In this post, I discuss the sweeteners for MCAS that are great for when you are on a lower histamine, lower oxalate, lower salicylate, and Keto-friendly diet. If you love sweets then having sweet treats you can eat makes a special diet manageable. There are many new sweeteners on the market, but many of them are not well tolerated by those with histamine, oxalate, or salicylate issues. And if you are also trying to adhere to a low-FODMAP diet, that adds extra complexity to the situation. Read on for the sweeteners that I have found tolerable — that you may not have considered for cooking or baking!
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Table of Contents
Who is Betsy Leighton?
I’m a writer, blogger, and healer dedicated to helping individuals reconnect with their innate peace and wholeness by healing nervous system dysregulation. My personal experience with chronic illness called Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) shapes my work, and my content offers tools to empower those with chronic illness to improve their well-being and take charge of their health.
I created the Sacred Self-Healing Method and am a trained and certified Safe and Sound Protocol provider, an author, blogger, and A Course in Miracles Teacher. I hold a Master of Divinity in Spiritual Counseling and am a trained spiritual mentor, with certificates in sound healing, aromatherapy, nutrition, and Sacred Deathcare. I offer a self-study certificate program in the Sacred Self-Healing Method, provide spiritual counseling and coaching, courses, and supported subscriptions for the Safe and Sound Protocol.
What is MCAS?
Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) is a chronic condition that affects all organ systems. It can cause severe, disabling symptoms every day, including potentially fatal anaphylaxis.
The common triggers for MCAS are infections, toxic exposures including mold exposure and EMFs, trauma, concussions, and stress.
MCAS often occurs with other chronic conditions like Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). Managing MCAS is challenging because many healthcare providers are unaware of it, and diagnostic tests can be unreliable. Treatments include antihistamines and mast cell stabilizers in the form of medications and supplements, along with avoiding triggers. Check out this post on managing MCAS.
Why certain sweeteners for MCAS?
When you are following recipes that are low in carbs, while still being lower in histamine- and histamine-releasing foods and oxalates, sweeteners are part of the equation. Eating a diet lower in carbs and inflammatory foods can help to control histamine intolerance. Traditional sugars tend to raise inflammation and can also trigger histamine release.
To learn more about the lower histamine diet, click here!
My two favorite sweeteners for MCAS
Here is my lineup of preferred sweeteners.
** I no longer use stevia because it has been shown to affect the liver, thyroid, and cholesterol levels negatively.
- Pure monk fruit extract – make sure you look for a brand without fillers or other ingredients. Pure monk fruit extract is extremely sweet so it usually comes with a tiny scoop for adding to recipes. I find that pure monk fruit doesn’t work as well in baked goods or heated foods. But pure monk fruit extract is excellent for cold dishes, sauces, salad dressings, smoothies, etc. Monk fruit extract is known as a histamine-lowering food, so in addition to adding sweetness to your dish, it will help your body remain in homeostasis during and after your meal. Significantly, monk fruit doesn’t raise blood sugar levels. And it is super concentrated, so you need about 100-250 times less monk fruit than sugar.
- Finally, my favorite sweetener for baking is technically also monk-fruit-based: ChocZero sugar-free syrups. ChocZero offers quite a few flavors of syrups, as well as some berry jams. I like to bake with ChocZero sugar-free maple syrup primarily because I’m accustomed to baking with real maple syrup, and it handles quite similarly. I like ChocZero’s products because they are free of erythritol and sugar alcohols, so they don’t affect your blood sugar or add any unnecessary chemicals. You can buy ChocZero chocolate syrup for serving over pancakes or ice cream, strawberry syrup for adding a little pizzazz to sparkling water, and several varieties of maple-based syrups that are interchangeable and great in most of the recipes on my website.
Monkfruit-sweetened products I like
Here are my go-to products that contain monkfruit:
- I love Aloha Protein bars because they are sweetened with monkfruit.
- ChocZero baking chips, syrups, cookies, candy, and jams. I use the baking chips and syrups for homemade baked goods. The cookies and candy are fun treats, and they even make monkfruit-sweetened Advent calendars, easter candy, marshmallows, and Halloween candy.
- Sacred Eats electrolyte powder. This is the only brand of electrolyte powder I don’t react to.
- Perfect Supplements Chocolate Collagen Powder – I put a spoonful of this in my morning tea, and use it to sweeten homemade chocolate ice cream and chocolate pudding.
- Pure monkfruit powder and liquid
Here are the key benefits of monk fruit (also called luo han guo):
1. Zero Sugar, Zero Calories
Monk fruit sweetener contains no sugar and no calories, making it useful for:
- Blood-sugar regulation
- Weight management
- Reducing dietary glucose load
Its sweetness comes from mogrosides, not carbohydrates.
