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Author: Kariya
Sugar can bring sweetness and disease. The food and beverage industry is setting off an unprecedented wave of sugar reduction, and how to reduce sugar scientifically and reasonably has also become the core of product research and development.
Among the current common sugar substitutes, synthetic sweeteners have been controversial because of their safety implications, and according to a new study by Ben Gurion University (BGU) in Israel, at least three of the six FDA-approved artificial sweeteners – aspartame, sucralose and saccharin – may disrupt the gut microbial balance.
Among the several natural sweeteners that are currently sought after, erythritol has insufficient supply and tolerance problems, steviol glycosides have been criticized for their taste and bitter taste, and monk fruit glycosides are also difficult to apply on a large scale because of the high price of supply chain problems. Finding the perfect sugar substitute still has a long way to go.
Since 2019, when the FDA took the lead in excluding allulose from the "added sugar" and "total sugar" labels, scholars have set their sights on rare sugars. Rare sugars occur naturally in natural plants, and compared with the large amount of glucose and fructose that exist in nature, it is very rare, about 50 species.
Although it also belongs to sugars and sugars and their similar properties, rare sugars have a slower rate of intestinal absorption, lower calories, do not cause glycemic rise and tooth decay, and have prebiotic functions.
Recently, a study conducted by the University of Toronto conducted a large trial of the health benefits of rare sugars, and selected five rare sugars - allulose, isomaltulose, L-arabinose, tagose, and trehalose.
Allulose
Allulose is a differential isomer of fructose found in wheat, raisins, dried figs, and brown sugar. The main features are as follows:
1. Helps to lower blood sugar and lose weight
The sweetness of allulose is about 70% of that of sucrose, but the calories are only one-tenth of that of sucrose.
Allulose is a weak inhibitor of α glucosidase, α amylase, maltase and sucrase, which can inhibit the metabolism of starch and disaccharides in the gastrointestinal tract. At the same time, allulose by releasing GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1), GLP-1 through the bloodstream to the brain, it acts on receptors in these brain regions, can lead to decreased appetite, increased satiety, has a weight loss effect.
Animal studies have also found that allulose can inhibit blood sugar rise, increase insulin sensitivity, and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by protecting pancreatic β cells.
2, good taste
In terms of taste, the allulose sweetness is soft and delicate, and the pure sweetness is very similar to that of high-purity sucrose, and the initial stimulation of the taste buds is slightly faster than that of sucrose, and there is no bad taste during and after consumption. Its sweetness does not change with temperature, and it can show pure sweetness at various temperatures.
3. High security
Allulose is regarded by European and American scholars as the best substitute for erythritol, which is similar in sweetness, but it is safer and more tolerant than sugar alcohol. In addition, allulose does not use chemical synthesis, the general preparation method is made of fructose extracted from corn or sugar beets by enzymatic differential isomerization method, which belongs to natural sweeteners.
4. Help to improve product quality
Allulose and egg albumin can not only form a better crosslinking structure and improve the texture of food through the Maillard reaction, but also generate substances with high antioxidant effects, which can reduce oxidation loss in food processing and storage. Partially replacing sucrose in cakes with allulose improves cake quality by producing a large number of antioxidants through the Maillard reaction, thus making it an excellent alternative to sucrose in bakery applications.
The structure and characteristics of allulose are also extremely stable, with strong chemical inertness, can maintain the original state under acidic or alkaline conditions, and the stability is higher than that of sucrose, which is convenient for use in foods with rich nutrients and complex raw material sources.
In the first half of 2019, only 20 new products in the United States contained allulose, but in the second half of 2019, 54 new products contained sweeteners, which increased to 86 in the first half of 2020 and 107 in the second half of 2019. The main categories of use of allulose are tabletop sweeteners, frozen desserts (dairy and non-dairy), dietary supplements, confectionery and snack bars.
