Stevia, xylitol, monk fruit—when it comes to sweetening your morning cup of coffee, the options are plentiful. Yet there’s a less familiar alternative gaining traction among health enthusiasts and researchers: trehalose.
Sweet Secret Unveiled
Trehalose, a unique dual-glucose molecule sugar, has carved a niche in the sweetener market. Renowned for its stability, it extends beyond culinary uses, serving a role in keeping foods and other products fresh.
In an interview with The Epoch Times, Anqi Chen, assistant professor of food science at Jiangnan University and a Cornell University doctoral graduate, delved into her research on trehalose. She highlighted how it has protective qualities that distinguish it from sugars such as sucrose, glucose, and fructose.
“Its ability to protect cells and biological molecules from damage caused by stress, such as dehydration or extreme temperature,” allows it to act “almost like a shield,” enabling its survival in harsh conditions, according to Ms. Chen.
Historically, trehalose has found its way into our diets primarily through natural foods such as mushrooms, yeast, honey, beans, seaweed, and shellfish.
“These organisms use trehalose as a survival tool, allowing them to endure challenging environments like deserts or freezing temperatures,” she said.
In the mid-1990s, a novel method of producing trehalose from starch significantly reduced its cost, transforming it from an expensive niche product to a widely accessible ingredient. Consequently, trehalose began to appear in diverse food products, including baked goods, breakfast cereals, dairy items, and ice creams.
Despite its inclusion in these foods, trehalose accounts for a mere fraction of the average U.S. resident’s sugar consumption, with an annual intake estimated at 21 grams per person. That number pales in comparison to the veritable sugar rush of 71 grams of added sugar that the typical U.S. resident consumes daily.
Trehalose serves various roles beyond sweetening—including its use as a preservative and stabilizer in food, medicine, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. Over the past two decades, the average daily intake of trehalose has doubled, cementing its place in the modern diet.
The trehalose market has been steadily growing and is forecast to hit $330.5 million by 2029, marking a 5 percent compound annual growth rate from its $242.7 million standing in 2021.