2. Doesn’t Spike Blood Sugar
Unlike sugar or many natural sweeteners, monk fruit has no impact on blood glucose or insulin, making it suitable for:
- Diabetes
- Reactive hypoglycemia
- Low-carb or ketogenic diets
3. Anti-Inflammatory Properties
Mogrosides have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, which may help reduce:
- Tissue irritation
- Inflammatory signaling
This is relevant for conditions with inflammatory components, including MCAS (though research is early).
4. Generally Well-Tolerated
Monk fruit tends to cause fewer GI issues than:
- Sugar alcohols (xylitol, erythritol)
- Stevia blends with additives
It’s considered gentle on the gut and suitable for many with sensitivities.
5. Naturally Sweet Without Bitterness
Unlike some stevia products, pure monk fruit has:
- No bitter aftertaste
- A clean, sugar-like profile (Important: many commercial products are blends; those may vary.)
6. Antioxidant Activity
Mogrosides act as antioxidants, which can help buffer oxidative stress from:
- Inflammation
- Metabolic stress
- Environmental triggers
7. Tooth-Friendly
Because it doesn’t feed oral bacteria, monk fruit:
- Does not cause cavities
- Helps maintain more stable oral pH
A Note for MCAS
Pure monk fruit extract is typically low-histamine and low-reactivity.
However, blends (with erythritol, natural flavors, additives) can trigger mast cells in sensitive individuals. Also, a recent study found that erythritol can increase blood clot formation.
The bucket theory
The bucket theory simplifies understanding symptom reactions with MCAS. Imagine your body as an empty bucket you don’t want to overflow. Reactions to various stimuli fill the histamine bucket at different rates, forming the total histamine level (how full your bucket is). More histamine means more symptoms. By managing triggers, reducing exposures, and taking medications and supplements, you can control your bucket’s level.
Know your typical symptom progression
Understanding your symptom progression during a flare is key to developing your rescue plan. This post discusses how to recognize symptom progression so you can be prepared to address them.
Get my free ebook, symptom log, and meal plan!
Want a tool to easily track your symptoms?
Check out these circadian health tools!
I’m an affiliate with Bon Charge, a company that makes tools for circadian health, and you can receive 15% off your order with my coupon code BETSYL.
Bon Charge offers tools such as yellow– and red-tone blue-blocking glasses, red light therapy devices, PEMF mats, infrared saunas, and EMF-blocking products.
Sign up for the SSP!
I’ve found the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) to be the most helpful bottom-up healing strategy if your nervous system has been overloaded with toxic exposures, including mold or non-native EMFs, chronic infections, concussions, stress, or trauma. The SSP is a passive listening therapy that helps heal nervous system dysregulation. Many people with MCAS and other chronic conditions have nervous system dysregulation stemming from infections, toxic exposures, concussions, and trauma. The SSP is an easy-to-use app that lets you listen to specially filtered music for 30 minutes each day as part of a 5-hour cycle. Studies show the SSP has a profound effect on mental health and chronic conditions. Here’s a short podcast describing the Safe and Sound Protocol.
You can sign up for the SSP here!
Heal your mind!
While the SSP is a bottom-up, somatic therapy for healing the nervous system, the Sacred Self-Healing Method I offer is a top-down nervous system-healing modality that focuses on cognition, attention, perception, and emotion, using the mind’s higher functions. The SSP and the Sacred Self-Healing Method complement each other and together produce lasting results. Here’s a short podcast on my self-healing practice.
I provide one-on-one in-person and remote chronic illness and caregiver coaching, as well as Sacred Self-Healing Sessions based on the Sacred Self-Healing Method, a proven, novel co-creative healing modality detailed in my Books.
Order my books!
Here’s a short podcast highlighting my five books.
My latest book, Living In The Light: Healing with Forgiveness, Sound, and Light, is all about the tools that have been most helpful for me to heal: forgiveness, sound, through nervous system retraining using the Safe and Sound Protocol, and light, through entraining my circadian rhythm with the energy of the sun. Living In The Light is available here!
Rocks and Roots chronicles my solo backpacking journey on the Superior Hiking Trail and my efforts to overcome nervous system dysregulation, gut dysbiosis, and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome symptoms to complete the 328-mile hike successfully.
The Sacred Self-Healing Method ebook is available here and in most ebook retailers!
The Sacred Self-Healing Workbook is available for purchase here!
Betsy’s first book, Sacred Self-Healing: Finding Peace Through Forgiveness, is available here
Companion Recordings
The companion audio recordings of chants, guided meditations, and sound healing demonstrations that accompany the Sacred Self-Healing Method are available for free on my YouTube channel here
What do you think?
I’d love to have your reply below!
Disclaimer
The preceding material does not constitute medical advice. This information is for information purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, cure, or treatment.
