Scientists find new way to produce healthier, less expensive sugar alternative

Scientists say they’ve developed a new way to produce a sugar alternative that may be healthier, taste more like the real thing and perform better in baked goods.

Many artificial sweeteners are known for aftertastes or digestive side effects, and some have raised consumer health concerns. Researchers at Tufts University say a new, rare type of sugar could offer a potential middle ground, according to findings published in the journal Cell Reports Physical Science in December.

The sugar, known as tagatose, occurs naturally in small amounts in fruits and dairy products. 

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It tastes similar to table sugar but contains significantly fewer calories and has a smaller impact on blood sugar than sucrose, according to the researchers.

Tagatose delivers about 92% of the sweetness of regular sugar with roughly 60% fewer calories, the study found. Producing it at scale, however, has historically been difficult and costly.

Tagatose browns like real sugar, helping baked goods turn out as expected, scientists say. (iStock)

“There are established processes to produce tagatose, but they are inefficient and expensive,” Nikhil Nair, associate professor of chemical and biological engineering at Tufts, said in a statement.

“We developed a way to produce tagatose by engineering the bacteria Escherichia coli to work as tiny factories, loaded with the right enzymes to process abundant amounts of glucose into tagatose.”

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In 2019, the team demonstrated a bacterial production method using galactose, a sugar that is less readily available and more expensive. The latest advance came from adding a newly identified enzyme, Nair said, that allows the bacteria to use glucose instead.

“People with sensitivities to poorly absorbed carbohydrates … may experience digestive discomfort at higher doses.”

Researchers say the approach could eventually make tagatose more accessible for use in food products, though they caution that additional testing and optimization are still required before it can be widely manufactured.

Tagatose has minimal impact on blood sugar and insulin levels, according to the scientists, making it a potential option for people trying to limit sugar intake or for people with diabetes.

Experts note that, like other low-calorie sugars, tagatose may cause mild digestive discomfort in some people. (iStock)

“Clinical studies show that tagatose raises blood glucose and insulin much less than conventional sugar, making it metabolically closer to low-glycemic sweeteners than to sucrose,” Lakelyn Lumpkin, a Florida-based registered dietitian at Top Nutrition Coaching, told Fox News Digital.

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Like other low-calorie sugars, tagatose may cause minor gastrointestinal discomfort in some people, experts say, particularly at higher intakes, since it’s not fully absorbed in the small intestine.

Unlike some sugar substitutes, tagatose also behaves more like sugar in cooking and baking.

“People with sensitivities to poorly absorbed carbohydrates … may experience digestive discomfort at higher doses,” Lumpkin added.

Unlike some sugar substitutes, tagatose also behaves more like sugar in cooking and baking. Researchers say it browns when heated and produces a similar flavor and texture, characteristics often difficult to replicate with sugar substitutes.

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Some studies suggest tagatose does not promote tooth decay in the same way as sucrose and may influence gut bacteria because it is fermented in the colon rather than fully absorbed.

The rare sugar may be easier on blood sugar levels, researchers say.  (iStock)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has classified tagatose as “generally recognized as safe,” or GRAS, allowing it to be used as an ingredient in consumer foods.

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While some consumers remain cautious about genetically modified food production, Nair said the final tagatose product would be purified and would not contain the bacteria used in manufacturing. 

He added that, chemically, the sugar would be indistinguishable from tagatose derived from natural sources.

Researchers say further testing and development are needed before tagatose can be produced on a large scale. (iStock)

Despite the promising results, researchers emphasized significant work remains.

“There still needs to be significant optimization for productivity, scale-up and purification before it’s ready for widespread manufacturing and distribution,” Nair said.

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While replacing some added sugars with alternatives like tagatose could help reduce caloric intake, overall dietary patterns remain critical, Lumpkin noted.

“Moderation of total sweetness, portion control and whole-diet quality remain central to public health recommendations,” she said.