Russian Study Finds Brazzein-Sweetened Ice Cream Halves Blood Sugar Spikes in Patients with Liver Disease
A new study published in Clinical Nutrition ESPEN indicates that brazzein, a protein sweetener 2,000 times sweeter than sugar, can significantly reduce post-meal blood sugar spikes. Researchers from the Federal Research Center of Nutrition in Russia tested vanilla ice cream sweetened with brazzein against sugar-sweetened versions in 101 adults with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). The results showed that blood sugar rises were approximately half as large when consuming brazzein-sweetened ice cream, with even more pronounced effects in participants with type 2 diabetes. While the study notes that other ingredients in the sugar-free recipes may have contributed to the results, it suggests brazzein could be a viable sugar substitute for patients managing metabolic conditions. The researchers emphasize that longer-term studies are needed to determine if these short-term benefits translate into sustained metabolic or hepatic improvements.
