Can You Chew Gum on Keto?

Dr. Eric Berg 08/31/2023

Many people choose to chew gum on keto to keep their breath smelling fresh and to reduce sugar cravings, but will it knock you out of ketosis?

With sugar-free, gluten-free, and aspartame-free options, it can be difficult to figure out which gum is keto-friendly.

Let’s talk about keto-friendly gum options and healthy, all-natural ways to freshen your breath when you’re on the keto diet.

xylitol gum brands

Does chewing gum kick you out of ketosis?

Chewing gum will not kick you out of ketosis, but you need to make sure that you choose a sugar-free gum that is also low in net carbs.

One stick of sugar-free gum has around one to two grams of carbohydrates and shouldn’t cause you any problems. However, chewing too much gum can potentially kick you out of ketosis. Even if the gum you choose is keto-friendly, the carbs can start to add up if you chew too much.

Different gum brands have different ingredients—some are more keto-friendly than others. Keto-friendly gum is typically sweetened with sugar alcohols, which are carbohydrates. If you consume too much chewing gum, you could accidentally go over your net carbs for the day.

You can calculate the net carbs from sugar alcohols by dividing the number in half. For example, if a stick of gum has four grams of sugar alcohol, it has two net carbs.

Some sugar-free gum is sweetened with xylitol, a healthier alternative to sweeteners like aspartame. Xylitol has a glycemic index of seven, so it can raise your blood sugar, but not very much. Problems can arise only if you consume too much xylitol gum.

Large quantities of xylitol gum can raise your blood sugar and cause gas and digestive issues. As long as you’re not consuming upwards of 65 grams of xylitol per day, xylitol gum won’t kick you out of ketosis.

Check out this fascinating study that examines patients with type 2 diabetes. Patients who consumed artificial sweeteners like aspartame actually had higher levels of insulin resistance.

What is keto breath?

As your body adapts to burning ketones instead of glucose, you might experience a few unwanted side effects. Bad breath, also known as keto breath, is one of these side effects.

There are a number of reasons why you might be experiencing bad breath on keto. Some people experience bad breath that smells like nail polish remover.

Acetone, a popular ingredient used to remove nail polish and artificial nails, is also one of the three types of ketones, and your breath can smell like acetone as you adapt to ketosis.

If you’re consuming too much protein, your breath might smell like ammonia. The ammonia smell can also come from your skin and from under your armpits.

Bad breath can be caused by bacterial overgrowth as well. If bacterial overgrowth is causing your bad breath, you’ll notice a sulfuric or rotten egg smell. The keto diet doesn’t usually cause bacterial overgrowth, but it can sometimes exacerbate the problem temporarily.

If you have this issue, you can take Effective Microbes, a type of probiotic which helps promote friendly yeast, friendly mold, and friendly fungus to combat harmful bacteria.

How much chewing gum should you chew?

The amount of chewing gum you can chew will largely depend on how many carbohydrates you usually consume each day.

If you only chew one piece of gum each day, it won’t really affect your total daily carb intake. If you consume one pack of chewing gum daily, you might need to monitor your carbohydrate intake.

For example, if you want to consume 20 grams of carbohydrates per day and you consume 15 sticks of chewing gum with two grams of carbs each, you will consume 30 grams of total carbs from chewing gum alone.

Because the carbohydrates in chewing gum are typically sugar alcohols, 15 grams of carbohydrates count as your net carbs.

If you’re not careful, chewing gum can cause you to go over your daily carb limit. It might be best to consume moderate amounts of chewing gum to maintain a low-carb keto diet.

The ingredients in your chewing gum also make a difference in the amount of gum you can chew each day. Most gum contains xanthan gum (for consistency) but look for ingredients like xylitol, spearmint oil, natural menthol, natural spearmint flavors, and chewing gums specifically marketed as keto chewing gum.

Avoid sugar, aspartame, and other artificial sweeteners that can have negative health consequences.

keto gums, xylitol gum

Will keto breath last long?

The good news is that keto breath is temporary and typically subsides once your body fully adapts to running on fat for fuel.

It takes around three to eight weeks for your body to become fully keto-adapted. Having bad breath can be troublesome, but remember that it’s only a temporary part of adapting to keto.

If you have bad breath during your keto transition and you’re a type 1 diabetic, make sure to get evaluated for keto acidosis, just in case.

Here are a few things you can do to speed up the process of fat-burning to get your body into ketosis:

Follow a strict low-carb diet—keep your carbs below 20 grams, or even lower, each day
Consume a moderate amount of protein
Combine keto with intermittent fasting to prevent insulin spikes
Drink when you’re thirsty
Consume electrolytes

Although side effects like keto breath aren’t ideal, remember that it doesn’t always happen! Some people adjust to ketosis without any negative side effects.

aspartame-free chewing gums

All-natural ways to control keto breath

Bad breath can also be the result of the overgrowth of oral bacteria, exacerbated temporarily by the keto diet.

One of the best things you can do to improve bad breath is to stop consuming sugar. Aside from chewing gum, there are a few healthy, all-natural ways to control keto breath.