Used in combination with soluble corn fiber and stevia, allulose is particularly suitable for baked goods and sweets, not only reducing sugar and calories, but also meeting consumer expectations for taste and texture.
Isomaltose
Isomaltulose is a natural rare sugar found in sugarcane, honey and other products, the sweetness is about 42% of sucrose, the sweetness is pure, basically the same as sucrose, no bad aftertaste. Isomalt ketose, as a new type of sugar substitute, can oxidize more fat while providing stable and sustained energy, so it is ideal for use in sports nutrition products. The main features are as follows:
1, slow release of energy, low glycemic
Most common carbohydrates in sports foods are mainly a mixture of maltodextrin, glucose and fructose, which release glucose into the bloodstream very quickly, and although they can be immediately replenished, high-glycemic carbohydrates are not ideal for consumers who pursue endurance training, daily exercise exercise, or want to maintain stable energy levels throughout the day.
Isomaltose releases energy completely and slowly, providing the body with glucose continuously, thereby keeping blood sugar levels stable and helping to increase fat burning rates. At the same time, its calorie content is only half of the sugar, which is not easy to be decomposed and absorbed in the human body, nor is it decomposed and utilized by the vast majority of microorganisms, but it can be decomposed and utilized by bifidobacteria in the human intestine, promoting the growth and reproduction of bifidobacteria, maintaining the microecological balance of the intestine, which is conducive to the health of the human body and is an ideal weight management component.
The beneficial effects of isomaltose on blood glucose levels and their insulin response have been demonstrated in various human clinical studies and in all populations, including healthy people, diabetics, pregnant and overweight people can consume it to control sugar.
2. High tolerance
At present, many sugar substitutes added to sports nutrition products, such as sorbitol, xylitol, maltitol and many oligosaccharides, such as eating too much will cause bloating, bowel sounds, diarrhea and other uncomfortable phenomena, but the human body's tolerance to isomaltulose is very large, daily intake of 50g will not cause gastrointestinal discomfort, so the FAO/ WHO joint food additive expert committee review, the daily intake of isomaltulose can not be regulated.
3. Helps to improve concentration
In recent years, some studies have found that after eating isomaltulose, the brain's attention and concentration time is much longer than that of eating sucrose, and the soothing effect on mental stress is also much stronger than that of eating sucrose, which makes it very suitable for competitive sports that require high concentration.
4. High stability
Isomaltulose has extremely low hygroscopicity and its low risk of agglomeration can be easily made into beverages or other types of products. And isomaltonese is a polysaccharide, no reducing, very stable, in a strong acid, alkali conditions are not hydrolyzed, at very high temperatures do not produce pigments, will not and other ingredients in the food chemical reaction, can not be used by the vast majority of microorganisms, has a longer shelf life than other similar products, even in a hot and humid environment to sell, the product can remain highly stable.
L-Arabinose
L-Arabinose is a common component of plant cell walls and is the main component of hemicellulose in cereals. Approved as a new food ingredient in 2008 (No. 12 of 2008), it has no consumption limit and cannot be used in infant food. L-Arabinose cannot be metabolized in the human body, can inhibit the hydrolysis of sucrase, also known as "sucrose blocker".
1. Inhibit the absorption of sucrose
L-arabinose can inhibit the activity of small intestinal sucrase, the metabolic conversion of sucrose has a blocking inhibitory effect, before meals according to a certain proportion of arabinose, can make the human body inhibit the absorption of 70% sucrose, but also improve sugar tolerance, so arabinose can inhibit the intake of sucrose caused by the increase in blood sugar and insulin concentration.
2. Regulate intestinal flora
L-Arabinose in the intestine is not absorbed by the human body, nor is it used by harmful bacteria, it is only used for bifidobacteria, which can make the probiotic bacteria in the intestine proliferate and have the effect of promoting human intestinal health.
