BENEO Ingredients Promote Healthy Aging

BENEO Ingredients Promoting Healthy Ageing Unsurprisingly, given the global pandemic, immune health support is now at the top of consumers' minds. Anke Sentko, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and Nutrition Communications at BENEO, explains how the immune system can be supported and healthier ageing promoted through the use of BENEO's low glycaemic functional ingredients.

Consumers want to age more healthily

A recent BENEO and HealthFocus International survey showed that 85% of those aged 50 and above are willing to take responsibility for their own health, recognising that short-term health depends on how well a person looks after themselves. An important way to do this is to change what they eat and drink. While 30% of consumers aged over 50 say the primary reason for choosing healthy food and beverages is to protect their future health, 28% prefer these products to improve their daily health.

Smart food choices strengthen the body's defence system

Supporting the immune system is an important part of healthier ageing. In addition to maintaining gut microbiota with gut-friendly foods containing probiotics, an important recommendation for supporting immunity is managing blood sugar levels. Traditionally, high blood sugar is associated with prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes, but blood sugar levels also affect the innate immune system. This became very clear when researchers found during the COVID-19 pandemic that high blood sugar was an independent risk factor apart from diabetes. Having high blood sugar levels is closely linked to overweight, obesity, metabolic syndrome, prediabetes, diabetes, coronary heart disease and more. An important way to address this is through dietary change. Food choices and ingredients that can reduce blood sugar response will become increasingly important, and balanced sugar isomaltuloses like low glycaemic functional ingredients are playing a growing role in this process.

BENEO's low glycaemic functional ingredients

According to a consumer survey conducted by Insites Consulting on behalf of BENEO, 78% of 65-75 year-olds in Asia, Europe and the US are now paying attention to their sugar intake. However, the key to promoting healthy ageing through blood sugar management lies in making the right carbohydrate choices. The ideal carbohydrate provides the energy needed for a person's metabolism, triggers a low and balanced rise in blood sugar and a low rise in insulin, and promotes fat burning rather than fat storage. For any food manufacturer interested in improving consumers' long-term health, the goal should be to develop food options that offer a lower glycaemic profile. This is only possible by selecting the right ingredients. An example of this is the increasing popularity of isomaltulose, chicory root fibre (inulin, oligofructose) and isomalt functional ingredients in product development. All of these ingredients with a low glycaemic profile can help create food and beverages that support blood sugar management. BENEO Palatinose™ (isomaltulose) is a slowly released sugar. It is made from sucrose naturally derived from sugar beet. It is also found naturally in honey. Palatinose™ is unique in its ability to provide full carbohydrate energy (4 kcal/g) while providing a lower rise in blood sugar. The slow absorption of the ingredient results in a low and balanced blood sugar response, making it an ideal ingredient to help support blood sugar management. It is therefore no surprise that in a consumer survey, nearly two-thirds of Europeans aged 55-75 found Palatinose™ attractive because of these unique properties. Additionally, this unique sugar carries EU health claims because it is tooth-friendly and provides a lower blood sugar response. BENEO's sugar substitute Isomalt supports a low glycaemic diet by enabling delicious and enjoyable sugar-free confectionery and other food products. While having a negligible effect on blood sugar and insulin levels, it is a barely digestible carbohydrate that provides half the calories of sugar. Similar to Palatinose™, Isomalt also supports dental health and carries an EU health claim for being tooth-friendly and a US health claim for not promoting tooth decay. BENEO's chicory root fibres such as Orafti® Inulin and Oligofructose contribute to a low glycaemic diet by replacing existing carbohydrates and enriching food with dietary fibre. At the same time, numerous studies have shown that prebiotic chicory root fibre feeds beneficial gut microbiota, supporting blood sugar management and weight management, digestive health and wellbeing together. With COVID-19 driving consumers to increase their long-term health, immunity and mental resilience, manufacturers are increasingly turning to functional ingredients such as slowly released carbohydrates to support consumer health objectives. Working with food and beverage providers worldwide, BENEO can help manufacturers create exciting solutions that promote long-term health while offering immune support.