Can you use erythritol during an Intermittent Fast? Today, we're diving into the details of erythritol and Intermittent Fasting.
Does Erythritol Break a Fast?
Erythritol is a non-nutritive sweetener that contains around .24 calories per gram. Whether or not erythritol breaks a fast depends on your goal with Intermittent Fasting.
If your goal is weight loss, it's important to not spike the storing hormone insulin. If something spikes insulin, it breaks a fast and stops the body from burning fat as fuel. Taking a look at erythritol specifically, one study found that erythritol did not spike insulin or blood glucose levels.(1) This means theoretically erythritol should not break a fast.
One slight caveat to consider when you have a weight loss goal in mind -- I have found that with my clients and AENpeeps around the world that some non-nutritive sweeteners can increase sugar cravings later in the day, which would ultimately work against a weight loss goal. This isn't the case for everyone, but if you find that your sweet tooth spikes on days you have erythritol during your fast, you might want to experiment with removing it.
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If your goal is gut health, erythritol will break a fast. In order to maximize for gut health with Intermittent Fasting, a true fast should be implemented. This means not having any food or drink (other than water, electrolytes and possibly black coffee/unsweetened tea) during the fast. This can help to maximally stimulate the gut cleaning process, called the Migrating Motor Complex (MMC). The MMC flushes out left behind food and bacteria that can often times lead to bloating. So if you're looking to help improve gut health, you'll want to cut the erythritol from your fasting period.
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Autumn Elle Nutrition