Glucose—an essential
energy source since life began
Since the first living organisms appeared on this planet four billion years ago, glucose has played a vital role in maintaining those lives. Not only is glucose an indispensable source of energy, but once absorbed by the body, it is stored in the form of reserve deposits for future use on demand—making it crucial for survival. Rare sugar, on the other hand, is absorbed by the body but does not build up in the system. As a result, rare sugars were not noticed by the natural world, and eventually most were discarded for their material potential.
Rare sugar’s relevance
in the “era of satiety”
For the greater part of human history, most people did not have as much food to eat as they wanted or needed. Under conditions of deprivation, the body’s ability to store glucose made it an imperative energy source for people who could not always depend on a steady food supply. Today, however, the changes in labor due to economic growth over time and the Industrial Revolution had caused “era of satiety”. As a result, we have arrived at our current “age of abundance.” Many consumers in developed nations are paying the price of overeating—excessive calorie intake—with issues including obesity, diabetes and other adult lifestyle-related diseases. Based on the recent clinical findings of rare sugar’s efficacy in controlling obesity, a broad spectrum of health professionals is confirming its revolutionary potential in their own practices.
Ground-breaking news
from clinical trials
Clinical trial findings are giving the medical and food industries a deeper appreciation of the impressive range of rare sugar’s medicinal benefits, including its central role in regulating blood glucose levels. In one study, when two groups of 20 healthy adults each were administered Maltodextrin (polysaccharide) and rare sugar, respectively, the rare sugar group showed 25% lower blood glucose levels thanks to rare sugar’s ability to inhibit the activity of the sucrase enzyme, which breaks down sugar. (Inhibiting this enzyme’s activity prevents sugar breakdown, thus its absorption into the bloodstream.) This and other clinical data have demonstrated that with proper use in daily diets, rare sugar offers unprecedented benefits as a sweetener in helping control diabetes, obesity and other adult lifestyle-related diseases.
Collaboration at
top levels of
industry,
government and academia
Dr. Ken Izumori, Research Professor at Kagawa University, is Japan’s leading authority on rare sugar research. Based on the numerous research findings bringing attention to rare sugar as a “Dream Sugar” Japanese industry, government and academia—Matsutani Chemical Industries; the Japanese Ministries of Economy, Trade and Industry, and Health, Labor and Welfare; and Kagawa University—are combining forces on a number of interdisciplinary projects led or supervised by Dr. Izumori. In addition, while the recently established Rare Sugar Research and Promotion Foundation publicizes the advantages of rare sugar to consumers. Although a rare sugar should have been selected in nature, it was surprisingly found the plant “Japanese sweetspire” (Itea japonica) contains significant amounts of rare sugar. Today, researchers at the Kagawa Prefectural Agricultural Experiment Station are studying to optimize on this plant cultivation.
Rare sugar’s unknown power
will help build the food
culture of the future
Rare sugar was successfully mass-produced for the first time in Japan in 2013. It sees use today in a wide range of products and is steadily gaining popularity among general consumers. Establishment of “Rare Sugar Day” in 2017 and the appearance of “rare sugar” in the 2018 edition of “Kojien”, the most authoritative dictionary of Japanese, are just two more indications of growing consumer visibility in Japan—which, in turn, is helping boost interest worldwide.
