Swerve - what do you guys think?

(Michelle) #1

Hi - I’ve been keto for a little over 3 weeks now. For January, I cut out a all sweeteners and alcohol since I wanted to dive right in and get fat adapted and feel all the amazing benefits. Now, February is approaching!! I know swearing off sweets and alcohol for the rest of my life is not sustainable for me. I would like to work in some treats and alcohol now and again. My question for you guys is, do you use Swerve? I don’t hear the 2KD talk about this particular one, and none of my other keto podcasters do either. But, I do see a lot of Keto treats using Swerve as the sweetener.

Wondering if you have used this particular kind of sweetener and what you think about it? I know everyone reacts differently to artificial sweeteners, but this one claims not to raise blood glucose.

anyway, would love your opinions on this.

#2

In use Swerve and it does not seem to cause any problems for me.

Carrie Brown from Ketovangelist Kitchen says that buying generic erythritol is far cheaper than Swerve and does the same thing, but she has nothing against Swerve, just that cheaper alternatives are available.

(G. Andrew Duthie) #3

Swerve is erythritol + oligosaccharides, and I believe that the majority of the content is erythritol.

I’ve used swerve for baked stuff like this:

and it works well.

I have also used, and continue to use, Truvia (erythritol + stevia extract) for my coffee and other beverages, since I find the packets a little more convenient for that.

I may at some point follow the advice shared by @BillJay and just get bulk erythritol crystals, and see how I like that, as both Truvia and Swerve are pretty pricey.

(Michelle) #4

thanks. I definitely want to make that lava cake. Looks delicious.

Question - does Truvia or Swerve take you out of ketosis?

(G. Andrew Duthie) #5

I haven’t seen any evidence that it does. But I don’t test ketones regularly, so take that with a grain of salt. Also important to note that the impact of various sweeteners seems to vary widely between individuals, so the best way to know how it will affect you is to test it on yourself.

(Michelle) #6

@BillJay – Hi - have you used erythritol instead of swerve? I looked at the prices, and it’s much cheaper.

(Ashley Haddock) #7

I have used both Swerve and erythritol (NOW Foods brand). I can tell a very slight difference in taste, but not enough to justify the extra cost of Swerve.

(Michelle) #8

thanks!!

(Ashley Haddock) #9

Erythritol does have a “cooling effect” that I can taste in both straight erythritol and Swerve. If I get too much of it in a recipe that is fairly strong (this varies by person as my brother doesn’t notice it at all), so I tend to just use a little less and maybe supplement with a bit of liquid stevia. The mix of those two is a nice combo.

#10

I have used erythritol and I agree with @WhoAteMyPsyche that in general it’s not worth the extra cost for flavor, but will occasionally still get Swerve for the probiotic benefits of oligosaccharides, although I think that’s at least as much for satisfying variety as anything else. In other words, I have tasted a difference between different generic erythritols (this is especially true for the different liquid stevias I’ve tried) and will sometimes opt for Swerve since it’s taste is consistent before trying another generic manufacturer because of price.

(HIDAYAH KENDALL) #11

I find that Swerve is better in baked goods rather than non-baked.

(Amber) #12

Just adding my 2 cents. I love Swerve. I’ve had better luck with the confectioners version instead of the regular granular. It seems to mix in better.

(Nick) #13

Erythritol doesn’t take you out of ketosis. It’s a small molecule mostly absorbed by the kidneys and urinated out unchanged! It doesn’t do anything to insulin, glucagon or blood sugar in any experience I’ve had or scientific test I’ve seen. Indeed, it’s hard to think how it could. There’s really nothing in your body that can use it.

In theory, large amounts of xylitol could affect ketosis, although I have never seen it in myself. This is because xylitol can be partially metabolised in a complex pathway (but don’t worry - the pathway doesn’t use insulin!) and in fact your body manufactures and uses about 15g of xylitol all on its own internally every day!

(Kristen Vallow) #14

I love Swerve. I hope they never stop making it. I use it in both baked and non-baked sweets. The confectioners type does seem to incorporate better, but I use both types. It’s the only sugar substitute that works and tastes like sugar in sweet things with no bitter aftertaste in my opinion. It didn’t exist the last time I cut out sugar. It’s a game changer for me now. No adverse effects here.

(Nick) #15

It’s fine. Its primary constituent is Erythritol, which is the best sugar alcohol to use, in my opinion. As I said above, basically, it gets absorbed by your kidneys and you quickly urinate most of it out unchanged.

Every lab and clinical test has shown it has no effect on blood glucose or insulin.

Those who will no doubt wish to deny your pleasure are ascetic or chemophobic, and do so with no qualatitive evidence.

(betsy.rome) #16

For baking and general sweetening, I always use a mix of sweeteners. When used in combination they tend to cancel out the off-tastes. Lately using Sukrin1 or Sukrin Gold in combo with erythritol with a squirt of liquid Splenda. I make my own confectioner’s erythritol by blending in a coffee grinder. Not as perfect as Swerve’s but makes it dissolve easier.

(Lee Jones) #17

I’ve not seen Swerve over here in the U.K. But having tried what we do have over here; Truvia, Xylitol, and ethrityol, my go to is a product called Natvia which is a stevia/ethrityol blend and which I find to be natural tasting with no aftertaste.

(Jenny Talbert) #18

Agreed! It is much easier to use and will mix better. I get mine from Vitacost.com and it is cheaper than in stores. Especially when they have a 15-20% food sale.

(Jeannie Oliver) #19

I see this is an old thread, but I think it’s still relevant to those of us new to keto. I’ve been using just small amounts of stevia to sweeten my morning tea, but I’m not entirely satisfied with the taste. Today I will make my first attempt at a chocolate almond bark using a bar of baking chocolate, butter and a bit of Swerve. I found this review of sweeteners, which may be helpful to other newbies. I would love to see other folks’ opinions on these products.

(Sean) #20

Be sure to watch which Sukrin Gold you use. Youtuber Highfalutin did a test and found the granulated version great, but the syrup to be bad for blood sugar.