Ingredient Building Blocks

Ingredient Building Blocks
Understanding new compounds used in low carb products

by Elizabeth Srejic

THE POPULARITY OF THE LOW CARB LIFESTYLE HAS SPAWNED A NEWGENERATION OF PROCESSED FOODS AIMED AT CONSUMERS ON LOW CARBOHYDRATE DIETS. SWEETENERS INCLUDING XYLITOL AND ISOMALT, AS WELL AS STARCHBLOCKERS ARE THE TYPES OF CUTTING-EDGE SPECIALTY INGREDIENTS NOW USED IN LOWCARBOHYDRATE PRODUCTS.

Xylitol

Xylitol is a white crystalline substance with an appearanceand taste similar to sugar. It is found naturally in wood, fruits, vegetablesand the human body. In the low carb world, xylitol is most frequently used as alow-calorie sweetener that does not promote tooth decay.

Xylitol is quickly becoming a mainstream substitute forsugar, and because of its unique qualities it has many appropriate medical anddental applications as well, said Brent McKinley, vice president of corporatedevelopment with Orem, Utah-based Xlear Inc., a manufacturer and importer ofxylitol products. Xlear markets xylitol as Xylosweet, a free-flowing xylitoladditive sold to consumers for addition to foods and beverages. According to McKinley, Xylosweet tastes like sugar, has 1/3fewer calories than sugar and is approved by both the World Health Organizationand the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as safe in unlimited quantities as afood additive.

Xylitol belongs to the polyol class of carbohydrates. It isfrequently labeled as a sugar alcohol, since its chemical structureresembles that of both sugar and alcohol. Since xylitol is absorbed slowly and not fully digested, areduced-calorie claim of 2.4 calories per gram is allowed.

Xylitol contains 40 percent fewer calories than sugar,which makes it an attractive sugar substitute for many of todays populardiets, McKinley said. In addition, xylitol is absorbed slowly by the body,resulting in a low glycemic index of seven, compared to sugars index of 83.

As a sugar-free, lower-calorie sweetener with a low glycemicindex, xylitol may be especially useful to diabetics. For example, according toa review written by a scientist at the University of Menoufiya, Egypt,consumption of low-energy and diabetic food items containing xylitolsignificantly reduces the plasma glucose level in lean and obese diabetics.¹ Further, a German study conducted to verifythe benefits of nonglucose carbohydrates and fiber in enteral formula dietsfound patients with Type II diabetes may benefit from replacing glucose andglucose-equivalent carbohydrates with fructose or xylitol.²

In addition to the benefits xylitol provides as a dietarysweetener, xylitol also promotes dental health. The ingredients ability tofight tooth decay as well as its sweet taste make it appropriate for use insugar-free gums, mints and oral hygiene products such as Xlears Spry CoolmintToothpaste and Spry Coolmint Oral Rinse, McKinley said. Unlike sugar, whichpromotes tooth decay, xylitol has properties that help combat bacteria in themouth and support the restoration of tooth enamel where cavities have alreadystarted, said McKinley. Studies using xylitol as either a sugar substituteor a small dietary addition have demonstrated a dramatic reduction in new toothdecay, along with arrest and even some reversal of existing dental caries, McKinley said. Xylitol provides additional protection thatenhances all existing prevention methods. This xylitol effect is long-lastingand possibly permanent. Low decay rates persist even years after the trials havebeen completed.

Numerous clinical trials back the positive effects of xylitolon teeth. A trial conducted at the University of Zagreb, Croatia, investigatedthe ability of xylitolcontaining gum and other preventive procedures to preventcaries in vivo. Four groups of 18 children were treated with differentcavity-preventive agents (aminfluoride solution, Proxyt paste, chewing gumcontaining xylitol and fluoride and chlorhexidine solution). During a period oftwo months, levels of salivary bacteria Streptococcus mutans andlactobacilli were measured. The greatest reduction of the bacteria was achievedby the application of Proxyt paste and daily use of the chewing gum. Theresearchers concluded professional teeth cleaning and use of chewing gum withxylitol and fluorides on daily basis can be a very effective protocol forcariogenic bacteria reduction and in individual caries prevention.³ Anotherstudy, conducted at the Tokyo Dental College in Japan, Chiba Prefecture, Japan,examined the effects of xylitol on the remineralization of artificiallydemineralized enamel and concluded xylitol can induce remineralization of deeperlayers of demineralized enamel by facilitating Ca2+ (calcium) movement and accessibility.⁴

Isomalt

Another low carb sweetener with characteristics similar toxylitol is isomalt. Like xylitol, isomalt is a white, crystalline substance withproperties similar to sugar. Isomalt is a mixture of two disaccharide alcoholsglucomannitol and gluco sorbitol. Isomalt is manufactured in a twostep process. Anenzyme rearranges the bonds between glucose and fructose in sucrose. Next, twohydrogens are added to an oxygen in the fructose portion of the disaccharide. Approximately half of the fructose portion ofthe original disaccharide is converted to mannitol and approximately half of thefructose portion of the original disaccharide is converted to sorbitol. Thesemolecular changes give isomalt greater chemical and enzymatic stability thansucrose. The sweeteners stability provides many of its health benefits andmakes it suitable for use in a range of products.

