IFT First 2024 live: Beneo showcases Palatinose carbohydrate for weight loss and more

17 Jul 2024 --- At the ongoing IFT First 2024 trade show in Chicago, US, Beneo presents new research supporting the weight management benefits of its ingredients. Live at the event, Nutrition Insight discusses the company’s Palatinose carbohydrate and other products in the category with Jon Peters, regional sales director for the Americas and Denisse Colindres, manager of nutrition communication.

Peters tells us: “Palatinose is a naturally sourced, slow-release carbohydrate that provides full carbohydrate energy. It is different from sucrose in how the energy it provides is metabolized — in a moderate way. A low blood sugar response has an impact on the insulin level.”

“It is sourced from sugar beets. It was discovered many decades ago but commercialized in the last 20 years. The ingredient was discovered in the Palatinate region of Germany, and hence the name Palatinose. Now, it is marketed in the US and around the world as a functional carbohydrate that provides sustained energy, is low glycemic and facilitates fat burning.”

Beneo points out that consumers are increasingly aware of their carbohydrate sources. Meanwhile, ingredients like Palatinose are becoming more interesting for F&B and supplement formulators. 

Scientific findings
Colindres adds that new scientific data suggests that Palatinose helps with the natural release of GLP-1 by the body.

Jon Peters, regional sales director for the Americas and Denisse Colindres, manager of nutrition communication.“The study was a human clinical intervention with 30 subjects. Half had obesity or overweight and half had type 2 diabetes. They were monitored over nine hours and several pattern parameters were measured, such as blood glucose and insulin incretin response, including GLP-1,” she explains.

“What’s interesting about the findings is that those that took Palatinose (versus sucrose) had a higher and also a longer lasting release of GLP-1 compared to sucrose. So that’s one of the very exciting parts of the study.”

The second finding she highlights is that when Palatinose is given as a snack and a meal is consumed one hour later — a second meal effect takes place. “We see that the GLP response is still maintained even after you consume a complex meal. It’s great news for people who are trying to manage their appetite and blood glucose levels during the day while enhancing a GLP-1 response as well.”

Natural GLP-1 management 
Colindres argues that the study highlights Palatinose as a natural alternative to enhance the GLP-1 response.

“It can also be very interesting for people on a GLP-1 agonist medication as a companion to their diet because it’s a nutritive carbohydrate, so it gives full carbohydrate energy in a slow and more sustained way, balancing blood sugar levels and enhancing that GLP-1 response.”

Peters outlines that, in the US, Beneo’s Palatinose has just substantiated a structure function claim for increased GLP-1. “We can make claims around the promotion of GLP-1 naturally occurring through the consumption of Palatinose. We also have structure function claims for weight management and fat burning.”

“There are different claims that consumers or brands can make related to the use of Palatinose in those types of responses,” he explains. 

Colindres adds that Palatinose is well-suited to and tested for sports nutrition application because of its sustained energy benefit. “There was a lot of data on sports, especially for endurance athletes, because we also see the fat oxidation benefit. They use it as a training carbohydrate that will not give them that spike, and they will end up feeling poorly before or after training.”

Beneo featured a variety of better-for-you foods at its stand, including a gluten-free brownie-cookie or "brookie," formulated with fava bean powder and prebiotic chicory root fiber.Peters further explains that, in contrast to Palatinose, sugar alternatives like allulose are not well-suited to provide the energy boost needed by athletes to keep going. “There are products that are positioned (directly or indirectly) as providing energy, but if they have allulose in them, that’s not providing energy. The energy has got to come from something else in that formulation.” 

Weight loss solutions
Palatinose is not the only ingredient for weight loss highlighted by Beneo at the IFT First trade show. Colindres shares details about other GLP-1 targeted solutions on offer.

“For an increased GLP-1 response, one ingredient we have is our prebiotic chicory root fibers that through fermentation can also increase satiety and reduce food energy intake. That’s another area within our fibers,” she states.

Peters points to the application of prebiotic chicory root fiber in combination with allulose, continuing his explanation concerning the use of the sugar substitute in sports nutrition.

“Allulose is a great tool to reduce sugar and calories, and you usually see it in a matrix. Fibers can also help to reduce the sugar content, such as our naturally occurring and well-studied prebiotic chicory root fiber. By combining both, manufacturers can reduce sugar while providing a fiber boost at the same time. ”

“There are also our barley beta-glucans, which, through viscosity, have the potential to increase satiety. Our proteins are fava bean protein and rice protein with very good amino acid profiles. Also, that in combination can give you a complete plant protein, all can fit into weight management formulations, either on their own or synergistically.”

By Milana Nikolova, with additional reporting and images from Missy Green, live from Chicago, US