Health · Medical Research · 1 day ago
Brazzein-Sweetened Ice Cream Halved Blood Sugar Spikes in a Small Trial
Researchers tested brazzein, a very sweet protein originally found in a West African fruit, as a possible replacement for sugar.
In a trial, 101 adults with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease ate vanilla ice cream sweetened with sugar, brazzein, or brazzein with inulin on separate days.
Blood sugar rises after the two brazzein versions were about half as large as after the sugar-sweetened version.
The effect was more noticeable among participants with type 2 diabetes, and no serious side effects were reported.
The findings matter because fatty liver disease often occurs alongside obesity and diabetes, and reducing sugar in popular foods may be more practical than avoiding them altogether.
However, the recipes differed in other ingredients, so the researchers cannot say brazzein alone caused the change.
They say longer studies are needed to test brazzein in a wider range of foods.
A randomized, double-blind crossover trial tested brazzein-sweetened ice cream in 101 adults diagnosed with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD).
Each participant ate a 100-gram serving of vanilla ice cream on three separate days: one sweetened with sugar, one with brazzein, and one with brazzein and inulin.
Blood sugar rises after eating were about half as large with both brazzein-containing ice creams as with the sugar-sweetened version.
The reductions were more noticeable among participants with type 2 diabetes, and the study reported no serious side effects.
Because the recipes differed in other ingredients, the researchers said the results cannot be attributed to brazzein alone and called for longer-term studies.
- Who
- Researchers from the Federal Research Center of Nutrition, Biotechnology and Food Safety in Russia; 101 adults with MASLD took part.
- What
- A trial compared the blood sugar response to sugar-sweetened and brazzein-sweetened ice cream.
- When
- Reported on October 10, 2026; the trial dates are not stated.
- Where
- The researchers were from a center in Russia; the trial location is not stated.
- Why
- To investigate brazzein-containing foods as possible sugar substitutes, including for people with MASLD or type 2 diabetes.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
From a clinical nutrition perspective, the present findings indicate that the tested sucrose-free brazzein-containing formulations may warrant further investigation as potential sugar-substitution options for patients with MASLD, including those with type 2 diabetes
The magnitude and timing of the observed effects support future studies of brazzein-sweetened foods
Extensive restriction of these products in the diet is often unrealistic and may lead to poor adherence to dietary recommendations.
Longer-term studies are needed to determine whether repeated substitution of sucrose-containing desserts with brazzein-sweetened alternatives translates into sustained metabolic, hepatic, microbiome, or behavioral benefits
This story does not have a timeline yet.
- Participants
- 101 adults diagnosed with MASLD
- Ice cream serving
- 100 grams (3.5 ounces)
- Blood sugar response
- Post-meal rises were about half as large with either brazzein-containing recipe as with sugar-sweetened ice cream
- Brazzein sweetness
- Up to 2,000 times sweeter than sugar by weight
- Study publication
- Clinical Nutrition ESPEN
Sources
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