- Researchers included 50 adults who were considered overweight or obese in their study.
- Greater weight and fat mass loss occurred in the group using Palatinose.
The supplement industry is filled with weight loss aids to help consumers to curb their appetite or burn more calories at once. Dr. Helen Lightowler and Professor Jeya Henry at Oxford Brookes University’s Functional Food Centre in the UK recently pursued research on a slow-release carbohydrate called Palatinose. According to their findings, Palatinose (isomaltulose purely based on sugar beet-sourced sucrose) could potentially promote better success with weight loss in the short-term, while helping to keep the fat off for good.
The goal of the scientists was to determine what impact on body weight that a diet with Palatinose will have, in comparison to a diet with sucrose. The controlled intervention study covered a 12-week period with 50 adults who were considered overweight or obese but were healthy by all other accounts. The participants then consumed a total of four meals a day with either 40 grams of sucrose or 40 grams of Palatinose, adding up to 1,700 calories daily. The individuals then could eat whatever they wanted for dinner.
Through the study, the researchers recorded the weight, body composition, and energy metabolism for the participants in four-week intervals, as well as at the beginning of the study. Through the course of the study, participants in both of these groups lost weight though the group using Palatinose lost about half a pound more than the sucrose group. The Palatinose group also managed to achieve a 2% reduction in their fat mass. As Beneo states, the changes were likely due to higher fat burning and lower energy intake with Palatinose, in comparison with sucrose.
BENEO’s Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and Nutrition Communication, Anke Sentko, noted that it is clear that the way that consumers include their carbohydrates in their diet clearly matters. Sentko added,
“Using Palatinose instead of sucrose supports weight loss and the reduction of body fat in overweight and obese people, because it steers the metabolism towards fat burning. With 670 million adults worldwide now registered as obese, this is an important step towards looking beyond calorie counting and considering instead what people can eat to help them better achieve their weight loss goals.”
The market for weight loss products is comprised of many options, including diet foods, beverages, meal replacements, weight loss supplements, and more. By the end of this year, the global market for these types of products is expected to reach $422.8 billion, according to Allied Market Research. North America is a major part of this market, accounting for 35%.
With the trajectory of the market, a study by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health states that it is possible that approximately half of the adults in the United States will be obese, while another quarter will be considered severely obese. With those factors considered, the supplements for weight loss and dieting will likely have quite a following.
It will be interesting to see how the Palatinose (isomaltulose made of glucose and fructose) market evolves as an alternative sugar to maltodextrins that has many health benefits associated with it and growing. On top of this most recent study, the Palatinose weight loss research has been on going for well over a decade as many trials have analyzed the naturally-sourced carbohydrate that carries a low-glycemic index (good for producing a beneficial effect on blood glucose control with people experiencing diabetes mellitus) and can improve fax oxidation combined with physical exercise. While it is not a big weight loss industry name such as garcinia or forskolin, it could have much bigger ripple effects for people consuming every day foods and drinks versus having a ‘miracle' fat burning pill work wonders.
According to the official Beneo website, Palatinose nutritional benefits are not just limited to weight loss and body fat burning:
- balanced, sustained supply of energy
- less is more for sugar levels as isomaltulose supports a low glycaemic diet
- boosts metabolism
- oral teeth care additive for dental products
- sports nutrition and performance
Because Palatinose (isomaltulose) is a slow release sugar with physiological properties and does have all of the underlying supportive science behind it that is starting to stack up, this fully digestible carbohydrate may have a very high nutritional need and demand in the coming years as people who deal with obesity (fat oxidation effects), blood glucose problems (insulin responses) and fast carb spikes/crashes will seek a healthier alternative.
The brand name Palatinose pays its respects to how isomaltulose was discovered by Dr. Lorenzo Weidenhagen and his team back in 1957 when they first described the natural slow-release sugar alternative while studying it in Palatinum, Germany. Today, as technology advances and science innovates, be on the look out for this extensively-studied healthy sugar and sweetener alternative.
Anyone struggling with their weight loss wants to see results from their diet. As healthy and balanced as a popularly-followed diet may be, the types of foods included can be the demise of an entire plan. Given the latest research outlined above to analyze the effects of using Palatinose for weight loss, rather than sucrose, as a carbohydrate may become the next big thing in the 2020 decade.