Consume chlorophyll-rich foods

Chlorophyll is what gives plants their green color. It’s a natural deodorizer and is found in bitter vegetables like radish, arugula, kale, endive, and dandelion. The phytonutrients in chlorophyll also support liver health.

Consume probiotic foods

Try getting your probiotics from dairy-free sources like sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, and fermented vegetables. Dairy contains milk sugars which can contribute to bacterial overgrowth.

Consume a moderate amount of protein

Try consuming less protein as your body adjusts to the keto diet. When your body breaks down protein, it releases the byproduct ammonia through exhalation and urination.

Lowering your protein intake and increasing fat consumption can help. Start consuming three to five ounces of protein per meal.

Stay hydrated

Drinking plenty of water on the keto diet is incredibly important and helps to eliminate excess ketones from your body.

You can increase urination by staying hydrated throughout the day. Water can also aid in your weight loss goals.

Brush your teeth frequently

Natural spearmint flavor, peppermint, cinnamon, and other natural flavors in toothpaste can help control keto breath while you adapt to ketosis.

Brushing and flossing your teeth also helps to get rid of tiny food particles in your mouth. These tiny food particles contribute to cavities and bad breath. Make sure to brush your tongue too!

Increase vegetable intake

If you have keto breath, consuming seven to ten cups of vegetables each day can help flush excess ketones out of your system during the adaptation phase.

Increasing your vegetable intake has numerous health benefits and can also help keep you full while you’re doing intermittent fasting.

Consume high-quality food

Choose high-quality, organic foods and grass-fed meats over commercial options when possible to help improve keto breath and your overall health.

Check ingredients on things like salad dressings to ensure that they’re made with olive oil versus canola oil and that they’re not high in sugar or carbs.

Mint tea

Drinking spearmint or peppermint tea can help improve keto breath while you adapt to fat-burning. Green tea is another great option, and it has a lot of fantastic health benefits.

Key takeaways

As long as you’re only consuming moderate amounts of sugar-free chewing gum, it will not kick you out of ketosis.

Always check the ingredients and make sure to choose chewing gums with non-GMO ingredients that are sugar-free and aspartame-free. Xylitol gum is an excellent choice that has many benefits for your oral health.

Also, try combining keto with intermittent fasting to quickly eliminate keto breath. Eliminating sugar from your diet will not only help support your liver function, oral health, and tooth decay—it can also help fix your nasty breath.

FAQ

1. Will chewing gum take you out of ketosis?

Chewing gum will not take you out of ketosis unless you consume too much.

Always check the ingredients to determine if the gum is keto-friendly. Sugar-free and aspartame-free gum are usually fine in moderation.

2. Do the carbs that gum contains count on keto?

Keto chewing gum must be sugar-free, but even sugar-free gum contains carbohydrates. If the gum contains sugar alcohols, you need to count half of them towards your net carbs.

3. Can you chew gum while fasting on keto?

Small amounts of gum won’t have much of an effect, but gum still has carbohydrates, so make sure to monitor your intake. Too much gum will spike insulin which is what you’re trying to avoid with intermittent fasting.

4. Which chewing gum is best for keto?

Always choose sugar-free, aspartame-free, and GMO-free chewing gum made with natural flavors. Here are a few options for keto-friendly gums:

PUR Gum
Spry gum
Epic Dental xylitol gum
Peppersmith gum

5. Is 5 Gum keto-friendly?

5 Gum is sweetened with the sugar alcohol sorbitol. It is keto-friendly as long as you don’t go over your net carbs.

6. Does EXTRA Gum break ketosis?

EXTRA Gum does not break ketosis in small amounts.

7. How many net carbs are in EXTRA Gum?

EXTRA Gum is sweetened with sorbitol and has two grams of carbohydrates from sugar alcohol. Half of the sugar alcohol counts towards your net carbs, so it has one net carb.

8. Can I have sugar-free gum on keto?

Yes, sugar-free and aspartame-free gum is okay on the keto diet.

Birch xylitol is one of the best completely natural sweeteners for chewing gum. Look for a xylitol gum that has natural flavors and keto-friendly ingredients.

9. Why does my breath smell bad on keto?

As your body adapts to ketosis, excess ketones can come out in your breath. Other reasons for keto breath include consuming too much protein and bacterial overgrowth.

10. What is keto breath?

Keto breath is a temporary side effect someone may experience as they adapt to using fat for fuel.

11. How can I get rid of keto breath?

Some people like to chew gum to get rid of keto breath, but luckily, there are a number of things that you can do to improve bad breath associated with keto.

You can wait it out for your body to adjust to ketosis, but in the meantime, stay hydrated, eat moderate amounts of protein, consume electrolytes and probiotics, and practice intermittent fasting. Be sure to avoid sugar, and consume chlorophyll foods.

12. What foods will keep my breath smelling fresh on keto?

Try brushing your teeth more frequently as your body adapts to keto. Choose high-quality organic foods, free of chemicals and preservatives. You can also try mint tea or even green tea.