Rare sugars and their health effects in humans: a systematic review and narrative synthesis of the evidence from human trials.

CONTEXT: Rare sugars are monosaccharides and disaccharides (found in small quantities in nature) that have slight differences in their chemical structure compared with traditional sugars. Little is known about their unique physiological and cardiometabolic effects in humans. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review and synthesis of controlled intervention studies of rare sugars in humans, using PRISMA guidelines. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched through October 1, 2020. Studies included both post-prandial (acute) and longer-term (≥1 week duration) human feeding studies that examined the effect of rare sugars (including allulose, arabinose, tagatose, trehalose, and isomaltulose) on cardiometabolic and physiological risk factors. DATA EXTRACTION: In all, 50 studies in humans focusing on the 5 selected rare sugars were found. A narrative synthesis of the selected literature was conducted, without formal quality assessment or quantitative synthesis. DATA SYNTHESIS: The narrative summary included the food source of each rare sugar, its effect in humans, and the possible mechanism of effect. Overall, these rare sugars were found to offer both short- and long-term benefits for glycemic control and weight loss, with effects differing between healthy individuals, overweight/obese individuals, and those with type 2 diabetes. Most studies were of small size and there was a lack of large randomized controlled trials that could confirm the beneficial effects of these rare sugars. CONCLUSION: Rare sugars could offer an opportunity for commercialization as an alternative sweetener, especially for those who are at high cardiometabolic risk. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: OSF registration no. 10.17605/OSF.IO/FW43D.

Canned Beans Decrease Serum Total and LDL Cholesterol in Adults with Elevated LDL Cholesterol in a 4-wk Multicenter, Randomized, Crossover Study.

BACKGROUND: Practical risk reduction strategies are needed to address cardiovascular disease. Beans can decrease LDL cholesterol; however, research into different daily amounts and varieties is warranted. OBJECTIVES: To examine the effects of canned beans (daily rotation of black, navy, pinto, dark red kidney, white kidney) in 1-cup (1CB, 180 g) and ½-cup (½CB, 90 g) daily amounts compared with a 1-cup white rice (WR) control on serum lipid and glycemic biomarkers in adults with elevated LDL cholesterol. METHODS: Adults [n = 73, mean ± SD age: 48.1 ± 14.2 y; BMI (in kg/m2): 25.9 ± 4.22; fasting serum LDL cholesterol: 3.0-5.0 mmol/L] consumed 1CB, ½CB, and WR for 4-wk treatment periods separated by ≥4-wk washouts in a multicenter, randomized, crossover study. Fasting serum LDL cholesterol (primary outcome) and other lipids and glycemic biomarkers (secondary outcomes) were measured on study days 1 and 29 of each treatment period with study day 29 values compared using repeated-measures ANCOVA, including study day 1 values as covariates. RESULTS: Treatment completion was n = 66 for 1CB, n = 68 for ½CB, and n = 64 for WR. Total cholesterol on study day 29 was lower for 1CB (P = 0.04) but not ½CB (P = 0.77) compared with WR (-5.46%, -2.74%, -0.65% changes from study day 1, respectively) and did not differ between 1CB and ½CB (P = 0.17). LDL cholesterol on study day 29 was also lower for 1CB (P = 0.002) but not ½CB (P = 0.30) compared with WR (-8.08%, -3.84%, +0.49% changes from study day 1, respectively) and did not differ between 1CB and ½CB (P = 0.11). Other lipids and glycemic biomarkers did not differ among treatments. CONCLUSIONS: Consumption of 1 cup (180 g) of canned beans of multiple varieties decreased total and LDL cholesterol in adults with elevated LDL cholesterol, supporting a practical strategy for cardiovascular disease risk reduction. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03830970.

Assessment of Important Sensory Attributes of Millet Based Snacks and Biscuits.

There is an increasing push by consumers for new food products that can provide health benefits. To develop these products, sometimes it is necessary to look to alternative crops, 1 of which is millet. For millet to be successfully adopted by consumers, it is necessary to identify and develop product types that are acceptable to North Americans. Biscuits and extruded snacks were produced using varying amounts of refined proso millet flour (0%, 25%, 75%, and 100%). Sensory analysis was conducted on 8 products (4 types of biscuits and 4 types of extruded snack) in 2 separate tests (1 for biscuits and 1 for snacks). Preferred Attribute Elicitation (PAE), a relatively new sensory method, was used to determine attributes affecting liking of the products. Results indicated that as the amount of millet in the biscuits and extruded snacks increased, the liking of the flavor, texture and overall liking decreased. Millet contributed to a bitter taste and bitter aftertaste, and resulted in gritty and dry food products. Further work is required to refine the products tested as well as to identify further products that can be added to the diet in order to take advantage of the health benefits that millet provides.

Wound-healing properties of the oils of Vitis vinifera and Vaccinium macrocarpon.

Vitis vinifera (grape) and Vaccinium macrocarpon (cranberry) are well known medicinal plants; most of the pharmacologically active phytochemicals have been isolated from the skin, fruit juice, fermented extract and alcohol fractions of the plants above. Here, the pharmacological properties of the phytochemical constituents present in oils of cranberry and grape were investigated. The oil of grape and cranberry has been evaluated for their wound healing activity by using an excision wound model in rats. The animals were divided into four groups of six each (n = 6). The experimental group 1 and 2 animals were treated topically with the grape and cranberry oil (100 mg/kg body weight), respectively. The controls were treated with petroleum jelly. The standard group of animals were treated with mupirocin ointment (100 mg/kg body weight). The healing was assessed by the rate of wound contraction and hydroxyproline content. On day 13, animals treated with cranberry oil exhibited a (88.1%) reduction in the wound area compared with grape-oil treated (84.6%), controls (74.1%) and standard group animals (78.4%) (p < 0.001). The hydroxyproline content of the granulation tissue was significantly higher in the animals treated with cranberry and the grape-oil (p < 0.000). Comparative investigation of the curative properties of the oils of V. vinifera and V. macrocarpon revealed a significant result which suggests their wound-healing potential.