2000 times sweeter than sugar.. Protein changes the recipe of ice cream

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Enjoying ice cream may be accompanied by a lower rise in blood sugar, after researchers tested recipes that replace sugar with a very sweet protein, and recorded promising results in an experiment that included 101 people.

The protein, known as "brazine," is about 2,000 times sweeter than sugar when compared by weight, allowing small amounts of it to be used to sweeten food.

The study, published in the journal Clinical Nutrition ESPN, showed that sugar-free ice cream recipes containing protein reduced the glycemic response after eating them by about half compared to the traditional recipe.

The experiment was conducted by researchers at the Federal Center for Research on Nutrition, Biotechnology and Food Safety in Russia, with the participation of adults suffering from fatty liver disease associated with metabolic dysfunction, including those with type 2 diabetes.

Each participant ate 100 grams of vanilla ice cream on three separate days: one recipe sweetened with sugar, another containing “parazine” instead, and a third combining protein with “inulin” fiber.

Using continuous glucose monitors, the researchers tracked changes within two and a half hours after taking each prescription. The differences were more pronounced among people with type 2 diabetes, as no serious side effects were recorded during the trial.

“Prazine” was discovered in a fruit that grows in West Africa, and is currently produced mostly by genetically modified fungi, and the body can digest it and process it as a dietary protein.

It is characterized by its ability to withstand temperatures up to 80 degrees Celsius and a wide range of acidity levels, which expands the possibilities of its use in the manufacture of a variety of foods, including frozen desserts.

But replacing sugar in ice cream is not about sweetness alone; It also contributes to texture, volume and viscosity, so the development of alternatives requires additional ingredients that maintain the usual product properties.

The researchers believe that developing alternatives to usual sweets may help reduce added sugar without requiring people to give them up completely, especially since strict dietary restrictions may make it difficult to adhere to the recommendations.

Researchers stress the need for longer studies to determine whether these alternatives provide continued health benefits. The results open the door to developing sweets that have less impact on glucose levels, but they do not prove a cure for diabetes or fatty liver.