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Is it possible to get the sweetness of sugar along with the health benefits of fiber?

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

For decades, doctors urged Americans to eat less sugar. It didn't work.

(SOUNDBITE OF MONTAGE)

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #1: The next level of Nerds.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #2: Refresh your senses with a kick of citrus flavor.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #3: Irresistibly smooth chocolate.

A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:

Since it's unlikely we're ever going to just stop eating sugar, what if there was a way for food to do what sugar does without the sugary downside? I mean, it's such a - sounds too good to be true.

FADEL: (Laughter) Well, maybe not. Back in 2018, the food company Kraft Heinz asked Harvard scientists to do just that. Sam Inverso is with Harvard's Wyss Institute, founded by scientist Don Ingber.

SAM INVERSO: So Don Ingber had the idea that nature's kind of already solved this - we have enzymes that convert sugar to fiber in plant stalks, and so really, what we needed was a method to prevent that enzyme from converting the sugar to fiber while it's on the shelf.

MARTÍNEZ: They figured out how to contain this enzyme - or, as Inverso says, cage it.

INVERSO: So while it's in the cookie on the shelf, it's not converting the sugar to fiber. When you eat it, you taste normal sugar. As it moves through your digestive system, it passes through your stomach, which is really acidic, and as it gets to your intestines, the cage actually opens up.

FADEL: Once released, the enzyme can convert 30% of the sugar into fiber.

INVERSO: At the moment, we've shown it works in juices. We've also done it in chocolate bars.

MARTÍNEZ: Inverso says the same concept might also be used to help people who are gluten sensitive or lactose intolerant.

INVERSO: The - kind of our invention doesn't depend on the enzyme itself. You could swap any enzyme in, so you can put a lactase inside of this encapsulation, and then put it into something that has milk.

FADEL: We should note, though, that this is just one study, funded by one company. Scientists, nutritionists and regulators are all seeking solutions to an overabundance of sugar in the American diet. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

Hosts
[Copyright 2024 NPR]

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.