一项新研究显示，甜蛋白Brazzein可能有助于降低血糖峰值，Science Alert新闻媒体报道称。
A new study has shown how the sweet protein brazzein could help reduce blood sugar spikes, the Science Alert news outlet reported.
Brazzein是一种天然蛋白质，最初在西非Oubli植物中被发现，但现在主要通过发酵过程生产。它以其强烈的甜味而闻名，长期以来一直被视为潜在的糖替代品。
Brazzein is a natural protein originally found in the West African oubli plant, but now largely produced through a fermentation process. It is known for its intense sweetness and has long been eyed as a potential sugar alternative.
俄罗斯联邦营养、生物技术和食品安全研究中心的研究人员对101名患有代谢功能障碍相关脂肪性肝病（MASLD）的成年人进行了测试。该病症表现为肝脏脂肪堆积，常与糖尿病和肥胖相关。
Researchers at Russia’s Federal Research Centre of Nutrition, Biotechnology and Food Safety conducted a test on 101 adults living with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). The condition, where fat builds up in the liver, is often associated with diabetes and obesity.
该研究发表在《临床营养ESPEN》期刊上，是一项聚焦冰淇淋的随机试验。
The study, published in the Clinical Nutrition ESPEN journal, was a randomised trial that focused on ice cream.
参与者在三天不同的日子里各食用了一份100克香草冰淇淋：一天含糖，一天含Brazzein，一天含Brazzein和一种称为菊粉的纤维。
Participants ate a 100 gram vanilla ice cream serving on three separate days: one with sugar, one with brazzein, and one day with brazzein and a fibre called inulin.
研究显示，与含糖版本相比，参与者食用含Brazzein或Brazzein与菊粉版本后的餐后血糖峰值降低。根据研究，血糖峰值的降低在2型糖尿病患者中最为显著。
Post-meal blood sugar spikes were lower when participants consumed the brazzein or brazzein and inulin versions, compared with the sugar-sweetened version, the study showed. The reductions in sugar spikes were most notable in participants with type 2 diabetes, according to the study.
研究人员写道：“需要更长期的研究来确定反复用含Brazzein的甜点替代含蔗糖的甜点是否能转化为持续的代谢、肝脏、微生物群或行为益处。”糖的负面健康影响多年来一直被广泛研究和讨论。
“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 behavioural benefits,” the researchers wrote. The negative health effects of sugar have been widely researched and debated over the years.
世界卫生组织在2023年建议不要使用非糖甜味剂进行体重控制，并发布了警告其长期使用可能带来“不良影响”的指南，例如增加2型糖尿病和心血管疾病的风险。
The World Health Organization advised in 2023 against the use of non-sugar sweeteners for weight control, and released guidelines warning of “potential undesirable effects” from their long-term use, such as an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.