A case series of an allulose-containing gummy bear in healthy adults monitored by continuous glucose monitoring
Postprandial glucose levels have received increasing attention as an important marker of metabolic health and provide information that goes beyond fasting glucose levels. Repeated high-amplitude glucose spikes after meals have been associated with this oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunctionand glycemic variability has become a useful metric to track. Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) is particularly useful for detecting these changes as it allows for continuous observation of glucose patterns throughout the day rather than just at isolated time points.
Much of the research on nutrients that can help moderate postprandial glucose spikes has been conducted in controlled environments where participants were given a fixed amount of carbohydrate, often a standard glucose or sugar drink, and their glucose response was measured. While these types of studies are helpful in understanding whether an intervention can work under controlled conditions, they do not provide insight into the effects of everyday behavior when meal composition, timing, activity, and other factors are constantly changing.
One sweetener that has received increasing interest in this area of study is Allulose. Allulose is a rare functional monosaccharide and Structural isomer of fructose, also known as D-psicose. It occurs naturally in small amounts in foods such as figs, raisins and jackfruit and is metabolized differently than regular sugar. While allulose delivers about 70% of the sweetness of sucrose (i.e. table sugar) it provides very little energy, making it an interesting alternative for reducing the glycemic impact of carbohydrate-containing meals. Approximately 70% of allulose ingested is absorbed in the small intestine and enters the circulation, but more than 99% of the absorbed fraction is excreted unchanged in the urine. The part that reaches the large intestine also appears to undergo relatively little microbial fermentation.
A current case series The study, published in the Biomedical Journal of Scientific & Technical Research, examined whether these effects can also be observed in wild conditions using CGM. Fifteen generally healthy adults without diabetes who were not taking glucose-lowering medications participated in a six-day alternating exposure protocol. Participants wore consumer-grade CGMs that measured their blood sugar levels every five minutes and logged their meals via a tracking platform. On odd-numbered days, participants ate a normal diet without supplements. On even days, they consumed three gummy bears containing allulose with each main meal (maximum of 9 gummy bears per day). Each three-gummy serving contained 5.7 g of allulose, along with 3 g of prebiotic-resistant starch and 15 mg of a heat-treated Lactobacillus casei postbiotic.
Because the completeness of CGM and meal data varied between participants, the researchers used a three-tier classification system and limited the primary analysis to the eight participants who had complete six-day records. This resulted in a total of approximately 17,500 CGM readings across all included participants, with the primary analysis limited to the eight Stage 1 participants with complete records.
Researchers assessed three metrics: 24-hour average glucose, intraday glycemic variability, and postprandial glucose after breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Among the eight participants included in the primary analysis, postprandial glucose levels were significantly lower on gummy days in 69% of the 48 meal comparisons, with an average reduction of 6.9 mg/dL (p = 0.006). With an average of 9.1 and 9.8 mg/dl, respectively, this decrease was greatest for breakfast and dinner, while no reliable effect was observed for lunch. Glycemic variability was also significantly lower on rubber days, decreasing by an average of 1.35 mg/dl (p = 0.019). In comparison, the 24-hour average glucose level decreased by 1.4 mg/dL, but this difference did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.066). These results suggest that the gum was associated with lower postprandial glucose levels and lower glycemic variability, while changes in total 24-hour glucose levels were more modest.
Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain how allulose affects postprandial glucose. One is Inhibition of intestinal α-glucosidase activityan enzyme that breaks down complex carbohydrates into absorbable glucose, slowing the rate at which glucose enters the bloodstream after a meal. Allulose may also decrease glucose absorption compete for intestinal transportas glucose enters the intestinal cells via SGLT1, while fructose and allulose share the GLUT5 pathway. It has also been shown to have an impact Hormones involved in glucose regulation and satiety including GLP-1, CCK and PYY. These mechanisms may explain why allulose helps to attenuate the increase in glucose following consumption of a carbohydrate-containing meal.
Some limitations should be taken into account when interpreting these results. The sample size was small, there was no placebo control or blinding, participants followed their usual diet rather than standardized meals, and activity levels and exercise were not standardized on study days. Additionally, the gummy combined allulose with resistant starch and a heat-treated Lactobacillus casei postbiotic, meaning the glucose effects may not be due to allulose alone. Regarding tolerability, no gastrointestinal or other adverse effects were reported during the study. consistent with the generally favorable tolerability of allulose at similar amounts.
Overall, this case series provides an interesting insight into the possible effects of an allulose-containing gummy on daily eating glucose patterns. The reduction in postprandial glucose and glycemic variability is consistent with the results of Controlled studies of allulosewhile the use of CGM offers a different perspective by detecting glucose responses during normal daily routine. However, the results should be considered preliminary and larger randomized controlled trials are needed.
Learn more about healthy glucose regulation:
Allulose: A rare sugar that supports postprandial blood sugar control and metabolic flexibility
Basics of GLP-1 Support: Nutritional and Lifestyle Strategies for Healthy Glucose Metabolism
A low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet can improve glycemic variability
Current systematic review and meta-analysis examine possible association between certain micronutrients and glucose metabolism
By Jesse Martin, MS
