In This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleWhat Is Allulose?Is Allulose Healthy?Allulose Side EffectsThe Bottom Line
In This ArticleView All
View All
In This Article
What Is Allulose?
Is Allulose Healthy?
Allulose Side Effects
The Bottom Line
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If you have a sweet tooth and you’re avoiding ingredients that add calories to your dishes and drinks, surely you have explored sugar alternatives. From sucralose tostevia, finding options that add sweetness to your food and drink without spiking your blood sugar or packing in the calories aren’t hard to find.
But among the sea of the tried-and-truesweetener alternativesout there, there’s a newer option being used as an ingredient in baked goods, frozen fruit pops, protein bars and even sweet tea. Allulose is becoming the new darling of the sugar alternative world, thanks to its ability to bake and cook like sugar without contributing to overall calories in these dishes.
Allulose is a type of sugar substitute, or a substance that sweetens the flavor of food or drink without contributing added sugar or calories. These alternatives can be either synthetic (e.g., sucralose) or natural (e.g., stevia).
According to a 2022 article inNutrition Reviews, allulose is categorized as a “rare sugar.” These are monosaccharides (simple sugars) that are found naturally in foods. For instance, there is allulose in molasses, maple syrup, raisins and figs, per theFDA. Rare sugars have slight differences in their chemical structure compared to traditional table sugar.
Allulose packs two-thirds of the sweetness of sugar with very minimal calories. Unlike the 4 calories each gram of sugar provides, allulose contains 0.4 calories per gram. Why so low in calories? Well, your body essentially pees outallulosewithout breaking it down and digesting it.
It’s well-established that consuming too much added sugar is linked to a slew of negative health outcomes, including having obesity, cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome. But sugar also makes food taste good.
Allulose can be a viable alternative to table sugar to help reduce a person’s intake of added sugar without having to go without that beloved sweet taste. And according to the review inNutrition Reviews, researchers suggest that rare sugars can offer both short- and long-term benefits for glycemic control and weight loss, with effects differing between healthy individuals, individuals categorized as having overweight/obesity, and those with type 2 diabetes.
For those who are watching their caloric intake, it’s important to know that because allulose has so few calories, it’s not counted as “added sugars,” allowing people to include this ingredient in their dishes without cutting into their daily added sugar limit.
Along with helping people limit their calories and added sugars, consuming rare sugars, like allulose, may provide some other noteworthy health benefits. For example, allulose does not affect blood sugar levels in people who have diabetes, notes a 2020 review inFrontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology.
A 2023 review inPLOS Onebacks this up. Researchers found that allulose did not contribute to a rise in blood sugar after eating, leading the authors to state that allulose is a valuable tool for blood glucose management.
Another perk? Unlike table sugar, allulose does not promote cavities, according to the FDA’s report.
Sugar alternatives in general can be a lifesaver for people who enjoy sweet tastes but are trying to manage their blood sugar or caloric intake. But along with the positives that many of these choices offer, there are some downsides to consider. Some sugar alternatives, such as sugar alcohols, areknown to cause digestive distress(bloating, diarrhea) in some people.
As for allulose? While high intakes of this sugar can lead to gastrointestinal woes, most healthy adults can consume allulose without a problem, according to a 2018 review inNutrients. The authors say that the amount you can eat without experiencing side effects is based on body weight. So, someone who weighs 132 pounds should be able to comfortably consume 24 grams of allulose in a single sitting and up to 54 grams per day (two teaspoons of allulose is 8 grams). If you weigh more, you could likely tolerate more allulose.
7-Day Sugar-Detox Meal Plan: 1,800 Calories
Since expert panels like theAmerican Heart Associationrecommend that people limit their added sugar intake, finding ways to accomplish this goal without feeling deprived can be incredibly helpful. Leaning on allulose as an alternative to table sugar can be a healthy substitute when you’re trying todecrease your sugar intake, especially if you have diabetes.
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