HK1062874B - Mixtures of fructose and lactose as a low-calorie bulk sweetener with reduced glycemic index - Google Patents

Description

Fructose and lactose mixtures as low calorie bulk sweeteners with reduced glycemic index

Cross reference to related patent applications

This patent application claims priority to co-pending provisional patent application serial No. 60/279249 at 28/3/2001, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Federally sponsored research. Not applicable.

Sequence listing or program. Not applicable.

Background of the invention

The present invention relates to sugar mixtures for reducing caloric intake and glycemic index.

Prior Art

In the last fifteen years, the rapid increase in the consumption of added sugar by americans has clearly brought about a serious public health problem, and solving this problem is one of the ten most important goals that american centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Koplan and Fleming, J am med Assn, 284, 1696, 2000) will achieve in the 21 st century. The prevalence of obesity is a serious problem in the united states. Obesity is defined as 30% over ideal body weight. Obesity is closely linked to heart disease, high cholesterol and blood pressure, type II diabetes, stroke and high incidence of breast, colon and prostate cancer. Recent studies have shown that over 50% of americans are overweight and 22% are obese.

The obesity rate of adults in the united states increased from 12.0% to 18.9% and increased by 57% over the eight years from 1991 to 1999, while the rate of type II diabetes increased by 33% (from 4.9% to 6.5% of the general population) with increased obesity. As reported by road agency 2001, 26.1 month, it cites the words of dr. ali Mokdad by the CDC National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and health care (CDC's National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and health promotion): "We seen a terrible increase in obese people in the 90 s, which is why we have now found an increase in diabetes. "he continues to say: "obesity is no longer a good standard but a risk factor for developing serious illness. We need to alter our behavior to reduce many of the chronic diseases we are confronted with, not just diabetes.

Today on average each american consumes more than 80g of added sugar (typically sucrose, glucose and fructose) per day. By added sugar is meant those sugars that are artificially incorporated into processed foods and beverages, excluding the sugars we consume that naturally occur in natural and processed foods. The added sugar consumption of adults increased from 70 g/day to 80 g/day over the eight years from 1991 to 1999, while the consumption of fat (and presumably protein) remained fairly constant. The average adult body weight increased from 166.5 lbs to 169.4 lbs and increased by 2.9 lbs over the same period of time. We assume that the activity of an adult human is at a constant level over the eight years, and that the increase in consumption by the addition of only sugar (10 g/day x 3.9kcal/g 39 kcal/day versus an average of 2000-kcal/day diet) can be equated to 3.2lb, or all of the weight gain observed over 8 years. Clearly, the addition of sugar is very important to control the undesired weight gain of adults.

The U.S. department of agriculture recommends that an adult eating a healthy diet of 2000-kcal/day should seek to limit his or her consumption of 40g of added sugar per day or 8% of the total caloric intake. The consumption level is 1/2 for the current sugar level of the supplement, 1/2 with associated calories. The object of the present invention is to allow one to continue eating 80g of added sugar per day, but not exceeding the USDA recommended caloric intake of 40g of added sugar per day. In addition, the object of the present invention is to allow people to continue eating sugars that have been accepted (e.g. safe, good taste, easy to use in food and low cost) for decades, without any new or rare carbohydrates, carbohydrate derivatives, rare plant extracts or artificial sweeteners being involved.

Fructose, lactose and sucrose are natural sugars widely consumed in the american diet (37, 16 and 81 g/person/day, respectively). When used separately for typical foods, are all known to be full calories (i.e., about 4 kcal/g). It is well known that any of the three sugars mentioned above, taken as part of a meal, do not interfere with the absorption of glucose, proteins or lipids in the small intestine. In fact, there has been no prior report of fructose, lactose or sucrose interacting with other human diets to reduce caloric utilization, or an improvement in glucose tolerance in animals or humans. It is well known (Wolever, 1995) that fructose has a lower glycemic index (23) than lactose (46), sucrose (61 to 64), glucose (100) or oat starch (100). Fructose and lactose, respectively, are used in diabetic patients due to their lower glycemic index (Wolever et al, 1985 and Wolever et al, 1995), but nothing has been previously disclosed about the synergistic effect of these two sugars or with other sugars in achieving lower or reduced caloric utilization than would be expected.

Based on the aforementioned facts about three target sugars of interest, some documents disclose prior art in the field of carbohydrate utilization. Eleven animal studies conducted over the past eighty years have shown inconsistent results, with apparent caloric values of lactose of the bears showing inconsistent results. Only two animal reports, mouse and pig results always showed disagreement with human results.

