Researchers in Brazil have created a new sugarcane-based sweetener that slows glucose absorption without changing taste, utilising food industry residues and cocrystallisation technology, with promising results in early clinical trials.
Brazilian researchers have developed a sugarcane-based sweetener that is absorbed more slowly by the body, in a bid to reduce the speed at which glucose enters the bloodstream without changing the taste. The work, reported by Metrópoles, brings together scientists from the Integrated Biotechnology Platform for Healthy Ingredients, a network involving Unicamp, the University of São Paulo and Ital.
The key idea is to use residues from the food industry, specifically extracts taken from defective green coffee beans and peanut skins, and incorporate them into sucrose crystals. According to the researchers, the technique, known as cocrystallisation, rearranges the sugar structure so that phenolic compounds from the extracts can be embedded within it, helping the body process carbohydrates more gradually.
Regiane de Brito Vieira told FAPESP that adapting the process increased the amount of material that could be incorporated into the crystals by 7.5 times while preserving the compounds’ properties. In a clinical trial involving 25 volunteers over six days, participants consumed different versions of the sugar, including combinations containing coffee, peanut and both together. Blood glucose was monitored for two hours after consumption, and the version containing both extracts reduced sucrose’s glycaemic index from medium to low.
The team is still examining other aspects of the product, including its calorie content and how it interacts with the gut microbiota. Future studies are expected in partnership with the University of Bologna in Italy. The sugar has been produced as crystals that could be used by food companies in processed products, and the technology is being prepared for licensing, with participating companies given priority.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
