A recently published scientific study has shown that BENEO’s slow release and low glycemic carbohydrate Palatinose™ supports additional loss of body weight and fat mass in overweight and obese adults, when replacing sucrose in a weight loss diet.
These findings are linked to the advantage of Palatinose™ in steering the metabolism towards fat burning and highlight that carbohydrate choice matters in a weight loss diet, beyond calorie counting. The study has been carried out by Dr Helen Lightowler and Professor Jeya Henry at Oxford Brookes University’s Functional Food Centre in the UK.
The randomized, double-blind, controlled intervention study aimed to evaluate the effects of an energy-reduced diet containing Palatinose™ on body weight loss, in comparison to sucrose. During a 12-week period, 50 healthy overweight and obese adults consumed either 40g of Palatinose™ or sucrose over four meals a day, as part of their energy-reduced diet (in total approximately 1700 kcal per day). The evening meal was free choice for participants.
Changes in body weight, body composition (fat mass, fat free mass) and energy metabolism were assessed at the beginning of the study and every subsequent four weeks.
Both the Palatinose™ and sucrose groups lost weight over the 12-week study period. However, only those participants consuming Palatinose™ achieved significant weight loss; losing an extra kilo in comparison to the sucrose group. In addition, the Palatinose™ group also experienced a reduction in fat mass percentage (approximately 2%) and a significant increase in fat free mass percentage (i.e. lean body mass). These observed changes were linked to a greater reduction in energy intake and a higher fat burning rate with Palatinose™ compared to sucrose.
For the first time, researchers were able to show in one study the long-term benefits of body weight and fat loss, as well as short-term aspects such as higher fat burning and lower energy intake in the same people. For example, the breakfast containing Palatinose™ led to a significantly lower respiratory quotient than the identical breakfast containing sucrose, demonstrating a higher fat burning rate of up to 15% with Palatinose™.
“This study clearly shows that carbohydrate choice matters when undertaking a weight loss diet,” notes Anke Sentko, BENEO’s vice president regulatory Affairs and nutrition communication. “Using Palatinose™ instead of sucrose supports weight loss and the reduction of body fat in overweight and obese people, because it steers the metabolism towards fat burning. With 670 million adults worldwide now registered as obese, this is an important step towards looking beyond calorie counting and considering instead what people can eat to help them better achieve their weight loss goals.”
About BENEO
The BENEO-Institute is an organization that brings together BENEO’s expertise from Nutrition Science and Legislation teams. It acts as an advisory body for customers and partners reaching from ingredient approval, physiological effects and nutritional composition to communication and labelling. The key nutritional topics of the BENEO-Institute’s work include weight management, digestive health, bone health, physical and mental performance, the effects of a low glycemic diet as well as dental health.
The BENEO-Institute facilitates access to the latest scientific research and knowledge throughout all nutritional and regulatory topics related to BENEO ingredients. It provides BENEO customers and partners with substantiated guidance for some of the most critical questions in the food industry. BENEO is a division of the Südzucker Group that employs more than 1,000 people and has production units in Belgium, Chile, Germany and Italy.
Visit www.BENEO.com for more information.