For example, Whittier et al (1935), Tomarelli et al (1960), and Baker et al (1967) studied the effect of lactose on lactose (30%, 52%, and 50% of the diet, respectively) and glucose fed in a paired fashion, and the ad libitum diet fed was that of growing rats, with only two carbohydrate sources, as compared to a control diet of sucrose or glucose. It was found in all three study groups that the lactose diet fed slaughtered mice presented lower body weight and body fat. The pair-fed mice showed the same body weight as the control group, but reduced body fat for the lactose-fed mice (38%, 40% and 48% reduction, respectively). Whittier et al demonstrated that a lower fat weight effect was seen when the pigs were fed a restricted diet including lactose and Saccharomyces cerevisiae and even that lactose was greatly affected by the disaccharide bacteria in the caecum. The same reduction in body fat weight was observed in rats fed sorbitol, cellobiose and raw potato starch (starch resistant), all of which showed poor absorption of carbohydrates due to bacterial degradation in the cecum. The authors noted that in the exploratory experiments there was no significant difference in the levels of glucose in the blood of the mice fed the lactose and glucose diets. Baker et al found that the beta-anomer of lactose had a greater lipid lowering effect than the alpha-isomer.

The effects of lactose (30% of diet) and corn starch (32.7% of diet) as the only carbohydrate source in the diet, fed ad libitum, pair-wise and isovelocity-growing, were studied by F é vrier (1969), and the growing rats were fed compared to the starch (62.7%) control group. Feeding lactose-fed mice on an ad libitum diet resulted in a 37% reduction in growth rate and a 20% reduction in fat content. The result of the paired feeding resulted in a 23% reduction in growth rate and a 32% reduction in fat content in lactose-fed mice. The result of the isokinetic feeding resulted in a 12% reduction in fat content in lactose-fed mice. The authors concluded that the reason for the reduction in body fat was a reduction in the metabolic energy of lactose and the loss of galactose from the urine.

Dalderup et al (1969) reported that adult male rats were fed a potato and starch-coated diet containing 15 caloric% lactose, which excretes greater amounts of feces and forms greater amounts of lactic acid in the feces for 4 months than the 15 caloric% glucose group. These two observations support the notion that lactose in mice is not well absorbed in the small intestine and is fermented in the caecum and/or colon.

Ali and Evans (1971) were studied by feeding weaning male mice on a voluntary "isocaloric" diet containing 0 or 12% lactose for 6 weeks. The basal diet included 30% starch and 30% sucrose. Lactose is added to the base diet in the form of a replacement for a portion of the sucrose. This work was a direct study of the effects and interaction of dietary lactose with other dietary components of the overall composition based on growing rats, by studying multivariate regression analysis. Lactose has no effect on dietary consumption or on body protein compared to the basal diet. The most significant effect was the effect of lactose on body fat (30% reduction) and body moisture (11% increase). Although interactions between lactose and other dietary components (e.g. calcium, buffering capacity and EDTA) were noted, the authors did not make any determination.

Two mouse and pig studies have deviated somewhat from the topic of using lactose in a starchy diet, but have found other interesting effects on the consumption of lactose. In growing mice and pigs, Cheeke et al (1973) found that lactose reduced the digestibility of alfalfa fiber and purified cellulose in the caecum and intestines. The effect is acknowledged to be counter-intuitive and the authors do not provide a reasonable explanation. Conclusions are based only on weight gain; no body moisture, minerals or fat was measured. In another publication, Moser et al (1980) studied a post-weaning mouse feed-grade diet in which 30% of the starch was replaced with lactose raised to 30%. With the increase of lactose in the diet, a trend of poorer growth rate occurred. Mice fed 30% lactose had the worst feeding efficiency in all groups. Body fat was not measured, but ash in the femur was measured. As lactose increases, the percentage of ash increases linearly.

Jin et al (AJAS, 11(3), 285, 1998) found that feeding weaned pigs with a diet containing lactose (20%) and corn (36.5%) was completely equivalent after feeding for 3 weeks compared to sucrose (20%) and corn (36.5%). The average daily increase and average daily feed intake were the same for both groups. Complete bulk composition analysis was not performed, but clearly there was no evidence of interaction of corn-derived starch with lactose or sucrose.

