Isomaltulose: The Secret to Sustained Energy

by | Nov 21, 2024 | News

Our energy levels fluctuate throughout the day, at times leaving us drained and unproductive. Quick bursts of energy from caffeine and sugar may offer a brief boost, but lead to crashes later leaving us more tired than before.

Isomaltulose, a naturally occurring sugar, could provide the steady, sustained energy we need, positively impacting our productivity.

Isomaltulose is a special kind of carbohydrate that doesn’t spike your blood sugar levels. Isomaltulose is a disaccharide, meaning it’s made up of two sugar molecules – in this case glucose and fructose joined together. Even though sucrose (common household sugar) is also made of a glucose and fructose molecule bonded together, isomaltulose’s bond is harder for the digestive system’s enzymes to break down. Which means it’s harder for the sugar molecules to be absorbed by the body.

 

Unlike common sugars such as sucrose, consuming isomaltulose results in a slow, sustained increase in blood sugar levels. Thanks to isomaltulose’s slow digestion rate, it enters the bloodstream at a steady, gradual pace. It also results in reduced glycemic and insulinemic responses compared to regular sugar, and more stable blood sugar levels.

 

Studies have found that when people use isomaltulose for a few weeks, it helps their bodies respond better to insulin, especially if they have metabolic issues.

Isomaltulose has also been researched for weight loss and diabetes management. When a group of overweight adults were given isomaltulose during a weight loss program, they lost more weight than the group given sucrose.

 

For people with diabetes, isomaltulose can help control blood sugar by slowing down how fast the body absorbs sugar from the intestines, serving as a useful tool for diabetes management.

 

Resources

Lina BAR, Jonker D, Kozianowski G. Isomaltulose (Palatinose®): a review of biological and toxicological studies. Food and Chemical Toxicology. 2002;40(10):1375-1381.

Oizumi T, Daimon M, Jimbu Y, et al. A palatinose-based balanced formula improves glucose tolerance, serum free fatty acid levels and body fat composition. The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine. 2007;212(2):91-99.

Pfeiffer AFH, Keyhani-Nejad F. High glycemic index metabolic damage – a pivotal role of gip and glp-1. Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism. 2018;29(5):289-299.

Lightowler, Schweitzer, Theis, Henry. Changes in weight and substrate oxidation in overweight adults following isomaltulose intake during a 12-week weight loss intervention: a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial. Nutrients. 2019;11(10):2367.

Ojo O, Weldon SM, Thompson T, Crockett R, Wang XH. The effect of diabetes-specific enteral nutrition formula on cardiometabolic parameters in patients with type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta–analysis of randomised controlled trials. Nutrients. 2019;11(8):1905.