Sugar-free candy is a grey area. It is sweetened with sugar alcohols that have some calories and a partial blood-sugar effect, so a piece or two is minor but a handful can add up and break a fast.
| Calories | ~5-15 kcal per piece |
|---|---|
| Breaks a weight-loss fast? | Partial |
| Breaks ketosis? | Partial |
| Breaks autophagy? | Yes |
| Insulin impact | Partial |
Most sugar-free candy uses sugar alcohols such as maltitol, which, unlike erythritol, do carry calories and raise blood sugar partially. A single piece is minor, but sugar-free candies are easy to overeat, and several pieces deliver enough calories and carbohydrate to break a fast and stop autophagy.
Candy sweetened with erythritol or monk fruit is cleaner than candy made with maltitol. Either way the amount matters: a piece is unlikely to derail a weight-loss fast, but a handful will. For a strict or autophagy fast, leave it out.
A single piece is minor on a weight-loss fast; a handful adds enough calories and carbohydrate to break it.
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