Jin et al (AJAS, 11(2), 185, 1998) reported the results of a study of the optimal ratio of lactose to sucrose on weaned pigs on a voluntary diet containing 20% lactose instead of 20% sucrose for 3 weeks. Both diets contained corn as a starch source (38.5%). For week 3, there was no difference between groups for daily gain (G), average daily feed intake (F) and the ratio of F/G. Lactose at the end of 3 weeks, the digestibility of nutrient dry matter, crude fat and phosphorus was not altered: the effect of the sucrose ratio. On the other hand, feeding pigs with lactose at 10%, 15% or 20% showed a significantly improved nitrogen absorption. The authors suggested that nitrogen absorption was improved due to the high lactase content present in the small intestine of piglets. It is clear that pigs digest lactose more efficiently than mice. The differences between the pig and mouse models raise questions about who is more relevant to humans.

In an article published by Karimzadegan et al in 1979, the relative lactose availability measurements of mice compared to glucose were 0.57 and 0.59, based on weight gain and plasma ketone bioassays, which correspond to an energy of metabolism of 2.1kcal/g for lactose. (ratio of synthesized to glucose was determined in bioassays based weights on weight gains to be 0.57 and 0.59, while values of coresperation to inorganic soluble energy value for enzyme of 2.1 kcal/g). A widely accepted energy value for the population and reported in the main lactose manufacturer data sheet (Foremost, 1995) is 3.8 kcal/g. The lower energy values for lactose resulted from the very low lactase activity in the small intestine of post-weaning and adult mice. Since dietary lactose is not fully hydrolyzed in the small intestine, it enters the cecum and colon and is degraded by bacteria with less energy efficiency to lactic acid, Short Chain Fatty Acids (SCFA), and carbon dioxide and hydrogen. In return, a clearly lower lactose caloric value, but a massive fat reduction effect, a lower growth rate and a poor feeding efficiency were observed in the mice. Previously unrecognized interactions between lactose and starch were also validated by part of these effects.

Many interactions between sucrose absorption and small carbohydrate molecules in vivo are known or can be predicted. Sugimoto (1976) claimed the use of maltitol and lactitol for reducing the cholesterol content resulting from sucrose consumption. The claimant explains that these two carbohydrate derivatives inhibit the absorption of sucrose in vivo. Likewise, Seri et al (1995) claim the use of many pentoses, 2-deoxy-D-galactose and D-tagatose as antihyperglycemic agents, which work by inhibiting the sucrase and maltase, which are responsible for the hydrolysis of sucrose and maltose, respectively, before absorption of the disaccharide in the small intestine. Although Gray and Ingelfinger (1966) reported inhibition of sucrose hydrolysis by galactose in humans, Seri et al (1995) found no inhibition of sucrase or maltase by galactose in vivo in rabbits, and Alpers and Gerber (1971) also found no inhibition of sucrase in the human intestine. Gray and Ingelfinger (1966) acknowledged that they observed inhibition of galactose, probably due to interference of sucrose active absorption by galactose, since both monosaccharides adopt the same active transport mechanism. Fructose and glucose have been reported to inhibit hydrolysis of sucrose by sucrases in the human body. (Alpers and Gerber, 1971). To our knowledge, no interaction between lactose and sucrose absorption has been previously reported.

In addition to the requirements of Seri et al (1995), interference of maltose uptake in vivo by only small carbohydrate molecules is well known to the claimant. Maltose plays a major role in hydrolysis, and glucose also inhibits the maltase-catalyzed hydrolysis of maltose in vivo (Alpers and Gerber, 1971). Fructose and galactose did not have any inhibitory effect on maltose hydrolysis in vivo (Alpers and Gerber, 1971). To our knowledge, no prior report has been made on the interaction between lactose and maltose absorption.

Several interferences between lactose absorption and small molecule carbohydrates in the body can be found in the literature but are not explicitly applicable to the understanding of the daily diet. Glucose, galactose and fructose are reported to competitively inhibit lactose hydrolysis by human lactoses (Alpers and Gerber, 1971). Sucrose and maltose have no effect on lactose hydrolysis in vivo (Alpers and Gerber, 1971). Based on the description of the above individual interferences in vivo, it is not obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that lactose absorption in the human small intestine is strongly inhibited by glucose, galactose and fructose (sufficient for lactose to interfere with sucrose and maltose absorption), both rapidly (glucose and galactose absorption are about 1.7 and 1.2 times faster than fructose) (Gray and Ingelfinger, 1966).

