Should You Be Drinking Diet Sodas on Keto
In popular diets, the ketogenic diet is becoming a superstar. Not only for people who are tired of being obese and want to lose excess fat, but also for patients with various diseases. The ketogenic diet limits many different high-carb foods, but what about beverages? Let’s see if you should drink diet sodas while on keto.
Food and Drink Choices on Keto
The ketogenic diet provides high fat and low carbohydrate. When the body’s carbohydrates are limited, the body uses free fatty acids and converts them into ketones, which then provide the body with energy, which saves muscle and burns fat.
But when it comes to food choices in the ketogenic diet, we have a lot of questions in our heads. One of the questions that confuses us is, “Can you drink sugar-free soda on top of ketogenic?” Luckily, you know exactly the answer to this question, as this article will solve this puzzle.
What are Diet Sodas Made From?
Sugar-free sodas are a mixture of carbonated water, caffeine, phosphoric acid, caramel color and, most importantly, sugar substitutes or artificial sweeteners. Sugar-free sodas contain different artificial sweeteners, but the most commonly used are aspartame, acesulfame potassium, saccharin, stevia, and sucralose. They are zero-calorie sweeteners, but in contrast, they are a hundred times sweeter than natural sugar.
Diet Sodas on Keto
On a ketogenic diet, 5-10% of the total calories you consume each day come from carbohydrates, 25-35% from protein, and 70-75% from fat.
Sugar-free sodas have no extra carbs or calories because they use artificial sweeteners instead of traditional sugars. So technically, from a pure macronutrient point of view, sugar-free soda can be drunk on a ketogenic diet.
We know many readers will be excited to hear this explosive news because the ketogenic diet is restrictive for some people. But we should realize that an overdose of anything is bad and moderation is always key. While drinking sugar-free soda while ketogenic may not directly drive you away from ketosis, it can lead to adverse reactions. Here are some of them:
- Effects on the Gut microbiome: One of the negative effects of drinking sugar-free soda can affect the gut microbiota. Studies have shown that artificial sweeteners may disrupt the gut flora by reducing the beneficial flora, leading to too much harmful flora. For example, one study showed that good taste sugar (a sucralose-based sweetener) affects the microbiome by destroying up to 50 percent of healthy gut bacteria. This is quite shocking because they are important for many bodily functions.
- Weight Gain: In addition, studies have found that this drink contains artificial sweeteners that directly or indirectly contribute to weight gain. There is no doubt that sugar-free sodas are sweet drinks that do not contain calories, so the energy density is lower. However, it has been found that sugar-free soda can increase appetite. This may be because when we eat sweeteners instead of sugar or glucose, our brains are not satisfied, and as a result, it increases our appetite and makes us crave more. Consuming more calories will inevitably lead to weight gain.
Concluding Thoughts on Drinking Diet Sodas on Keto
In short, whether you drink Diet Soda to make ketogenic depends on your goals, but it’s important to remember that moderation is always key. A glass or two of alcohol is okay and won’t get you rid of ketosis, but heavy drinking can have a negative impact on your health.