Sugars in protein powders: why?
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Why are there sugars in protein powders? And why is only one sweetener used in them?
Today we want to talk about Mirabol protein powders, looking at some of the formulation details that set them apart and that you asked us to explain in more depth.
The key question is: why do the ingredients include sugars such as fructose and maltodextrins in catalytic (= very small) quantities?
The answer is that fructose, with its low glycaemic index, improves glucose tolerance; corn maltodextrins, by providing small amounts of dextrose, support the intestinal absorption of amino acids.
The fructose content of MIRABOL WHEY 94 is below 0.5%, which is a very small amount, equal to the tip of a teaspoon (less than 0.5 g) per 100 g of product. In other words, if you take 30 g of MIRABOL W94 a day, you get less than 0.15 g of fructose, equal to 0.6 kcal.
Let's go into more detail by looking at some of the reasons why fructose is included:
Maltodextrins are not added; they are present in the flavourings. Another sugar present is lactose, which occurs naturally, in quantities of < 0.6%, as already mentioned. Mirabol proteins contain no starch, sugar or sucrose.
If, however, you prefer a high-protein product with no added sugars, sweeteners or flavourings, we have MIRABOL PROTEIN NATURAL 97 and MIRABOL WHEY PROTEIN NATURAL 97, which many of you have known and appreciated for a long time.
Another question you asked us is: why do Mirabol proteins use only one artificial sweetener instead of 2 or more?
Using several sweeteners is meant to get as close as possible to the sweet taste of sugar that our palate is used to. To achieve this, we prefer to use small amounts of natural sugars such as fructose and maltodextrins instead of other artificial substances.
Finally, we asked ourselves a question when formulating the products: is sucralose a safe sweetener?
The answer is, without a shadow of a doubt, yes. Sucralose is used in thousands of food products, is heat-stable and is very similar to natural sugar, from which it differs by having 3 chlorine atoms in place of 3 hydroxyl groups; numerous toxicological tests and scientific publications document theabsence of health risks. It is hundreds of times sweeter than sugar and provides no calories.
Today we want to talk about Mirabol protein powders, looking at some of the formulation details that set them apart and that you asked us to explain in more depth.
The key question is: why do the ingredients include sugars such as fructose and maltodextrins in catalytic (= very small) quantities?
The answer is that fructose, with its low glycaemic index, improves glucose tolerance; corn maltodextrins, by providing small amounts of dextrose, support the intestinal absorption of amino acids.
The fructose content of MIRABOL WHEY 94 is below 0.5%, which is a very small amount, equal to the tip of a teaspoon (less than 0.5 g) per 100 g of product. In other words, if you take 30 g of MIRABOL W94 a day, you get less than 0.15 g of fructose, equal to 0.6 kcal.
Let's go into more detail by looking at some of the reasons why fructose is included:
- digesting highly concentrated protein involves absorbing its constituent amino acids in the intestine. To do this, the intestinal mucosa needs readily available energy, even in small amounts, such as fructose;
- fructose is a natural sugar found in fruit, honey, etc., where it also acts as a preservative (antioxidant) because, unlike sucrose, it is a reducing sugar;
- because fructose has a much lower glycaemic index than sucrose, unlike sucrose, and also given the tiny quantity involved, it cannot be converted into fat;
- since fructose is the sweetest natural sugar in the normal diet, its presence makes it possible to reduce the amount of added artificial sweeteners.
Maltodextrins are not added; they are present in the flavourings. Another sugar present is lactose, which occurs naturally, in quantities of < 0.6%, as already mentioned. Mirabol proteins contain no starch, sugar or sucrose.
If, however, you prefer a high-protein product with no added sugars, sweeteners or flavourings, we have MIRABOL PROTEIN NATURAL 97 and MIRABOL WHEY PROTEIN NATURAL 97, which many of you have known and appreciated for a long time.
Another question you asked us is: why do Mirabol proteins use only one artificial sweetener instead of 2 or more?
Using several sweeteners is meant to get as close as possible to the sweet taste of sugar that our palate is used to. To achieve this, we prefer to use small amounts of natural sugars such as fructose and maltodextrins instead of other artificial substances.
Finally, we asked ourselves a question when formulating the products: is sucralose a safe sweetener?
The answer is, without a shadow of a doubt, yes. Sucralose is used in thousands of food products, is heat-stable and is very similar to natural sugar, from which it differs by having 3 chlorine atoms in place of 3 hydroxyl groups; numerous toxicological tests and scientific publications document theabsence of health risks. It is hundreds of times sweeter than sugar and provides no calories.
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