Wolever et al (1985) compared the addition of lactose (25g) to oat gruel with sucrose (25g), fructose (25g) and glucose (25g), based on the vigorous blood glucose response of six diabetic volunteers, who normally used insulin or oral diabetic preparations. Glycemic Indices (GI) were calculated for each sugar, 48, 63, 24, and 90, respectively, and for comparative glucose (GI-100), all met GI reported by general subjects except glucose. The study project considered sucrose and fructose to be sweeter than lactose and glucose, but the trend was to favor less sweet diets. No symptoms of lactose malabsorption were observed. The authors suggested that the long-term effects of lactose on blood lipids required further investigation. There is no report of the interaction of lactose or any other added sugar with starch.

Gannon et al (1986) compared the response of untreated diabetic patients plasma glucose and serum insulin to sucrose, glucose, fructose, glucose + fructose or lactose as part of 50g total carbohydrate, all in natural foods such as fruit and dairy products, and as pure substances. The reaction of glucose is virtually identical whether the carbohydrate is provided in pure form or in the form of a natural food. Generally, the blood glucose region under the curve (AUC) can be predicted by the well-known metabolism of the constituent monosaccharides. However, the insulin response is not always predictable, especially in the case of milk, which contains potent insulin secretagogues.

The food products tested by Gannon et al included ice cream, which contained 34g of sucrose and 16g of lactose (and had 7.4g of protein and 13.2g of fat). In summary, the authors indicate that "… is characteristic of the response of single meal plasma glucose to various mono-or disaccharides in food products, and that the geometry is not affected by other components present in these meals. The claimant is very dissatisfied with this summary and feels that Gannon et al do not detect the interaction of lactose and sucrose to reduce the amount of plasma blood glucose in ice cream, perhaps because diabetic patients were not allowed to take insulin or diabetes drugs prior to testing; thus, the 50g carbohydrate dose is too large for AUC, which responds by altering glucose absorption in a linear fashion. Gannon et al found GI not consistent with Wolever et al (1985). For example, GI values for sucrose, fructose and lactose are 43, 6 and 32, while those for Wolever are 63, 24 and 48. The latter Wolever values are well known and widely accepted by other investigators.

Objects and advantages

It is an object of the present invention to provide sugar mixtures having a reduced caloric value compared to existing sweeteners.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a mixture of sugars having a reduced glycemic index as compared to existing sweeteners.

It is another object of the present invention to provide reduced calorie sugar mixtures having the same sweetness as sucrose.

It is another object of the present invention to provide reduced caloric value sugar mixtures having the same quality taste and mouthfeel as sucrose.

It is another object of the present invention to provide sugar mixtures with reduced caloric value.

It is another object of the present invention to provide reduced caloric value sugar mixtures having sucrose-like thermal stability in baking and cooking.

It is another object of the present invention to provide reduced caloric value sugar mixtures with a sweetness duration similar to sucrose.

It is another object of the present invention to provide reduced caloric value sugar mixtures with dietary fiber that deliver health benefits.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a healthy alternative to so-called "add-on" sugars, which reduces the caloric intake of such sugars to levels approved by dietary experts, without exposing the person to the potential hazards associated with new high intensity sweeteners or rare carbohydrates/carbohydrate derivatives.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an alternative sweetener that does not force a person to change his or her standard or sensory acceptability of sweetness or to change home food processing to suit the physical properties of the sweetener, unlike sweeteners that he or she uses for a lifetime.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an acceptable sweetener that helps limit caloric intake for overweight and obese people.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a replacement sweetener for quasi-diabetic and diabetic patients that will lower postprandial blood glucose levels and ultimately lower glycosylated hemoglobin levels.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a bland prebiotic that will promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in the colon, such as the diversity of lactobacilli.

It is a final object of the present invention to provide a reduced caloric value sugar mixture.

The novel sweetener has the advantages of reduced caloric intake, reduced glycemic index, the same level of sweetness as sucrose, high quality taste and mouthfeel as sucrose, no aftertaste, heat stability during baking and cooking, and standard sweetness linger as sucrose is recognized. The cost of preparing the novel sweetener is fully acceptable to the market since all ingredients are commercially available inexpensive goods. In addition, due to the incomplete absorption of the component sugars in the small intestine, sugars and oligosaccharides derived from the incomplete hydrolysis of starch reaching the colon are digested by microorganisms, act like dietary fiber, and provide soluble and insoluble fibers that are well known to be healthy.

