Benefits of Salt Microspheres, Fiber Ingredients

GRANADA, SpainTate & Lyle unveiled research to support the effects of  SODA-LO Salt Microspheres, STA-LITE^® Polydextrose, PROMITOR^® Soluble Corn Fibre, and an emerging ingredient, soluble fiber dextrin (SFD)  at the 20th International Congress of Nutrition, Sept. 15-20, as a solution to meet global public health goals.

Studies show the addition of the dietary fiber ingredients can support digestive health, promote the feeling of fullness and increase calcium absorption, while the salt microspheres were proven to lower the sodium content of foods 953 foods by 20-30% while meeting consumer taste preferences.

SODA-LO's technology, which was granted a U.S. patent earlier this year,  turns salt crystals into free-flowing crystalline microspheres. The smaller, lower-density crystals deliver salty taste by maximizing surface area relative to volume, making it possible to have clean salt taste while consuming lower sodium levels. The product is designed to reduce sodium consumption on global scale.

Based on potential usage of SODA-LO in 953 foods with sodium reductions in these foods ranging from 20%-30%, usual intakes were modeled demonstrating a potential 9% reduction in dietary sodium intake equivalent to a 274 and 244 mg/d reduction for those more than 2 years old and more than 51 years old, respectively. Based on a sodium reduction of 282 mg/d, researchers estimate a potential reduction of 975,000 cases of uncontrolled hypertension and potential U.S. health care cost savings of $1.5 billion.

The benefits of added fiber were reported in three separate studies, which concluded dietary fiber can improve digestive health, promote the feeling of fullness and increase calcium absorption.

Thirty-six healthy adults consuming 20 grams of either Tate & Lyle's STA-LITE Polydextrose or PROMITOR Soluble Corn Fibre per day, in addition to their habitual low fiber diet of 13-14 g/day, experienced improved laxation with minimal gastrointestinal  issues, according to one study, published in the Journal of Nutrition.

Another study using a double-blind, randomized cross-over design found that an emerging ingredient, soluble fiber dextrin (SFD), a digestion resistant carbohydrate, may help promote satiety, or the feeling of fullness. James Hollis, Ph.D., lead researcher from Iowa State University, evaluated a beverage containing tapioca SFD versus a maltodextrin control in 41 healthy adults. The study participants reported feeling fuller, less hungry  and had a reduced desire to eat 3 to 8.5 hours after consumption of the beverage that contained SFD compared to when consuming the control beverage.

A third study by researchers from Purdue University assessed the effect of 12 g/d of PROMITOR Soluble Corn Fibre (SCF) on calcium absorption and its association with gut microbiota in 24 diverse, male and female adolescents. When adolescents consumed a diet with 12 g/day of SCF versus the control diet, they experienced a 12% increase in calcium absorption, which was significantly correlated with an increase in specific strains of beneficial bacteria, namely Bacteroides, Butyricicoccus, Oscillibacter, and Dialister suggesting that SCF may increase calcium absorption through changes in gut microbiota.

High-fiber diets have also been linked to decreased risk of diabetes and heart disease.