Carbohydrate Composition for Low Glycemic Index Food
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing food compositions fail to provide a low glycemic index (GI) while maintaining a pleasant taste, which is crucial for health benefits such as preventing Type 2 Diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity.
Innovation Solution
A composition comprising carbohydrates from carob and at least one additional fruit, specifically formulated to include glucose, fructose, saccharose, polyalcohols, and other sugars in specific proportions, is developed to create a low GI foodstuff with a balanced sweet taste and fruity undertones, using a process involving extraction, pasteurization, ultrafiltration, and chromatography to refine and concentrate the ingredients.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional fruit-derived carbohydrate compositions are used, then pleasant taste is achieved, but high glycemic index (GI) is produced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by precisely controlling the ratios of different carbohydrates (glucose 18-28%, fructose 30-44%, sucrose 16-33%, polyalcohols 7-13%) to transform the glycaemic response profile while maintaining pleasant taste. This specific compositional parameter adjustment resolves the contradiction between taste and low GI.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite carbohydrate composition by combining multiple fruit sources (carob and at least one further fruit) with different carbohydrate profiles. This composite approach allows balancing the fast-release and slow-release carbohydrate components to achieve low GI while preserving taste qualities.
2Use of energy by moving object
If fast-release carbohydrate foods are consumed, then high blood glucose levels are produced, but energy availability is improved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the carbohydrate content into different types with different release rates (glucose, fructose, sucrose, polyalcohols) and controls their proportions to provide sustained energy release rather than a single glucose spike, thus maintaining energy availability while avoiding high blood glucose levels.
Solution Approach 2:
By changing the carbohydrate composition parameters to include significant amounts of fructose (30-44%) and polyalcohols (7-13%) alongside glucose, the patent modifies the energy release profile to be more gradual and sustained, resolving the contradiction between energy availability and blood glucose control.
3Speed
If carbohydrate absorption rate is increased, then energy availability is improved, but glycemic response rises
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the absorption rate parameters by controlling the mix of rapidly absorbed (glucose) and slowly absorbed (fructose, polyalcohols) carbohydrates, achieving an optimized absorption profile that provides adequate energy without excessive glycemic response.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by assigning different absorption characteristics to different carbohydrate components within the composition, with glucose providing quick energy and fructose/polyalcohols providing sustained release, creating a multi-layered absorption profile that balances speed and glycemic control.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The composition significantly lowers the GI of food products, making them suitable for preventing and treating conditions like Type 2 Diabetes and cardiovascular disease, while offering a pleasant taste and mouthfeel, as demonstrated by clinical tests showing GIs ranging from 34 to 42.
Implementation Method 1
a process involving extraction, pasteurization, ultrafiltration, and chromatography to refine and concentrate the ingredients
Implementation Method 2
a process involving extraction, pasteurization, ultrafiltration, and chromatography to refine and concentrate the ingredients
Implementation Method 3
a process involving extraction, pasteurization, ultrafiltration, and chromatography to refine and concentrate the ingredients
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is directed to a composition comprising carbohydrates obtainable from carob and carbohydrates obtainable from at least one further fruit.