Allulose Calories: What the Science Says
Understanding allulose calories requires looking beyond the simple number. Allulose contains approximately 0.2 to 0.4 calories per gram — roughly 90% fewer calories than regular sugar. But the story of how those calories work (or rather, do not work) in your body is what makes allulose truly unique.
The Official Calorie Count
The FDA has determined that allulose provides approximately 0.4 calories per gram. For comparison:
- Sugar (sucrose): 4 calories per gram
- Honey: 3 calories per gram
- Allulose: 0.4 calories per gram
- Erythritol: 0.2 calories per gram
- Stevia: 0 calories per gram
This means one teaspoon of allulose (about 4 grams) contains roughly 1.6 calories, compared to 16 calories in a teaspoon of sugar.
Why Allulose Has So Few Calories
Allulose is absorbed in the small intestine — your body takes it in. But here is the critical difference: your body cannot metabolize it for energy. The enzymes that break down regular sugars do not process allulose effectively. Instead, 70–84% of absorbed allulose is excreted unchanged through the kidneys.
Think of it this way: your body picks up allulose, looks at it, decides it cannot use it, and passes it through. The small amount of energy your body extracts accounts for those 0.2–0.4 calories per gram.
FDA Labeling: Excluded from Total Sugars
In 2019, the FDA made a landmark decision: allulose can be excluded from total sugars and added sugars on nutrition labels. This was based on scientific evidence that allulose does not behave like other sugars metabolically. Products sweetened with allulose will show lower sugar counts on labels — and those labels are accurate. The calories from allulose are also excluded from total calorie counts on many labels, though the FDA guidance allows manufacturers some flexibility here.
Allulose Calories in Common Serving Sizes
Here is what allulose calories look like in practical terms:
- 1 teaspoon (4g): ~1.6 calories (vs 16 cal from sugar)
- 1 tablespoon (12g): ~4.8 calories (vs 48 cal from sugar)
- 1/4 cup (48g): ~19 calories (vs 194 cal from sugar)
- 1 cup (192g): ~77 calories (vs 774 cal from sugar)
For a recipe that normally calls for 1 cup of sugar, switching to allulose saves approximately 697 calories. Split that across 8 servings and each serving saves about 87 calories — a meaningful reduction.
How Allulose Calories Compare to Other Sweeteners
vs Sugar Alcohols
Sugar alcohols like erythritol (0.2 cal/g), xylitol (2.4 cal/g), and maltitol (2.1 cal/g) have varying calorie counts. Allulose is comparable to erythritol in calories but has a superior taste profile — no cooling sensation, no bitter aftertaste, and significantly better GI tolerance.
vs Artificial Sweeteners
Sucralose, aspartame, and saccharin are essentially zero-calorie, but they achieve this through extreme sweetness concentration (200–700x sweeter than sugar). They do not provide the bulk, browning, or texture that allulose does. You cannot caramelize Splenda.
vs Natural Sweeteners
Stevia and monk fruit are zero-calorie but have notable aftertastes and cannot replicate sugar's functional properties in baking. Allulose trades a tiny number of calories for dramatically better taste and culinary versatility.
Do Allulose Calories Count for Keto?
For practical purposes, most keto followers count allulose as zero net carbs and zero effective calories. The reasoning is sound: allulose does not raise blood sugar, does not trigger an insulin response, and is not metabolized for energy in any meaningful way. The 0.4 cal/g is so minimal that it has no impact on ketosis or caloric targets.
Allulose Calories and Weight Management
The near-zero calorie content of allulose makes it a powerful tool for weight management. But allulose offers benefits beyond simple calorie reduction:
- GLP-1 stimulation: Allulose activates GLP-1, a hormone that promotes satiety and helps regulate appetite
- Fat oxidation: Some research suggests allulose may increase fat burning
- No compensatory eating: Unlike artificial sweeteners, which some studies suggest may increase appetite, allulose does not appear to trigger compensatory eating behaviors
Frequently Asked Questions
Does allulose have zero calories?
Not technically zero — allulose has 0.2 to 0.4 calories per gram. But for practical purposes, the calorie content is negligible. A teaspoon of allulose has fewer than 2 calories.
Why do some labels show allulose as 0 calories?
FDA rounding rules allow products with fewer than 5 calories per serving to be labeled as 0 calories. Since a typical serving of allulose has fewer than 5 calories, many products round down to zero.
How many calories are in Jaca allulose?
Jaca 100% pure allulose contains approximately 0.4 calories per gram — the same as any pure allulose product. That is 90% fewer calories than sugar with zero glycemic impact.
The Bottom Line on Allulose Calories
Allulose provides roughly 0.4 calories per gram — 90% fewer than sugar. Your body absorbs allulose but cannot use it for energy, so those minimal calories have virtually no metabolic impact. Combined with its sugar-like taste, FDA GRAS status, and active health benefits like GLP-1 activation, allulose offers the best calorie-to-satisfaction ratio of any sweetener available.