Sugar-free and high in fiber, the new Energy 4.0 cola from TAIYO, SINALCO and SWEETHOUSE boosts enzymatic energy production and offers multiple benefits.
Schwelm, Germany, October 2019 – Collaboration partners SINALCO, SWEETHOUSE and health-promoting ingredients expert TAIYO have launched their second beverage concept – a functional Energy 4.0 cola that’s sugar-free and enriched with guar bean dietary fibers.
Sunfiber® Cola is sugar-free. Sweetened with the innovative ingredient, Qorus® Dolce, from SWEETHOUSE, Sunfiber® Cola closely mimics the taste and mouthfeel of the sugar-sweetened original. It displays a natural, sugar-like profile with no aftertaste and allows for calorie-free pleasure without noticeably raising blood glucose levels. Secondly, Sunfiber® Cola contains TAIYO’s 100% natural guar bean Sunfiber®. This dietary fiber is absolutely tasteless, odorless and water soluble, and has no effect on the taste, mouthfeel or appearance of the end product.
Dietary fiber and energy
The dietary fiber in Sunfiber® Cola is fermented by bacteria in the large intestine to provide a form of sugar-free slow-release energy. Broken down into short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which are absorbed by the mucosa and into the bloodstream, its Energy 4.0 effect is induced by activating AMPK (adenosine monophosphate kinase), which stimulates the production of ATP, the body’s main cellular energy molecule.
Normally, AMPK is activated during exercise or by fasting, which is why we feel energized after a workout or 2–3 days of not eating. Conversely, it’s inhibited by alcohol and its functionality decreases with age. However, AMPK can be activated by natural ingredients and nutrients such as green tea polyphenols, curcumin or dietary fibers. As such, a light meal that’s rich in dietary fiber may actually be more energizing than a high calorie dish with lots of sugar and fat. At the same time, Sunfiber® also has a satiating, appetite-inhibiting effect and enhances digestion and the growth of good bacteria in the gut.
Today, considering that one in three adults worldwide is overweight (IHME, 2015) and more and more young people are struggling with obesity problems, Sunfiber® Cola can both increase fiber uptake and reduce calorie intake — both of which are associated with a weight-reducing effect and were recently confirmed in a crossover study with 32 healthy volunteers.
Divided into three groups (no, Sunfiber®-free or Sunfiber®-containing beverages), participants were asked to consume two drinks per day between breakfast and lunch for two weeks with a washout phase between phases. Results showed that drinking Sunfiber®-containing beverages significantly increased feelings of satiety and reduced the energy intake of the next meal by 70–100 calories.
Sunfiber® Cola was presented for the first time at the “Innovation in Non-Alcoholic Beverages Congress” event in London, UK, in September 2019. The product is commercially available at new-drinks.com and more beverage concepts with other health ingredients are already under preparation.
Please also have a look on FoodIngredientsFirst.com, where an article about our Sunfiber® Cola has been published.
Don’t hesitate to contact us if you need more information.
Picture source: SINALCO, Taiyo GmbH
