These are sugars that exist in nature but in very small amounts. They taste very similar to table sugar but are metabolized differently.

• Tagatose :
  • Origin: Found naturally in some dairy products and fruits .
  • Mechanism: It is only partially absorbed in the small intestine. The majority is fermented in the colon, resulting in a minimal impact on blood sugar and insulin .
  • Sweetness/Calories: About 92% as sweet as sugar but with roughly 60% fewer calories .
  • Key Features: It behaves like sugar in baking (browns and caramelizes), is "tooth-friendly" (doesn't feed cavity-causing bacteria), and may act as a prebiotic . High consumption can cause gastrointestinal discomfort (diarrhea, gas) in some people .
• Allulose :
  • Origin: Found naturally in small amounts in foods like wheat, maple syrup, and raisins .
  • Mechanism: It is absorbed by the body but excreted mostly intact in urine, so it provides very few calories .
  • Sweetness/Calories: About 70% as sweet as sugar but with only about 10% of the calories .
  • Key Features: It tastes very similar to sugar with minimal aftertaste . Like tagatose, it can cause digestive issues like diarrhea or bloating in sensitive individuals if consumed in large amounts .

These are carbohydrates that have a chemical structure similar to both sugar and alcohol. They are not fully digested.

• Isomalto-Oligosaccharides (IMO) :

  • Origin: Made from starch (like corn or tapioca) through enzymatic processing .
  • Mechanism: It consists of carbohydrate chains with bonds that the human digestive system cannot break, so it passes through the small intestine undigested .

• Sweetness/Calories: Naturally sweet with about half the calories of sugar .

• Key Features: Functions as a prebiotic fiber, promotes satiety, and is suitable for baking (heat-stable up to 180°C). It also helps create a creamy texture in foods .

These are proteins from plants that taste sweet. Because they are proteins, our bodies digest them like any other protein, but they are so intensely sweet that only a tiny amount is needed, making their calorie contribution negligible.

• Brazzein :

• Origin: Derived from the West African plant Pentadiplandra brazzeana .

• Mechanism: It is a protein. The body digests it, but its intense sweetness means the quantity used is so small that it contributes virtually no calories .

• Sweetness/Calories: It is thousands of times sweeter than sugar (up to 10,000x in modified forms), making it effectively zero-calorie .

• Key Features: Heat-stable, does not cause tooth decay, and does not affect blood sugar levels .

• Monellin :

• Origin: Derived from the West African "lucky fruit" (Dioscoreophyllum cumminsii) .

• Mechanism: Like brazzein, it's a sweet-tasting protein. It is digested, but used in trace amounts, so it is effectively calorie-free .

• Sweetness/Calories: Roughly 2,000 times sweeter than sugar, so its caloric impact is negligible .

• Key Features: Does not spike blood sugar and is produced via precision fermentation. It received GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) status from the FDA in late 2024 .

These are compounds extracted from plants that the human body cannot break down for energy.

• Steviol Glycosides (Reb M & Reb D) :

• Origin: Extracted from the stevia plant (Stevia rebaudiana) .

• Mechanism: The human body lacks the enzymes to break down these glycosides, so they pass through the digestive system without being metabolized .

• Sweetness/Calories: They are 200-300 times sweeter than sugar, making them zero-calorie sweeteners .

• Key Features: Highly pure Reb M and Reb D have a clean, sugar-like taste without the bitterness sometimes associated with stevia . They do not affect blood sugar, do not promote fat gain, and may even support a healthy gut microbiome .