Manna Tree’s Post

"A guilt-free chocolate bar, full of sugar, could someday land at a supermarket near you. The chocolate would look and taste normal, and contain the same amount of sugar. But an enzyme, encased in an edible substance and added to the bar, would reduce how much sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream, and even turn it into a fiber that is good for your gut. But slashing sugar has run into roadblocks. Sugar does more than just sweeten food. It acts as a preservative, while adding texture, bulk and, often, a caramel color when heated. Alternative sweeteners can come with an aftertaste, and some substitutes don’t work because their intensity means they are needed in smaller quantities, to the point of making the food itself smaller. “If you were to take the sugar out of a brownie, you don’t have much left,” Young says. Reducing sugar often requires retooling decades-old recipes, and substitutes can entail higher costs, regulatory hurdles or consumer backlash. Other companies are trying similar methods. San Francisco-based startup Biolumen recently launched a product called Monch Monch, a drink mix made of fibrous, microscopic sponges designed to soak up sugar and prevent it from reaching the bloodstream. At mealtime consumers can blend a teaspoon of Monch Monch, which has no taste, smell or color, into drinks from water to wine. Once it has reached the stomach, the sponges start to swell and sequester sugar, reducing its burden on the body, says Dr. Robert Lustig, Biolumen’s co-founder and chief medical officer. Biolumen is still studying what ultimately happens to the sequestered sugar, Lustig says, adding that it is either chewed up by bacteria in the intestine, carried from the body in stools, or a little bit of both. One gram of Monch Monch can sequester six grams of sugar, says Lustig, a neuroendocrinologist who for years has sounded alarms about added sugars. The product, introduced as a dietary supplement, can also be used as a food ingredient under a Food and Drug Administration principle known as “generally recognized as safe.” Packets of Monch Monch are available for purchase online, and Biolumen says it is in talks with U.S. food manufacturers it declined to name about its use in other products. Kraft Heinz, for instance, has pledged to cut 60 million pounds of sugar from its products by 2025. The company in 2022 launched a major renovation of its juice drink, Capri Sun, cutting sugar across its original varieties by an average of 40% and swapping in monk fruit instead. Many consumers didn’t like the change, and sales of the product weakened. The company is now adding back in some sugar."

One of the most weight loss recent trends is a home-made drink called "ricezempic", made by soaking uncooked rice and then straining it to drink the leftover starchy water. Does it really work in a similar way to the sought-after drug Ozempic? We discuss this in our latest @ConversationEDU article 👇 https://loom.ly/Piwjrm0

Sugar is increasingly viewed as a significant health concern, prompting researchers and food companies to explore methods to enhance its absorption by consumers' bodies and to eliminate the caloric effects without cellular absorption. Recent solutions, such as the employment of sweeteners with aspartame being the most utilized, have sparked concerns regarding the risks of long-term health issues, including cancer. The introduction of natural ingredients like stevia or allulose appears promising, although it raises questions about the potential for sugar taste addiction. Ultimately, the most effective solution might be to simply reduce the daily intake of sugar: " The sugar-to-fiber enzyme is among the latest technologies dreamed up to deal with America’s sugar habit without ditching sugar itself. Another fix involves a drink mix containing microscopic sponges that soak up sugar in the stomach at mealtime. Even researchers still working to reduce sugar are peddling new technologies, like individual sugar crystals modified to dissolve more quickly in the mouth, making food taste sweeter. Some sugar occurs naturally in our foods, like fruit and dairy products. But much of it is added by manufacturers to processed food and drinks, such as cereal and soda. [...] Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, the key ingredient in Diet Coke, came into vogue years ago as a fix for calorie-conscious consumers, but scrutiny over their safety has dented their popularity. More recently, some food companies have sought to replace sugar with natural ingredients like stevia and monk fruit, which are so sweet that they can add flavor without contributing calories. [..] The best option for reducing the health toll of sugar? Nick Fereday, executive director of food and consumer trends for agricultural lender Rabobank, suggests eating less: “In food, we tend to look for complex solutions when there’s a simple one.” " #Health #Sugar #NutritionLabelks #Technologies #Sponges #NewTobacco #harmfuleffects

Why are #UPFs bad for you? More #calories per bite? An addictive combination of ingredients? Lack of #fiber for the #microbiome? Altered gut permeability? Altered mitochondrial efficiency? All the above? Probably. Understanding the mechanism is essential to fixing the food supply. In the meantime, just know that sugar is the payload, and UPF is the vehicle. Why, exactly, are ultraprocessed foods so hard to resist? This study is trying to find out: https://lnkd.in/e4Rv7-6B

Here we go, “Regen food brands”... Hitting usa shelves and soon ours (not this actual brand, but brands using this type of supply chain thinking). REGEN is now a runaway train and going to be a big part of our future food thinking and eating. How will this affect existing food standards? Step aside: Organic, Fair-trade and maybe even ’local’?!? Does Regen resonate and say it all for todays consumer? ://goodsamfoods.com/

Recently published studies showed that an enrich plant protein intake can increase the odds of healthy aging in women. As well, plant proteins have a number of positive functional properties in foods, such as binding, foaming, and thickening. In many cases, these benefits can easily be incorporated into product formulations. Want to learn more? Contact us now! #pei #foodbusiness #proteinengineering

Embark on a journey into the intricate world of nutrition! This blog explores the differences between plant and animal proteins. Uncover health benefits, sustainability, and tips for a balanced protein intake. 🌍🥗 #HealthyLiving https://lnkd.in/gdRhAM53

The topic of bioavailability is one which is frankly not discussed enough when people are looking to improve their nutrition... 🤔 It's sorely misunderstood by the general public (myself included until I came across it and started looking into it more) and I thoroughly enjoy how Dr Chaffee unpacks the facts in this video 👍 The bottom line is that human beings are NOT universal digesters, meaning our digestive system is simply not capable of breaking down, extracting & assimilating our essential nutrients from any/all sources... - Certain sources are bioavailable to us (our digestive system CAN extract what we need from them). - Other sources are not bioavailable to us (our digestive system CANNOT extract what we need from them). Take time to learn about bioavailability and understand what is/isn't bioavailable to the Human digest system - doing so will do absolute wonders for your efforts to improve your health by improving your nutrition 👍 https://lnkd.in/e8NX3YtA

Worst Meat to Eat 🍖🤢 Navigating meat choices can be tricky, especially with concerns like cholesterol, hormones, and antibiotics. Opting for 80% lean meat? Think twice, as it's high in cholesterol and may contain unwanted additives. Switch it up with organic tofu and tempeh—misunderstood heroes high in protein and fiber, debunking myths about soy and man boobs. I'm living proof that plant-based protein supports muscle without the drawbacks. Curious about clean protein sources? Comment "CONSCIOUS MUSCLE" for and I will personally reach out to you to create a personalized and clean meal plan. #PlantBasedStrength #HealthyEating #VeganMuscle

https://lnkd.in/edVDUXpS An interesting video on how a soluble corn fiber is produced) https://lnkd.in/edVDUXpS A nice video showing how SHIME Human intestinal microbial system works and why different fibers are tolerated differently in our body) #fibers #foodingredients