A recent study by Henry et al. has compared a low glycaemic diet - that included Beneo’s functional carbohydrate Palatinose - with a high glycaemic diet, in a real-life scenario.
The results have shown that participants who followed the low glycaemic profile diet experienced three main improvements: a lower glycaemic profile, reduced variability in blood sugar levels and improved fat burning.
The study was carried out at the Clinical Nutrition Research Centre (CNRC), Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and the National University Health System, Centre for Translational Medicine.
Twenty-four hour continuous blood sugar monitoring was conducted with 20 men. Participants were on two dietary treatments (low and high glycaemic) in a randomised, double blind, controlled cross-over design. In addition, the participants’ energy expenditure and metabolism was measured. Overall, the trials covered a time period of 42 hours to represent a normal day-to-day situation.
The glycaemic load of the participants’ meals was modulated by adding sucrose for the high glycaemic group and Beneo’s Palatinose (isomaltulose) for the low glycaemic group. Two metabolic parameters - glycaemic response and substrate oxidation - were measured, with the former using continuous glucose monitoring (recorded every 5 minutes for 42 hours) and the latter using whole-body calorimetry.
The study results showed that each low glycaemic modulated meal was able to move the participants’ substrate oxidation - the process of generating energy within the cells from food consumed - from carbohydrate oxidation to fat oxidation, thus promoting fat burning and subsequently, in time, weight management.
Anke Sentko, VP Regulatory Affairs & Nutrition Communication at BENEO, said: "The study by Henry et al. really shows how Palatinose can contribute to a healthier diet when used as part of a low glycaemic diet. The unique combination of measuring continuous blood glucose response, as well as energy provision, reflects a real-life scenario, rather than a snap shot situation."
"The benefits can be seen after each meal and the cumulative benefit is even higher thanks to a shift in metabolic set up that is carried across from one meal to the next. Given high blood sugar levels are a risk factor in the onset of type 2 diabetes mellitus, these findings demonstrate how Palatinose opens up opportunities for consumer products that not only promote blood sugar management, but weight management as well."
"In addition, an EU health claim highlighting the lower rise in blood sugar is possible when Palatinose (isomaltulose) is used to replace sucrose by 30%."
