As the global prevalence of obesity continues to skyrocket, the World Health Organization estimates that one billion individuals are now living with this disease.1 This epidemic is having a profound effect on healthcare services and the public alike. With a large percentage of the population experiencing unprecedented weight gain, which is often difficult to control, many have begun turning to GLP-1-targeting weight management drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy.
Although popular, a wide range of unpleasant side-effects such as diarrhoea, vomiting and abdominal pain have been associated with these solutions.2,3 Recently, GLP-1 agonists including Ozempic and Wegovy have also been implicated in the development of non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NAION), a sight-threatening eye disorder, which highlights the potentially dangerous side-effects that can be associated with prescribed weight loss therapeutics.4
Owing to the pitfalls of taking such drugs and the notable difficulty associated with losing weight naturally, there is a significant gap in the market for clean-label nutraceuticals that can modulate GLP-1 with fewer side-effects and without the need for a prescription. One company tackling this conundrum is BENEO — with its smart carbohydrate ingredient potentially offering a solution for those who want to enhance their weight management journey.
Annabel Kartal-Allen spoke to Stephan Theis, Head of Nutrition Science and Communication at BENEO, to find out more.
The importance of maintaining a healthy weight
There has been a notable shift in the narrative surrounding weight management during recent years, with many consumers focusing on achieving and maintaining a healthy body composition rather than aiming to lose weight. Stephan believes that this mindset is of paramount importance to those looking to manage their weight with Palatinose, amongst other solutions:
“Consumers should focus on achieving — and then maintaining — a healthy weight, which for some may involve losing or gaining body mass whereas others will just need to maintain their current weight. For those who are overweight or obese, the focus should not only be to lose weight … but also to maintain this weight loss and prevent weight regain in the long-term; this can be as difficult as losing weight for some people.”
“Avoiding weight gain is just as important as losing weight from a health perspective,” he reiterates, “and there are many factors that influence an individual’s body weight. It’s much more than just looking at calories in and out; it’s a lot about steering one’s metabolism in the right direction, as well as balancing satiety versus hunger and the composition of the gut microbiome.”
What is GLP-1?
Glucagon-like peptide-1 or GLP-1 is a hormone that is naturally present in the body and released in response to food intake. It’s a key gut hormone that plays a fundamental role in blood glucose control, the stimulation of insulin secretion, appetite control and nutrient uptake. The hormone also acts as a sensor, detecting the nutrient levels present along the digestive tract. When molecules such as glucose arrive in the intestine — following the breakdown of carbohydrates — cells will secrete GLP-1, which interact with several
receptors on digestive organs such as the pancreas, as well as the brain regions responsible for controlling hunger and satiety.
GLP-1 promotes satiety through energy intake and its ability to influence appetite
Targeting GLP-1 for better weight management outcomes
Owing to GLP-1’s fundamental role in appetite regulation, Stephan believes it’s a perfect target when looking to modulate the body’s response to food intake while also engaging in effective weight management: “GLP-1 has a wide range of impacts on the body’s metabolism, including satiety through energy intake and its ability to influence appetite. It can also target the cells associated with insulin release, which is a key factor in metabolic homeostasis. Therefore, it would make sense to look at GLP-1 as a key hormonal factor in this context.”
Palatinose promotes GLP-1 release
To find a way to stimulate the body’s natural production of GLP-1, BENEO turned to carbohydrates as there is already significant research pointing to the impact of slow-release “smart” carbohydrates on the sustained production of the hormone. From this idea, the company developed Palatinose, a functional carbohydrate (isomaltulose) that supports an increased release of GLP-1 in the digestive tract.
Stephan elaborates: “Palatinose is a slow-release carbohydrate that provides glucose in a more continuous way during a sustained period — much slower than carbohydrates with high glycaemic indexes such as sucrose or glucose polymers. This prolonged glucose release leads to an overall increase in the amount of GLP-1 in the body, which is also available for a longer time.”
“The glucose derived from Palatinose is released throughout the full length of the small intestine, meaning it can reach the L-cells situated in the latter segments of the organ. L-cells, an important group of cells in the digestive system that respond to food intake, coexpress GLP-1 and peptide YY (PYY). These are two highly relevant factors in metabolic regulation, allowing for the enhanced secretion of GLP-1 and — subsequently — a more pronounced metabolic response to food intake. As many sugars with a high glycaemic index don’t make it this far down the small intestine, they cannot exhibit this effect and don’t therefore produce comparable levels of GLP-1 when digested.”
The pronounced effect on GLP-1 excretion ... was maintained
Palatinose for GLP-1 release regardless of subsequent food intake
As well as the pronounced effects seen when consuming Palatinose alone, Stephan explains that the GLP-1 release continues even after a subsequent meal: “It’s interesting to note that even when administering Palatinose one hour before a standard main meal, the pronounced effect on GLP-1 excretion caused by the smart carbohydrate was maintained.” 5
“This finding shows that the favourable impact of Palatinose on GLP-1 levels can exhibit a positive second meal effect, which is when a meal will impact anything you eat subsequently. With Palatinose, you can guide your metabolism in the right direction for the rest of the day.”
Reducing reliance on restrictive eating
Although it’s always recommended to incorporate more exercise into your routine while adhering to a healthy, balanced diet when trying to lose weight, Stephan stresses that this isn’t completely necessary when trying to modulate metabolic outcomes with Palatinose: “Another recent human study has shown that those who intake Palatinose don’t necessarily have to restrict their diet to see a positive effect on blood glucose related metabolic parameters.” 5
The citizen science approach to this study encouraged subjects to continue to make diet and lifestyle choices they’d usually make outside of a trial setting, allowing researchers to determine if such a functional ingredient is effective in a real-world situation, rather than just under stringent study controls.
“When we provided 100 people with Palatinose and a prebiotic intervention, we still saw the benefits of consuming the carbohydrate under non-restricted conditions, proving that it’s also beneficial in an ad libitum condition scenario.” 
The long-term influence of Palatinose
As well as the short-term influence that can be observed from consuming Palatinose, Stephan highlights the carbohydrate’s role in the long-term regulation of the body’s metabolism: “We did an intervention study in collaboration with Oxford Brookes University, which looked at overweight participants who were interested in losing weight. We provided half of those involved with food and beverage products containing Palatinose and then compared this group with those given standard sugars or sucrose.”
"We then followed how successful their weight management was — as well as their energy intake — during the study period. We showed that people in the Palatinose group were not only losing more weight compared with those given sucrose, but also losing weight ad libitum during a 12-week period.” 6
A sea change for sugar
There are a range of studies highlighting the benefits of Palatinose and other smart carbohydrates on metabolic health and weight management from GLP-1. Therefore, it would be sensible for those looking to formulate functional food and beverages to consider how these carbohydrates could be incorporated into their products — as opposed to traditional sugars — to support the ever-growing population of health-conscious consumers.
References
1 www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight.
2 www.ozempic.com/how-to-take/side-effects.html.
3 www.wegovy.com/taking-wegovy/side-effects.html.
4 www.reviewofoptometry.com/news/article/risk-of-naion-higher-in-patients-on-glp1-drugs-for-diabetes-or-weight-loss.
5 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38332571/
6 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31590285/
