“The sugar of old age” already exists! What is trehalose and where to find it

You can talk about the harmful properties of sugar for a very long time – even without mentioning that it causes weight gain and the development of diabetes. From sugar, wrinkles and acne appear – because it triggers inflammation in the body and destroys its own collagen stores. This is why so many people prefer to eat sweeteners.

However, sakhzams are no less problematic. For example, the popular sweetener stevia has a specific and very cloying aftertaste. And one of the most useful sweeteners, erythritol (melon sugar), should not be consumed more than a few tablespoons a day – because it has a laxative effect.

The main benefit of trehalose is considered by scientists to be its antioxidant effect. This disaccharide activates autophagy, cell cleansing that prevents the development of inflammatory processes. You’ve probably heard of autophagy when discussing the benefits of intermittent fasting. And also that it is this condition that protects the body from premature aging and helps reduce the risk of developing serious diseases – such as dementia and Parkinson’s disease.

In addition, trehalose promotes weight loss. At least in the case of rats 😉 In a laboratory study, experimental rats were fed a lot of fructose – to induce non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which often occurs in people with type 2 diabetes. Another group of rats was fed not only with a lot of fructose, but also with trehalose. As a result, the negative effect of fructose on their body was completely blocked, their cholesterol levels improved, and their weight decreased.

Read also: What a 70-year-old woman looks like, who hasn’t eaten sugar in 30 years and has found a substitute

Until recently, trehalose was only mentioned as a component present in natural products. Experts have advised eating more bananas, strawberries, apples and avocados so that the diet contains enough healthy sugars. But now trehalose is also produced in the form of sugar powder familiar to everyone. But unlike regular sugar, it is half as sweet – and costs about 8-10 times more (about 600 rubles per 500 grams), so it will not suit everyone.

Studying the assortment of online stores, we noticed many products where there is only one name of trehalose: and 90% of the composition of the product falls on stevia, sucralose and other types sweeteners. Of course, this kind of “sugar” will also help not to gain weight – but it is unlikely to please with a pure sweet taste and the safest possible composition.