Is Maltitol Keto Friendly?

Maltitol is a sugar alcohol that is often used in place of sugar.This article explains whether maltitol is keto-friendly.

Sugar alcohols such as maltitol are often used as substitutes for sugar-free confectionery.

Therefore, you may be wondering is maltitol keto-friendly?

A high-fat, low-carb ketogenic diet promotes weight loss by encouraging your body to burn fat instead of carbohydrates as a primary fuel source. As a result, many people who follow this diet limit their sugar intake to a minimum.

However, although sugar alcohols typically contain less than half the calories of regular sugars, they are still considered carbohydrates.

This article tells you if maltitol is a good alternative to the regular sugars in the ketogenic diet.

What is maltitol?

Maltitol is a sugar alcohol similar to sugar substitutes such as xylitol and sorbitol.

It is commonly used as a low-calorie sweetener and thickener for confectionery, ice cream, baked goods and other processed foods such as energy and protein bars.

On food labels, maltitol may also be listed as hydrogenated maltose, hydrogenated glucose, Lesys, Maltisweet, or SweetPearl.

It is considered a carbohydrate, but provides only half the calories of the other carbohydrates. Most carbohydrates contain 4 calories per gram, while maltitol contains 2 – 2.5 calories per gram .

Since it’s about 90% sweeter than regular sugar, it’s a popular sugar substitute.

However, there are more factors to consider before using maltitol in a keto diet.

How the keto diet works

The ketogenic diet has historically been used to treat epilepsy, but has recently become increasingly popular as a weight loss method .

Some research reviews suggest that people who follow this dietary pattern may lose an average of 5 pounds (2.2 kg) more than those who follow a low-fat diet .

In general, ketone is high in fat, low in carbohydrates, and moderate in protein .

While the exact amount of carbohydrates you can consume varies, a ketogenic diet typically limits your carbohydrate intake to 10% or less of your daily calorie intake – usually equivalent to 20-50 grams of carbohydrates per day .

This diet is meant to promote ketosis, a metabolic state in which your body burns fat for energy, not carbohydrates.

Maltitol in the keto diet

While maltitol and other sugar alcohols are both carbohydrates, your body absorbs them differently than other carbohydrates.

By the time most carbohydrates reach the end of the small intestine, they are almost completely digested, but other carbohydrates, such as sugar alcohols and fiber, are only partially digested in the small intestine before entering the colon.

In fact, maltitol is absorbed in the small intestine in the range of 5-80% .

In addition, maltitol has a glycemic index (GI) of 35, much lower than ordinary sucrose, which has a glycemic index of as high as 65. The index measures how quickly a particular food raises blood sugar levels.

These factors, combined with its low calories, make maltitol a suitable sugar substitute for the ketogenic diet.

Some sugar alcohols, such as erythritol and xylitol, are even recommended for ketogenic.

Although maltitol is also a sugar alcohol, it has a higher glycemic index than most alcohol, which means it has a greater impact on your blood sugar levels. Therefore, it may not be a good substitute for ketones like other sugar alcohols.

How much maltitol is safe to eat?

Although maltitol may not be the best sweetener for the ketogenic diet, it is a better choice than many other sweeteners, including honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, agave nectar, fruit juice, and regular white or brown sugar.

However, since maltitol is often used in baked goods and desserts, many foods that contain maltitol may be high in carbohydrates.

Therefore, you may want to add it individually to your dishes instead of looking for packaged foods with maltitol added. If they contain other carbohydrates, eating too many of these foods may interfere with ketosis.

Maltitol is available in powder and syrup form.

Many recipes that require maltitol will tell you how much syrup or powder to use. However, if you’re just replacing regular sugars with maltitol in your recipes, you can use maltitol in about the same amount as sugar.

The bottom line

Maltitol is a sugar alcohol that is commonly used to reduce the calorie content of chewing gum, candy, and other sweets.

Although it doesn’t severely affect blood sugar levels as much as regular sugar, it still provides carbohydrates. In addition, many foods that contain maltitol, such as packaged desserts, contain other carbohydrates.

Therefore, if you choose to use maltitol in a ketogenic diet, it is best to add it to your own food, and eat it in moderation.