A short-term trial in adults with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease found that ice cream sweetened with the protein brazzein caused about half the blood-glucose rise of a sugar-sweetened version.
A sugar substitute made from a sweet protein called brazzein may help blunt blood-sugar spikes after eating ice cream, according to research published in Clinical Nutrition ESPEN. In a randomised, double-blind crossover trial, scientists in Russia gave 101 adults with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, or MASLD, three separate 100-gram servings of vanilla ice cream: one sweetened with sugar, one with brazzein and one with brazzein plus the fibre inulin.
The results suggest the protein-based recipes triggered notably smaller rises in blood glucose than the sugar-sweetened version. According to the paper, the increase in blood sugar after the meal was about half as large when participants ate either of the brazzein formulations, with the clearest benefit seen in people who also had type 2 diabetes. The researchers reported no serious side effects during the trial.
Brazzein is not a new discovery. It was first identified in a West African fruit and is now produced largely through engineered fungi. The protein is reported to be around 2,000 times sweeter than sugar by weight and, unlike many delicate compounds, can withstand heating to about 80C. That stability helps explain why researchers are interested in it as a possible ingredient in frozen desserts and other processed foods. The study also points to a practical challenge: sugar does more than sweeten ice cream, since it also contributes bulk and texture, which means other ingredients are needed to preserve the familiar mouthfeel of the dessert.
The findings build on earlier animal research suggesting that brazzein may offer sweetness without the same metabolic drawbacks as sucrose. Separate studies in mice have indicated it does not appear to worsen body fat accumulation, glucose control or inflammation in the way that sugar can, and a more recent toxicology study reported that brazzein derived from Komagataella phaffii was safe for consumption. Even so, the new human trial is short-term and limited to people with MASLD, so it does not show whether switching to brazzein over months or years would affect liver fat, weight, diabetes control or other health outcomes. The study authors said longer trials are needed to find out whether replacing sugar with brazzein in everyday foods can deliver lasting metabolic or behavioural benefits.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