Disclosure of Invention

Useful sugar mixtures disclosed in the present application comprise, in percent by weight of the sugar mixture: lactose 10 to 80, and a mixture of fructose and sucrose 20 to 90, wherein the mixture of fructose and sucrose consists of the mixture of fructose and sucrose in the following percentages by weight: sucrose 0 to 100, and fructose 0 to 100, excluding the following mixtures, the mixture of sugars being in weight percent: lactose 75, sucrose 25, fructose 0; and lactose 50, sucrose 50, fructose 0; and lactose 40, sucrose 60, fructose 0 and lactose 25, sucrose 75, fructose 0.

In one aspect of the invention, the weight percent of lactose is 10 to 80, the weight percent of fructose is 20 to 90 and the weight percent of sucrose is 0.

In one aspect of the invention, the weight percent of lactose is 25 to 60, the weight percent of fructose is 40 to 75 and the weight percent of sucrose is 0.

In one aspect of the invention, the weight percentage of lactose is 10 to 80, and the weight percentage of sucrose is 20 to 90 and the weight percentage of fructose is 0, excluding the following mixtures: lactose 75, sucrose 25, fructose 0, in percentages by weight of the mixture of sugars; and lactose 50, sucrose 50, fructose 0; and lactose 40, sucrose 60, fructose 0 and lactose 25, sucrose 75, fructose 0.

In one aspect of the invention, the weight percentage of lactose is 25 to 60, while the weight percentage of sucrose is 40 to 75 and the weight percentage of fructose is 0, excluding the following mixtures: lactose 75, sucrose 25, fructose 0, in percentages by weight of the mixture of sugars; and lactose 50, sucrose 50, fructose 0; and lactose 40, sucrose 60, fructose 0 and lactose 25, sucrose 75, fructose 0.

In one aspect of the invention, the weight percent of lactose is 24 to 51, while the weight percent of sucrose is 24 to 51 and the weight percent of fructose is 24 to 51.

We have found that when the claimed sweetener is used in combination with starch, the apparent caloric value of fructose-lactose, sucrose-lactose and fructose-lactose-sucrose mixtures is 1.7 to 2.7kcal/g, reduced to 0.8 kcal/g. The daily dietary supplement of sucrose and various corn syrups by humans in the united states is about 80 g/day (320 kcal/day or 16% daily caloric intake). The U.S. department of agriculture recommends amounts of sugar not exceeding 40g per day (160 kcal/day or 8% daily caloric intake). Since the threshold limit is the consumption of lactose of 12 g/day for lactose intolerant patients, we have found that a mixture of 12g lactose, 12g fructose and 24g sucrose is suitable for lactose intolerant patients who consume up to 48g sucrose per day and who wish to reduce caloric expenditure and do not exceed the recommended daily threshold for lactose or USDA caloric value of the daily intake from added sugar, for which such a mixture has an estimated caloric content of 1.9kcal/g and a sweetness level of 96% compared to sucrose. Those who suffer from lactose intolerance will find the above sugar mixtures, the remainder being described in the examples, enabling them to continue to consume 80 g/day of added sugar and to maintain the caloric intake by the added sugar at 7.6% or less of the total daily intake. Similar mixtures of fructose and lactose, with or without sucrose, show effectiveness in reducing postprandial plasma glucose maxima and the area under the curve (AUC), which is a plot of plasma glucose concentration versus time for diabetic and quasi-diabetic patients. Other mixtures of fructose, lactose and sucrose may be used to meet consumer needs, whether favoring a less sweet taste or favoring further reductions in caloric intake.

Drawings

FIG. 1 shows the effect of digestive uptake of various sugar mixtures in oat meal based on plasma glucose levels.

FIG. 2 shows the effect of digestive uptake of various sugar mixtures in water based on plasma glucose levels.

FIG. 3 shows the effect of digestive uptake of various sugar mixtures in water based on plasma glucose levels.

FIG. 4 shows the effect of digestive uptake of various sugar mixtures in oat meal based on plasma glucose levels in a person with reduced glucose tolerance.

FIG. 5 shows the effect of digestive uptake of various sugar mixtures in water based on the plasma glucose level of a diabetic patient.

-reference numerals

Not applicable.

Detailed Description

In this patent application, each of the following terms has the indicated meaning. The "glycemic index" is the ratio of the area under the curve of plasma glucose as a function of time (AUC) for the 50g of ingested carbohydrate in question, which is obtained by dividing the AUC by the 50g of glucose multiplied by 100. "weight percent" refers to the weight percent of each material of the composition referred to; in the case of alpha-lactose, the specified calculations are based on the weight of the commercially available monohydrate; all other sugar compositions, including fructose, sucrose and beta-lactose, were calculated based on the weight of commercial anhydrous sugar. The term "sweetener" refers to a mixture of edible sugars.

