Tag: Rare sugar

Historically, commercial L-rhamnose was extracted from the glycosides of certain plants, such as oak bark and citrus fruits. Today, the methods used to produce rhamnose have evolved, with manufacturers now primarily relying on more efficient and sustainable biotechnological and extraction techniques to meet industrial demand.

Rhamnose is a rare deoxy sugar that is unusual because it occurs naturally in the L-configuration, unlike most other naturally occurring sugars. The exploration of the diverse sources of rhamnose reveals its prevalence in unexpected places, including a wide array of plants, specific microorganisms, and modern biotechnological processes.

Initially identified in the leaves of wheat in the 1940s, allulose is a rare sugar that occurs in only trace amounts in nature. Its unique properties, including a low-calorie count and minimal impact on blood sugar, have led to its rise as a popular sweetener, prompting many to ask, what plant does allulose come from?

According to the International Society of Rare Sugars, allulose is one of the many sugars found in very low quantities in nature, classifying it as a 'rare sugar'. This article explores what food has allulose in it, from its scarce natural origins to its widespread use in commercial products.

Allulose is considered a "rare sugar" because it occurs naturally in very small quantities in a few foods. This means that while figs and maple syrup contain trace amounts, the allulose you can buy on store shelves is commercially produced, not extracted directly from these natural sources.

While it passes through the body largely undigested like fiber, the FDA does not classify allulose as a dietary fiber. This unique rare sugar is absorbed in the small intestine but not metabolized, leading to specific rules for how it is declared on nutrition facts labels.

According to a 2018 study in the journal *Nutrients*, overweight adults who consumed allulose twice daily for 12 weeks saw a significant decrease in body fat mass. This promising finding has led many to question, does allulose burn fat directly, or is its effect on body composition a result of other mechanisms?

Approximately 5-10% of plant cell wall saccharides in common plants like Arabidopsis and rice consist of L-arabinose. The sources of arabinose are overwhelmingly plant-based, where the sugar exists bound in complex biopolymers rather than as a free monosaccharide.

While standard table sugar contains 4 calories per gram, allulose contains only about 0.4 calories per gram, a fraction of the caloric impact. This significant difference has led many people following low-carb diets to wonder: do allulose calories count towards my daily intake and weight loss goals?

Allulose contains only about 0.4 calories per gram, significantly less than the 4 calories per gram found in regular sugar. This low caloric value is due to its unique metabolism in the human body, where it is absorbed but not utilized for energy.