Russian scientists test new sweetener
In a study involving 101 volunteers, sugar-free formulations with brazzein reduced blood glucose spikes by half, reports Habr.
Scientists from the Federal Research Centre for Nutrition, Biotechnology, and Food Safety conducted an experiment with ice cream in which sugar was replaced with the protein brazzein. The study participants were individuals with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), often accompanied by diabetes and obesity.
Volunteers tried three types of ice cream: regular with sugar, with brazzein, and with brazzein combined with the dietary fibre inulin. After consuming the sugar-free versions, blood glucose levels rose approximately two times less than after eating ice cream with sugar. The effect was particularly noticeable in individuals with type 2 diabetes.
Brazzein, discovered in the fruit of a West African plant, is 2000 times sweeter than sugar by equal mass. It is currently produced using genetically modified fungi. Researchers note that longer trials are needed for definitive conclusions.
