Torani is a popular brand of syrups and sauces used to flavor coffees, teas, and other beverages. Many of their syrup flavors come in both regular and sugar-free varieties. For people watching their sugar intake, the sugar-free options can seem like an appealing choice. But are these artificially sweetened syrups actually a healthy option? Let’s take a closer look at the ingredients and nutrition facts.
What is Torani Sugar Free Syrup?
Torani sugar free syrups are versions of the brand’s regular syrups, including flavors like vanilla, caramel, and hazelnut, that have been sweetened with artificial sweeteners instead of sugar. This allows them to have significantly fewer calories and carbohydrates than the regular, sugar-sweetened versions.
Some of the most commonly used artificial sweeteners in Torani sugar free syrups include:
- Sucralose
- Acesulfame potassium (Ace-K)
- Aspartame
These high-intensity sweeteners provide a sweet taste with minimal calories. Sucralose and Ace-K contain 0 calories per serving, while aspartame contains about 4 calories per gram.
In addition to an artificial sweetener, Torani sugar free syrups contain water, natural and artificial flavors, potassium sorbate as a preservative, and propylene glycol as a thickening agent. The sweeteners and flavorings are used to mimic the taste of regular syrup without the added sugar.
Nutrition Facts for Torani Sugar Free Syrups
Let’s compare the nutrition facts of a regular vs. sugar free Torani syrup:
Torani Vanilla Syrup – Regular
| Serving Size | 2 tablespoons (33g) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 120 |
| Total Fat | 0g |
| Sodium | 15mg |
| Total Carbohydrate | 29g |
| Sugars | 29g |
Torani Vanilla Sugar Free Syrup
| Serving Size | 2 tablespoons (34g) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 10 |
| Total Fat | 0g |
| Sodium | 20mg |
| Total Carbohydrate | 2g |
| Sugars | 0g |
As you can see, the sugar free version contains significantly fewer calories, carbohydrates, and sugars compared to the regular vanilla syrup. A serving of the regular syrup contains 120 calories and 29g of sugar, while the sugar free has only 10 calories and 0g sugar.
This nutrient difference is typical when comparing sugar free and regular versions of Torani syrups. The sugar free varieties will be lower in calories, carbs, and sugars across all flavors. The calories that remain come from the artificial sweeteners.
Benefits of Sugar Free Syrup
So in terms of nutrition numbers, Torani’s sugar free syrup looks like a winner compared to the sugar-sweetened original. Some of the potential benefits of using sugar free syrup include:
Fewer Calories
The most obvious benefit of Torani’s sugar free syrup is that it contains far fewer calories than regular syrups. For someone watching their calorie intake, using sugar free syrup instead of regular can lead to significant calorie savings over time.
For example, let’s say you enjoy a 16oz coffee with 2 tablespoons of vanilla syrup 5 days a week. Over a month, here is the calorie difference:
| Regular Vanilla Syrup | 120 calories per serving | |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar Free Vanilla Syrup | 10 calories per serving | |
| Calories per month (20 servings) | 2400 calories | 200 calories |
By using the sugar free vanilla instead of regular, you would save 2,200 calories per month in this example!
Lower Sugar and Carbs
In addition to calories, sugar free Torani syrups contain far less sugar and carbohydrates. This can benefit people with diabetes or prediabetes who need to watch their sugar and carb intake. It provides the flavor without spiking blood sugar levels.
Going back to our example of coffee with vanilla syrup 5 days a week:
| Regular Vanilla Syrup | 29g sugar per serving | |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar Free Vanilla Syrup | 0g sugar per serving | |
| Total sugar per month (20 servings) | 580g sugar | 0g sugar |
Nearly 600g less sugar per month can have a real impact on blood sugar control for people with diabetes or insulin resistance.
Doesn’t Impact Ketosis
For people on a keto or very low carb diet, even small amounts of sugar can knock them out of ketosis, the fat burning metabolic state.
With 0g net carbs and sugar, Torani sugar free syrup is unlikely to disrupt ketosis. It can allow keto dieters to flavor their coffee and teas without worrying about affecting their state of ketosis.
Versatile Flavor
Sugar free Torani syrup comes in many delicious flavors like vanilla, caramel, hazelnut, and more. It provides a tasty way to jazz up coffees, teas, desserts, and other foods and beverages without extra calories or sugar.
The syrups can provide flavor diversity so people don’t get bored drinking plain beverages. This can increase enjoyment and satisfaction with reduced calorie and lower carb beverages.
Downsides of Sugar Free Syrup
While sugar free Torani syrups can benefit some people looking to cut calories or carbs, there are some potential downsides to consider as well:
Highly Processed
Torani syrups are heavily processed foods with artificial sweeteners, natural and artificial flavors, preservatives, and other additives. They are far from a “whole food.”
Some nutrition experts believe relying too heavily on highly processed foods can negatively impact health over time. Whole foods like fresh fruit provide more complete nutrition.
Gut Health Concerns
There is some evidence that artificial sweeteners like sucralose and aspartame may disrupt healthy gut bacteria.
A few studies on humans and mice suggest artificial sweeteners can negatively impact levels of beneficial gut bacteria. More research is still needed though.
Doesn’t Satisfy Sugar Cravings
Although Torani’s sugar free syrup tastes sweet, for some people it does not provide the same satisfaction and comfort as real sugar.
