Fructose-Free Glucose Beverage Sweetener System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current sweetened beverages, particularly those containing high fructose corn syrup, contribute to metabolic syndrome, obesity, and diabetes due to high fructose content, and existing attempts to replace fructose with glucose have been unsuccessful in creating palatable, low-fructose alternatives that match the sweetness and caloric reward of sucrose-containing beverages.
Innovation Solution
A beverage composition using aldohexose D-glucose in combination with a non-fructose producing high potency sweetener like stevioside or rebaudioside, along with optional glucose-based sugar polymers and non-synthetic colorants, to create a sweetener system that is essentially free of fructose and sucrose, providing a favorable taste profile and satiety without off-tastes or lingering aftertastes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If fructose is used as a sweetener in beverages, then sweetness and caloric reward are achieved, but metabolic disorders and fatty liver disease occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameter by replacing fructose with glucose as the primary sweetening agent. This substitution maintains the sweet taste profile while fundamentally altering the metabolic pathway, as glucose can be utilized by any cell in the body rather than being metabolized exclusively in the liver like fructose
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary substance (glucose) that serves as a substitute for fructose. This intermediary provides the same functional benefit (sweetness and caloric reward) without the harmful metabolic effects, acting as a bridge between consumer preference for sweet tastes and health requirements
2Object-affected harmful factors
If glucose is used to replace fructose, then metabolic health is improved, but sweetness intensity and palatability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite sweetening system combining glucose with small amounts of other carbohydrates (maltose, sucrose, or HFCS) in specific ratios. This composite approach allows the primary health benefit of glucose to be maintained while using the complementary sweetening properties of other carbohydrates to enhance overall sweetness intensity and palatability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by using different carbohydrate components in specific proportions within the sweetening system. Each component serves a localized function: glucose provides the bulk sweetening and metabolic health benefits, while smaller amounts of other carbohydrates provide complementary sweetness enhancement
3Object-affected harmful factors
If fructose content is reduced by 30-50%, then some metabolic risk is reduced, but sufficient protection against liver damage is not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts fructose completely from the beverage formulation and replaces it with glucose-based sweetening systems. This complete removal (rather than partial reduction) of fructose ensures sufficient protection against liver damage by eliminating the substrate that causes hepatic metabolism stress
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is directed to glucose containing beverages that closely match the sweetness, caloric and satiety sensations of sucrose-containing or high fructose corn syrup-containing beverages currently available to consumers but assist to ameliorate various disease conditions such as fatty liver disease and metabolic disease associated with fructose contained in those beverages.