“This study demonstrates that including isomaltulose to develop low-glycemic index mixed meals is able to acutely moderate glycemic response,” the researchers wrote in the study, published in the journal Nutrients.
They also noted that low-glycemic index diets with added isomaltulose administered to the participants, all men of Chinese descent, may have helped promote “fat oxidation over carbohydrate oxidation during relative inactivity…when compared to high-glycemic index meals.”
Professor Christiani Jeyakumar Henry led the study at the Clinical Nutrition Research Centre in Singapore, together with researchers from the National University Health System, Centre for Translational Medicine.
It was funded by Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR) and an educational grant by Palatinose’s manufacturer Beneo GmbH.
Study design
Twenty healthy men of Chinese descent were recruited for the study. The study consisted of two dietary treatments in a randomized double-blinded, controlled cross-over design: A low glycemic index and high glycemic index diet.
Manipulated treatment meals that differed between the groups were: Dinner on day one and breakfast, lunch, and an afternoon snack on day two. Dinner on day two was standardized over the two dietary treatment groups.
Palatinose was added to the low glycemic index treatment meals to modulate the glycemic load. The high glycemic index group received sucrose instead.
Results
Researchers looked at two metabolic parameters—glycemic response using continuous glucose monitoring (recorded every five minutes for 42 hours) and substrate oxidation, using whole-body calorimetry.
Each low glycemic 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, over time, weight management.
According to Beneo’s vice president of regulatory affairs and nutrition communication, Anke Sentko, the study is evidence of how “Palatinose can contribute to a healthier diet when used as part of a low glycemic 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.”
In the US, there are over 40 products that include Palatinose, primarily in performance and sports nutrition, energy beverages, special nutrition (for diabetics, weight management, or the elderly, for example), and meal replacement, according to Jon peters, president of Beneo.
“Meal replacement and special nutrition companies are the biggest customer types, while [there are] significant growth opportunities are in sports nutrition,” he told NutraIngredients-USA.