Sweet protein brazzein shows promise in reducing blood sugar spikes: Study | Health News
Sweet Protein Brazzein May Help Lower Blood Sugar Spikes After Ice Cream Consumption
A recent study suggests that brazzein, a sweet protein derived from the West African oubli plant, might mitigate blood sugar spikes associated with ice cream consumption. The research has been reported by Science Alert.
Brazzein has gained attention as a potential sugar substitute due to its intense sweetness and is now primarily produced through fermentation processes.
Conducted by researchers at Russia’s Federal Research Centre of Nutrition, Biotechnology and Food Safety, the study involved 101 adults diagnosed with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), a condition characterized by fat accumulation in the liver, often linked to diabetes and obesity.
Published in the journal Clinical Nutrition ESPEN, the randomized trial assessed the effects of sugar versus brazzein on blood sugar levels in participants consuming 100-gram servings of vanilla ice cream across three test days: one day with regular sugar, one with brazzein, and another with both brazzein and the fiber inulin.
The findings indicated that post-meal blood sugar spikes were significantly lower when participants consumed ice cream sweetened with brazzein or the blend of brazzein and inulin, compared to the version with sugar. These reductions were particularly pronounced in participants with type 2 diabetes.
“Longer-term studies are needed to determine whether repeated substitution of sucrose-containing desserts with brazzein-sweetened alternatives translates into sustained metabolic, hepatic, microbiome, or behavioral benefits,” the researchers noted.
The negative health impacts of sugar consumption have been the subject of extensive research and discussion. In 2023, the World Health Organization cautioned against using non-sugar sweeteners for weight management, issuing guidelines about potential long-term health risks, including increased likelihood of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
