The short answer is yes, some flavors of Orbit gum are keto-friendly, but you need to be careful about ingredients when choosing a flavor. Many sugar-free gums like Orbit can fit into a keto diet, but sorbitol and other sugar alcohols may affect ketosis for some people.
How Orbit Gum Can Fit into a Keto Diet
- Most Orbit gum flavors are sweetened with sugar alcohols like xylitol and sorbitol rather than sugar.
- Sugar alcohols don’t count as net carbs on keto. They don’t raise blood sugar or require insulin like regular carbs.
- This allows sugar-free gums to contain few digestible carbs per piece, making them easier to fit into keto carb limits.
However, there are a few important caveats:
- Sugar alcohols can still affect ketosis for some people if eaten in large amounts. They can cause digestive issues as well.
- Some Orbit flavors still contain sugar as an ingredient, so you need to read nutrition labels.
Orbit Gum Nutrition Facts
Here are the nutrition facts per piece for some popular sugar-free Orbit flavors:
- Orbit Spearmint: 0.5g total carbs, 0g sugar, 0g net carbs
- Orbit Wintermint: 0.5g total carbs, 0g sugar, 0g net carbs
- Orbit Cinnamon: 1g total carbs, 0g sugar, 1g net carbs
As you can see, one piece is low enough in carbs to fit into a keto diet containing around 50g daily net carbs. However, be cautious with chewing too much per day.
Which Orbit Gum Flavors Are Keto-Friendly?
If sugar is not listed on the nutrition label, then that Orbit gum flavor will generally be keto-friendly. Good sugar-free options include:
- Orbit Spearmint
- Orbit Wintermint
- Orbit Cinnamon
- Orbit Bubblemint
- Orbit Sweet Mint
Avoid Orbit flavors with sugar, like:
- Orbit Wild Cherry
- Orbit Watermelon Remix
Chewing 1-2 pieces per day of sugar-free Orbit gum shouldn’t knock you out of ketosis. But exceeding 10 pieces may risk affecting ketone levels for some people.
Is Orbit Gum Allowed on Keto?
Yes, Orbit gum can fit into a keto diet since many sugar-free flavors are low in net digestible carbs and won’t significantly impact blood sugar. The amount of xylitol and sorbitol sugar alcohols can be accounted for by most people without disrupting ketosis.
However, everyone has a personal carb tolerance, so you’ll have to test if excessive amounts of sugar-free gum stall or prevent you from entering ketosis based on your individual response. Keep intake moderate and choose fresh breath over sweets!
The Bottom Line
Orbit gum can be included on a keto diet, but focus on sugar-free flavors and keep your chewing to 1-2 pieces per day. Avoid flavors listing sugar in the ingredients. Prioritize gum as a fresh breath tool rather than a sweet treat substitute for best results in ketosis.
The key is looking beyond total carbs at the specific sweeteners used, including sugar alcohols. This allows you to make smart, informed choices when incorporating gum and other “gray area” foods into a keto lifestyle.