And sucrose in the intestine, due to the inhibition of arabinose, is not decomposed into glucose and fructose this part of the sucrose can not be absorbed by the small intestine, after reaching the large intestine will be coordinated with arabinose, play a role in promoting the growth of lactobacillus, can be decomposed into a large number of short-chain organic acids by microorganisms in the large intestine, these organic acids have an inhibitory effect on the synthesis of fat in the liver, so as to achieve the effect of fat reduction.
tagatose
Tagose is structurally similar to allulose and is also a "differential isomer" of fructose, found in small amounts in fruits, cocoa, and dairy products. As a functional monosaccharide, tagramide has many advantages in energy metabolism, hypoglycemia, improvement of intestinal flora, anti-caries and so on. In 2014, the National Health and Family Planning Commission approved taglose as a new food raw material, which can be used in foods other than infant and young children's food.
1. Low calorie
Animal experiments have shown that tagose consumes more energy during metabolism than the available energy he releases, does not cause fat precipitation, provides much less energy than sucrose, and has a glycemic index of only 3.
2. Lower blood sugar
Tagose lowers blood glucose levels in the liver by promoting glucose enzyme activity, promoting glucose transfer to glycogen. It also inhibits the digestive enzymes of carbohydrates in the small intestine, thereby inhibiting the absorption of carbohydrates in the body. Clinical studies have shown that tagose can significantly reduce the blood glucose level of healthy people, pre-diabetes, and people with impaired glucose fasting, and has the function of lowering blood sugar.
3. Improve intestinal flora
80% of the targ sugar ingested by the body cannot be absorbed by the small intestine, and this part of the targ sugar that is not absorbed is fermented and utilized by some microbial flora in the colon, which promotes the appreciation of beneficial bacteria, inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria, and can significantly improve the intestinal flora.
4. Anti-caries
The study found that tagose cannot be used by microorganisms in the mouth, does not reduce the pH of tooth spots, and therefore does not cause caries. Taglose has a good effect in inhibiting tooth erosion spots and eliminating bad breath, and can be applied to various oral health products, such as toothpaste, chewing gum and so on.
trehalose
Trehalose is a disaccharide formed by 2 glucose bonds, and the sweetness of trehalose is 45% of that of sucrose, with moderate sweetness.
Trehalose is widely present in nature, and the presence of trehalose can be found in ancient animals and plants such as blue-green algae, insects, etc., which can help organisms survive the severe anhydrous environment. Due to its stability, acid resistance and better moisture absorption, trehalose is ideal for use in baked goods, with the following characteristics:
1, will not change color
Trehalose is non-reducing, and when coexisting with amino acids and proteins, it will not undergo browning reaction (Maillard reaction) even if it is heated, and it is suitable for foods that still need to maintain a solid color after high-temperature baking.
2. Water retention
Trehalose has a strong water retention, which can firmly lock the moisture in food, prevent water loss, and have the effect of slowing down the growth of bacteria. Therefore, trehalose is very suitable for making foods that are both rich in moisture and have a long shelf life.
3. Prevent starch aging
Since trehalose has the effect of preventing starch aging, it is effective for baked goods, especially foods that need to be refrigerated.
4. Prevent protein denaturation
Trehalose works well to prevent protein denaturation at high temperatures or dryness. In baked goods high in protein, it can effectively prevent the deterioration of nutrients.
5. Inhibit lipid rancidity
Oils and fats are oxidized and decomposed in high-temperature baking, which produces undesirable flavor substances such as peroxides and volatile aldehydes. Trehalose protects fats from oxidative decomposition through interaction with unsaturated fatty acids and inhibits qualitative change caused by lipid acidification.
Bibliographic reference:
1、https://www.foodbusinessnews.net/articles/19703-rare-sugars-await-possible-labeling-exemption
2、"Effects of Three Low-Doses of D-Tagatose on Glycemic Control Over Six Months in Subjects with Mild Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Under Control with Diet and Exercise". Journal of Endocrinology.
3. Research progress of new sweetener D allulose, Zhang Longtao, Jiang Bo, Mu Wanmeng
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