Allulose

28 Sep, 2020

With the availability of new data, Allulose is now an acceptable ingredient.

Allulose image

(This article refers to separate levels of certification which Certified Ketogenic has since combined into one.)

When the low-energy sweetener allulose was introduced to the market, there was a lot of excitement because allulose appeared not to trigger the body's insulin or raise its blood glucose levels, absorbing only when it reached the intestines and passing out quickly thereafter in the urine. Additionally, its bulk and mouth-feel are very similar to common table sugar, making it ideal for many recipes and products searching for the 'perfect' sweet alternative that would please those who detect unintended flavors that may come with other options.

Allulose is a monosaccharide, also called psicose, d-psicose, d-allulose, or pseudo-fructose. Its natural sources (from which only a very small amount can be extracted) include dried fruits, brown sugar, and maple syrup. With the interest in this sweetener growing, production of allulose also uses corn as a source ingredient.

Our enthusiasm for such announcements is always tempered by caution. While many keto-targeted products entered the market soon after the sweetener did, we held back on including it in our certification program to wait for more data. At the time, there were only very small human trials and, without more scientific research, we had little way to know how this new sweetener affected the body on a large scale. Sweeteners earn much attention and therefore are frequently the subject of study; we knew we would only have to wait for more data to be released.

As such data accrued and the FDA determined allulose was Generally Recognized as Safe, we took a measured step forward and included allulose as a qualifying ingredient for Ketogenic Friendly certification, acknowledging that there did appear to be weight loss-related benefits to its formulation. The FDA also allowed that allulose does not need to be included on nutritional labels as part of the total or added sugars (similar to sugar alcohols you may already be familiar with).

Now, a recent study published on PubMed finds that some of the organ damage to rats observed in earlier studies does not appear to be related to their consumption of allulose.

We have therefore taken the next step for this ingredient. Allulose is also now included in the Ketogenic Approved category of certification.

At this time, it is not included in the Certified Ketogenic level. 

As ever, our greatest concern is that our certification levels meet the roles they were created to fill. At any time, if we find science-backed evidence of benefit or harm by any ingredient that we already evaluate, or find cause to add a new ingredient to our evaluation protocols, we will adjust accordingly and make that announcement here.

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