Isomalts unique qualities give the sweetener a number ofbenefits. Generally, isomalt provides 45 percent to 65 percent of the sweetnessof sucrose. Since isomaltlike xylitolisnt fully digestible, it has lesscalories (and carbs) than sucrose and other sweeteners. Also, like xylitol,isomalt can significantly reduce the glycemic value of foods when used as areplacement for higher-carb sweeteners like table sugar, dextrose, fructose andsucrose; can help prevent tooth decay; and confers benefits to patients withdiabetes. Further, isomalt is resistant to water absorption, which eliminatesstickiness in finished products, allows items such as candies to be packagedwithout individual wrapping and provides an extended shelf life. In addition,isomalt has certain sensory properties including enhanced flavor transfer infoods, easy solubility and absence of cooling effect characteristic ofother polyols, which make the ingredient ideal for use in candies, chocolates,coffees and baked products. And, since isomalt has properties similar to sugar,it can be used in food applications to provide volume and texture. Finally, thesweetener can be heated without losing its sweetness or being denatured, makingit ideal for use in products exposed to high temperatures during processing(e.g., baking, boiling).

In the United States, isomalt is produced and marketed byMorris Plains, N.J.-based Palatinita subsidiary of Suedzucker AG, a Europeansugar manufacturerand can be tailored to fit specific applications, includinghard-boiled or chewy candies, chewing gums, dragees, compressed tablets andgums, baked goods, nutraceutical bars and chocolate. A petition to affirm GRAS(generally recognized as safe) status for isomalt has been accepted for filingby the FDA.

Starch Blockers

Starch blockers, which inhibit production of the digestiveenzyme alphaamylase, are gaining popularity as an adjunct to the low carblifestyle. According to Cameron Stauth, co-author of The Starch Blocker Diet (HarperResource2003), use of starch-blockers is the only carb-control approach that allowspeople to eat normal foods in normal amounts.

Starch blockers render the body less able to break down carbsinto glucose for further digestion, which may prevent the assimilation ofcalories derived from carbs. One such starch blocker, Phase 2® (Phaseolus vulgaris extract), produced by Kearny,N.J.-based Pharmachem, employs an extract of the white kidney bean to neutralizethe digestive enzyme alpha amylase before it can convert starch into glucose andeventually fat, possibly allowing carbs to pass through the system with lesscaloric intake, according to the company. The water-soluble ingredient is suitable for a wide variety ofapplications.

Phase 2 is available in tablets and two-piece capsules andhas been for a while now, said Mitch Skop, director of new productdevelopment with Pharamachem. Leiner offers a soft-chew product, Starch Away.Soft Gel Technology is now offering a Phase 2 soft-gel capsule, and Natrol iscoming out with a new, delicious lemon-flavored chewable tablet. Phase 2 isgoing to be an ingredient in various baked good products from French MeadowBakery this fall, and were excited about our Phase 2 Sprinkles in five spicemixes to pour directly onto starchy foods.

Several clinical studies back the effectiveness of Phase 2.Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School ofMedicine conducted a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study in which50 healthy, overweight adults were administered either 1,500 mg of Phase 2 orplacebo twice a day with meals for eight weeks.4 At the end of the study,subjects in the active group had lost an average of 3.79 pounds (0.47 pounds perweek), while subjects in the placebo group lost an average of only 1.65 pounds(0.21 pounds per week), representing a difference of 129 percent. Triglyceride levels in the Phase 2 group were reduced anaverage of 26.3 mg/dL, or more than three times than the triglyceride levelsobserved in the placebo group (8.2 mg/dL). No adverse effects were reported in the study. The researchers concluded clinical trends were identified forweight loss and a decrease in triglycerides, although statistical significancewas not reached. Another study, conducted at the University of Scranton inScranton, Pa., analyzed data from two different studies in which Phase 2 andplacebo were randomly administered to the same test subjects and found the Phase2 group exhibited significantly lower plasma glucose at 60 minutes and almostsignificantly lower glucose at 45 minutes than the placebo group.⁵ The area ofthe curve representative of glucose absorption and metabolism (area above thebaseline; zero to 62 minutes for Phase 2 and zero to 80 minutes for thecontrol), was 66 percent smaller with Phase 2. The researchers concluded Phase 2showed effectiveness in both sedentary college-age subjects and physicallyactive adults.

One of Phase 2s newest applications is direct incorporationinto bread. The product, Carb Watcher dinner rolls, is produced byMinneapolis-based French Meadow Bakery. Phase 2 is baked directly into thebread, eliminating the need for a separate delivery method.

We went through two months of R&D, formulating andworking with our bakers and trying different formulas to see what would workwhile retaining the original qualities of our original breads, said LynnGordon, president and owner of French Meadow Bakery.

Phase 2 was easy to incorporate into the product; very fewchanges were required in processing.

According to Gordon, the market response to Carb Watcherdinner rolls has been highly positive. At the shows and at the stores,everyone loves the product and the flavor and the actual taste and texture, said Gordon. The fact that the product has Phase 2 it hasbeen very favorable. Stores with a consumer base already buying Phase 2 in asupplement form are dying to get the bread because theyd rather not have totake the supplement to get Phase 2 in their daily diet.

For a full list of references, e-mail [email protected].