We humans have been chewing gum for thousands of years! Today this chewy candy is available in a ton of different flavors that one can’t even imagine!
Regular gum can take a toll on your oral health because of all the sugar. Comes in sugar-free gum, which can actually prevent tooth decay and also help you stay below your carb limit.
Chewing gum is a magical method to cope with your cravings. In fact, it can also help develop that aesthetic jawline!
In this article, we’ll find out whether trident gum is keto-friendly and what makes it so low-carb.
Can You Eat Chewing Gum on Keto?
Chewing gum can definitely be a part of a healthy keto lifestyle!
In fact, it is highly effective in combating ketone breath. When you just start out with the ketogenic diet, your body goes through a lot of changes aka the keto-flu.
At this point you are making more ketones than you can possibly utilize, which are expelled through the breath.
And as we all know, it’s not very pleasing to others!
That’s when gum comes in handy. It not only freshens your breath, but also keeps those sugar cravings in check!
A gum keeps your mouth occupied and signals the brain that you are already eating something. Honestly, chewing gum has kept me from cheating on keto a lot many times!
What’s more, sugar-free gum stimulates saliva production which directly benefits our tooth health!
Our natural saliva is rich in minerals that prevent bacteria growth within our mouth. These minerals neutralize the acids in plaque – leaving no food for the bacteria.
But here’s something you should know: Not all gum is created equal!
You have to carefully find out which one is actually sugar-free. Earlier I wrote about Tic-Tacs and their evil marketing strategy! The nutrition label says it’s are sugar-free when in reality, it’s just a loophole that they are exploiting!
You see, according to US Federal Regulation, if an item has less than 1g sugar per serving, it can be labeled sugar-free (even if one serving is equal to one candy!).
A single tic-tac has half a gram of sugar. And honestly, we always eat a handful at once!
That means 6 pieces of tic-tacs will give you around 3g sugar, which could be a keto catastrophe!
Similar rules apply to a chewing gum. Always scan the nutrition labels and make sure that it’s actually sugar-free!
Luckily, trident gum is flavored with sugar-free sweeteners that don’t interfere with ketosis!
Is Trident Gum Keto?
Trident is a keto-friendly gum since it’s sweetened with Xylitol and Sorbitol. However, you should limit your consumption because sometimes these sweeteners can raise blood sugar.
Keto is a highly carb-restricted diet and you must eat under 20-25g carbs per day. That’s when your body stops consuming glucose and starts utilizing fat for energy.
Here’s the harsh reality: To stick to the daily carb budget, we have to make a lot of sacrifices each day! Almost every item we drool over is accompanied by a significant of carbs.
But I have some great news for you gum lovers!
Trident is flavored with keto-friendly sweeteners (sugar alcohols) that aren’t considered as real carbs in the eyes of keto lords!
Let’s look at the nutrition facts for Trident Gum:
(Serving Size: 1 Stick)
- Calories: 5 kcal
- Fat: 0g
- Protein: 0g
- Carbs: 1g
- Sugar Alcohol: 1g
- Net Carbs: 0g
As you can see, each stick has zero net carbs because all the carbs come from sugar alcohols.
So why exclude sugar alcohols?
Our bodies can’t properly digest sugar alcohols (such as Xylitol) and hence they don’t cause any significant rise in blood sugar.
But having too much gum can still affect ketosis! Sugar alcohols are a very complicated subject and have a varied response in each individual.
Erythritol is the only sugar alcohol that can never spike insulin (most keto-friendly!).
But since trident uses Xylitol and Sorbitol, chewing piece after piece isn’t a very good idea! To be on the safer side, consider half the carbs coming from sugar alcohols as real carbs.
So it’s safe to say that each stick of Trident sugar-free gum has half a carb.
Is Xylitol Healthy?
Xylitol is one of the best keto-friendly sweeteners on planet!
I say this because Xylitol has much more to offer other than adding sweetness in your gum.
It is naturally occurring in very tiny amounts in fruits and vegetables. In fact, even your body produces it through normal metabolic processes.
Sugar alcohols, like xylitol, have a very unique chemical composition. They can stimulate your sweetness receptors without having a hint of sugar (How cool is that?)
Whether you are trying to cut calories or limiting your carb intake, xylitol serves both purposes! It has 40% fewer calories than table sugar.
What’s more, Xylitol has a glycemic index of only 7, whereas regular sugar is placed at 60-70 on the index. It means chewing a xylitol-flavored gum won’t impact your blood sugar levels.
Dental Health
Dentists all over the world hail xylitol over it’s health benefits.
Streptococcus mutans is the bacteria found in plaque that causes tooth decay. Replacing sugary gum with xylitol-flavored ones is an excellent way to fight plaque.
The bacteria feeds on the sugar you eat. Switching to xylitol will clog their energy pathways and end up killing them.
Studies have found that xylitol kills up to 75% of bad bacteria in your mouth!
Result?
It lowers your chances of a tooth cavity by a whopping 80%!
What’s more, it may also boost your calcium absorption in the digestive system. And if I could just point out one more benefit, it helps you prevent gum inflammation, which is a doorway to many diseases.
Now that we have discussed all the pros, it’s my duty to warn you about the cons as well!
When it comes to keto, the major drawback of Xylitol (G.I. 7) is that it can still cause an insulin spike. It isn’t as keto-friendly as Erythritol or Monk Fruit (G.I. 0).
Also, heavy intake of xylitol can cause bloating, gas, or other digestive issues. It may pull water from the intestine and cause havoc on your stomach.
Having said that, xylitol is considered generally safe in the long-term.
PS: Even though it’s called sugar alcohol, it’s not the type that makes you drunk!
Conclusion
Is trident gum keto? The answer is yes!
Trident is a sugar-free gum which uses keto-friendly sweeteners: Xylitol & Sorbitol.
Contrary to popular opinion, these sweeteners may raise blood sugar and act like real carbs. From a keto point of view, it’s safe to say that each stick of trident gum has half a carb. Make sure you count your macros.
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