The artificial sweeteners may activate taste receptors for sweetness, but the brain still recognizes something is missing. For people prone to intense sugar cravings, sugar free syrup may not help satisfy their sweet tooth.
May Trigger Appetite
Some research indicates that frequently using artificial sweeteners may increase appetite and cravings for sugary foods. The sweet taste may trigger hunger signals even without providing any calories.
More studies are needed, but some evidence suggests artificial sweeteners like those in Torani sugar free syrup may increase, rather than decrease, food intake.
Not Recommended for Baking
While Torani’s sugar free syrups work nicely in beverages, the company does not recommend baking or cooking with them.
The synthetic sweeteners and other ingredients are optimized for direct consumption in liquids. Using sugar free syrups in baked goods may lead to off tastes and textures.
Higher Cost
Sugar free syrup is generally more expensive than regular syrup – sometimes over 2x as much per ounce. The increase in cost may be prohibitive for some consumers who don’t absolutely require sugar free versions.
Ingredient Concerns
Two ingredients commonly found in Torani sugar free syrup have raised particular health concerns:
Sucralose
Sucralose is an artificial sweetener 600x sweeter than sugar. It’s used in many reduced calorie foods and drinks.
While the FDA has approved sucralose as safe, some experts have raised concerns including:
- May raise blood sugar and insulin levels
- Associated with inflammation in animal studies
- May negatively impact good gut bacteria
More long-term human studies are needed on sucralose. But if you are concerned, the sweetener Ace-K is used in some Torani sugar free syrups as an alternative to sucralose.
Propylene Glycol
Propylene glycol is added to Torani sugar free syrups as a thickening agent. It helps provide a viscous, syrupy texture.
However, propylene glycol may cause certain side effects like:
- Skin irritation
- Digestive issues
- Headaches
The amounts found in Torani syrups are low, but people with sensitivities may want to avoid this ingredient.
Safety of Sugar Free Sweeteners
The artificial sweeteners used in Torani sugar free syrups were approved by the FDA based on research showing they are safe in limited quantities:
| Sweetener | FDA Acceptable Daily Intake |
|---|---|
| Sucralose | 5mg/kg body weight |
| Ace-K | 15mg/kg body weight |
| Aspartame | 50mg/kg body weight |
These levels are considered safe daily intakes over a lifetime without adverse health effects. Most people consume well below these Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) levels with moderate use of sugar free foods and beverages.
However, exceeding the ADI levels regularly may increase the risks of side effects. For this reason, moderation is recommended even when using FDA approved sugar substitutes.
Sugar Free Syrup and Diabetes
What about people with diabetes – is sugar free syrup a good choice for them?
Potential benefits:
- Does not raise blood sugar levels
- Provides flavor variety without carbs
- Avoid large amounts of regular syrup sugars
Potential downsides:
- Artificial sweeteners effects still debated
- May increase appetite
- Whole foods preferred
The American Diabetes Association takes the position that artificial sweeteners like those in sugar free Torani syrup can be useful for reducing calories and carbs in moderation. But they should not be treated as a “free food” to consume in unlimited amounts.
People with diabetes should focus on an overall healthy diet, with any sugar free syrup used judiciously to flavor foods and beverages in reasonable portions.
Alternatives to Sugar Free Syrup
For those looking to reduce sugar without using artificial sweeteners, there are some alternatives to sugar free Torani syrup, including:
Monk Fruit Syrup
Monk fruit syrup is sweetened with monk fruit extract, a natural zero-calorie sweetener. Brands like Monin and Jordan’s Skinny Syrups make monk fruit flavored syrups.
Stevia Syrup
Stevia is another non-nutritive natural sweetener. Some syrups are sweetened with stevia leaf extract without artificial sweeteners.
Maple Syrup
100% pure maple syrup provides some vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It has about 13g sugar per tablespoon so it’s higher than sugar free, but lower than regular sugar.
Unsweetened Syrups
Companies like Torani, DaVinci, and Monin make flavored syrups sweetened with no sugar or artificial sweeteners. These allow you to control sweetness separately.
Homemade Syrup
You can make easy homemade syrups with fresh fruit like raspberry, pineapple, or strawberry to flavor drinks and foods without added sugars.
The Bottom Line
Torani sugar free syrup can be a good option for people looking to reduce calories, carbohydrates, and sugar in their diet. The sugar free versions are much lower in calories and carbs than regular syrups.
Potential benefits include fewer calories, lower sugar and carb intake, maintained ketosis, and added flavor variety.
However, there are some drawbacks as well. Sugar free syrups are heavily processed with artificial sweeteners that may negatively impact appetite, gut health, and some individuals. Moderation is key.
People with diabetes and others monitoring blood sugar can use sugar free Torani syrups sparingly to add flavor to beverages and foods without spiking carbohydrates and blood sugar. But a whole food healthy diet should remain the priority.
For those wishing to avoid artificial sweeteners, there are some alternatives using natural sweeteners like monk fruit and stevia. Homemade fruit syrups are another option.
In moderation, Torani sugar free syrup can be part of a healthy diet for some people. But relying on it too heavily may lead to unwanted effects. As with any highly processed food, whole food options like fresh fruit provide superior nutrition when flavoring foods, drinks, and desserts.
