Why Is Low GI Tagatose Favored as a New Favorite?

Why Is Low GI Tagatose Favored as a New Favorite?

D-tagatose is a rare natural hexose in nature, which is a diastereomer of fructose and has a crystalline, white, and tasteless solid appearance. Tagatose is also a low calorie sugar, with an estimated energy value of about 1.5 kcal/g. Tagatose has a sweetness that can reach 92% of sucrose and has a very similar taste to sucrose. In addition, it has no aftertaste and does not produce any unpleasant flavors.

In addition to its low calorie contribution, D-tagatose also has good palatability, high solubility, and sufficient expansibility, making it suitable for use in beverages and dairy products. At present, D-tagatose has been used as a sweetener, moisturizer, thickener, or stabilizer for various low calorie foods. Tagatose has no toxicity or carcinogenic effects and can be safely used in the food industry. Its applications in the food industry include soft drinks, grains, chewing gum, chocolate, candies, caramel and other products.

I. Tagatose: an innovative choice for weight management raw materials.

Research has found that a diet rich in sucrose promotes obesity in LDLr −/− mice, while D-tagatose does not promote significant weight gain or enhance fat deposition. D-tagatose is currently used as a nutritional or low calorie sweetener, and it cannot be fully absorbed from the lower digestive tract. Instead, it stays in the colon and is fermented by resident bacteria, which is why mice fed D-tagatose do not gain weight.

Compared with sucrose, a diet rich in D-tagatose as a carbohydrate source will not promote obesity and adipocyte hypertrophy, and will lead to lower levels of hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis.

II. More benefits of Tagatose.

1. Reduce blood sugar.

Clinical studies have shown that D-tagatose produces only one-third of the calories of sucrose, making it a low calorie sweetener with a glycemic index (GI) of approximately 8. D-tagatose can significantly reduce the increase of blood glucose level in diabetes patients in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, consuming D-tagatose alone or in combination with glucose has a significant effect on reducing blood sugar. Ingesting D-tagatose before a certain amount of glucose intake can significantly slow down the increase in plasma glucose levels, and the effect of lowering blood sugar becomes more pronounced with the increase of Tagatose intake dose.

2. Improve gut microbiota.

Research has found that only 20% of D-tagatose is metabolized in the liver, while the remaining 80% is utilized by beneficial microorganisms in the colon to ferment and produce large amounts of butyric acid. Butyric acid is the main raw material utilized by colonic epithelial cells and plays an important role in controlling the growth and reproduction of colonic epithelial cells, which is beneficial for maintaining colonic health. When the human body ingests Tagatose, the composition of the gut microbiota also changes: the number of beneficial bacteria such as lactic acid bacteria and lactobacilli increases, while the number of Escherichia coli decreases significantly.

3. Anti caries.

It is found that using toothpaste containing D-tagatose can prevent and eliminate dental plaque. In December 2002, the US FDA officially confirmed that D-tagatose is not broken down by oral bacteria, does not cause dental caries, and has the ability to prevent dental diseases such as gingivitis.

Tagatose, as an ideal functional sweetener, has broad application prospects. Against the backdrop of sustained demand in the sugar reduction and sugar replacement market, D-tagatose is of great significance in meeting the people's demand for "reducing sugar without reducing sweetness" and improving their quality of life and health level.