels.
Why does glycemic index matter for the keto diet?
The higher the glycemic index the larger the affect on your insulin levels, aka your blood sugar levels. This has an impact on the reaction your body has during the spike and crash from something you eat or drink. If you eat things that have an effect on insulin levels, it will know you out of ketosis and throw off your keto diet.
Xylitol vs Common Sweeteners (Glycemic Index Chart)
| Sweetener Name | Category | GI (Glycemic Index) |
| Agave Nectar | Natural Sweetener | 15 |
| Aspartame | Artificial Sweetener | 0 |
| Dextrose | Natural Sweetener | 96 |
| Fructose | Natural Sweetener | 21 |
| Glucose | Natural Sweetener | 103 |
| High Fructose Corn Syrup | Natural Sweetener | 73 |
| Honey | Natural Sweetener | 58 |
| Lactose | Natural Sweetener | 46 |
| Maltitol | Sugar Alcohols | 26 |
| Maple Syrup | Natural Sweetener | 54 |
| Monk Fruit | Natural Sweetener | 0 |
| Stevia | Natural Sweetener | 0 |
| Sucralose | Artificial Sweetener | 0 |
| Sugar (Sucrose) | Natural Sweetener | 60 |
| Xylitol | Sugar Alcohols | 7 |
What is Xylitol’s carb count?
Xylitol has 25 grams of carbohydrates for every 25 grams serving. It also has a glycemic load of 1 for every 25 grams.
Recap: Should you use xylitol as a keto sweetener?
Using this as a sweetener is sure to bring you out of ketosis. This sweetener should be avoided when possible. For anyone that asks “Is Xylitol keto friendly?” you can now answer this with certainty that it is not, and you have the information to now back it up.
Don’t believe me that xylitol is not keto friendly? Here is Keto Connects Opinion
What sweeteners are keto friendly?
Here are the time tested keto friendly sweeteners you can use to stay in ketosis:
Although they are keto friendly, be careful since they still come with side effects.
New to keto? Read our post about How To Start Keto
If you’re interested: Other uses of xylitol.
According to WebMD:
- Xylitol is used in sugar-free chewing gums, mints, & candies
- Xylitol is used in the prevention of ear infections
- Xylitol is sometimes included in tube feeding formulas as a source of energy
- Xylitol is used in nasal irrigation for people with sinus problems
