Tammy asked
I am on a low carb diet. Does NyQuil have carbs from the alcohol or any added sugar?
Answer
The answer is that it depends on the specific Nyquil formulation. Nyquil comes in a variety of formulations and contains several different ingredients. At least one product, Nyquil Cold & Flu Nighttime Relief Liquid, does contain carbohydrates in the form of high fructose corn syrup. It also contains an artificial sweetener, acesulfame potassium, that does not contain any carbohydrates.
The product packaging and the Nyquil website do not specify the caloric information of the product. Although not an official source, one diet/fitness website shows that for each dose Nyquil liquid contains 93 calories, 19 g of carbohydrates and 13 g of sugars.
To avoid carbohydrates, carefully examine the inactive ingredients on the product packaging. Nyquil Cold & Flu Nighttime Relief LiquiCaps does not appear to contain any carbohydrates or sugars. It does contain sorbitol sorbitan solution which is a sugar alcohol that doesn’t contain any carbohydrates.
High fructose corn syrup is a commonly used sweetener in many processed foods. It is derived from corn syrup which is sourced from corn. It is a cheaper way for manufacturers to sweeten their product as compared to sugar.
Summary
Because Nyquil contains a variety of ingredients in several different formulations, it can be confusing to determine exactly which product you have and what ingredients it contains. In general though:
- Any of the liquid Nyquil products would likely contain at least some carbohydrates. Original NyQuil liquid is reported to have 19 grams of carbohydrates.
- Tablets and capsules (e.g. LiquiGels) would not be likely to contain any significant source of carbohydrates.
It is usually best to figure out what
symptoms you have and then match up your symptoms with the ingredients you
need. Sometimes this may only require one ingredient instead of taking a
combination medication which could lead to unnecessary side effects or risks.