The mixture of edible sugar of the invention comprises the following three types: fructose, lactose and sucrose. Particularly suitable combinations are fructose and lactose, sucrose and lactose and fructose, lactose and sucrose. The sugar mixture comprises 10 wt.% to 80 wt.% lactose and 20 wt.% to 90 wt.% of the combination of fructose and sucrose, wherein the combination of fructose and sucrose is 0 wt.% to 100 wt.% sucrose and 0 wt.% to 100 wt.% fructose. This particular full calorie sugar mixture has been unexpectedly found to have a synergistic effect on reducing calorie and postprandial blood glucose concentrations and does not bring about gastrointestinal symptoms of sugar intolerance.

The mechanism of this desired synergy between sugars is not yet clear. Without wishing to be bound by this explanation, the inventors of the present application propose the following exploratory explanation. It is evident that fructose strongly interferes with the normal small intestine's absorption of lactose and moderately of sucrose, while lactose interferes with the normal small intestine's absorption of sucrose and starch. Unabsorbed sugars, including alpha-dextrin and maltose derived from co-nutrient starch, enter the colon where they are fully degraded by microorganisms into non-caloric (for the host) biomass and Short Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs). The latter is absorbed into the bloodstream and provides the host with a limited amount of energy.

Lactose may be employed in the form of alpha-lactose monohydrate or anhydrous beta-anomer. Fructose may be used in the form of crystals or syrup for the preparation of spray-dried or syrup products. Sucrose can be employed to make syrups in pure granular form, refined granulated sugar, various degrees of raw sugar or even as molasses. Raw sugar is used as an ingredient of the target mixture for the preparation of caramelised sweetener, which is used in baking. Sucrose may also be in the form of granular crystals, candies, brown sugar or molasses.

The sweetener in solid form may be used, for example, as a physical mixture of crystalline sugars of the same crystal size, as a co-crystalline mixture of sugars or as a spray-dried solid. The sweetener may also be used in a syrup or in a diluted water/alcohol solution.

The target sweetener may also employ conventional food grade additives and processing aids to keep the mixture dry and flowable. High intensity sweeteners may be used to achieve any desired sweetness. In another aspect, diluents that reduce sweetness and maintain a low caloric value may be used. Such diluents include maltodextrin, polydextrose and cellulose. High intensity sweeteners include aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame potassium, saccharin, cyclamate, stevioside, thaumatin, alitame, and neotame.

For the purposes of this patent application, we refer to combinations of target sweeteners and any of the following food products as sweetened edible preparations. The target sweetener is used to sweeten a wide variety of food products, including processed beverages such as carbonated or non-carbonated soft drinks, fruit drinks, flavored milk drinks, vegetable juices, chilled yolk wines, wine, liqueurs, coffee or tea; including processed foods such as baked confectionery, dairy desserts, breakfast cereals, hard candies, liqueur processed meats, custards, salad dressings, vegetable purees and sauces, condiments such as ketchup and salsa, marinades and sauces, ice creams, sorbets and flavored frozen desserts, frozen dairy products, cake coatings, decoration of surfaces of confections and desserts, syrups and flavors, jams and jellies, cake and pastry mixes and pie fillings; including functional/nutritional foods, such as sports drinks, nutritional bars, nutritional powders and gels, probiotic yogurt and fermented dairy products, and nutritional supplements; and as a sweetener for dining tables. Other edible preparations that may be sweetened with the target sweetener include pharmaceuticals and tonics requiring sweeteners/excipients and pet foods.

In the use of sweeteners in the present invention, the material to be sweetened is added in an amount necessary to achieve the desired sweetness. There is obviously no standard regarding the sweetener concentration or the mixing mode employed. In short, it is a matter of obtaining a desired level of sweetness appropriate for the material in question. Conclusions, results and scopes

It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the examples and embodiments described below are by way of illustration only and are not meant to be limiting, and that other useful examples do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Examples

The present invention will be described in more detail by way of the following examples. It should be borne in mind, however, that the present invention is not limited to these examples.

Example 1

Interactions of lactose, sucrose, fructose and alpha-dextrin (maltose) in the small intestine

The test subject (subject #1) was a well-conditioned male caucasian aged 54 years with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 28.6kg/m². The subject is required to perform moderate exercise for at least 30 minutes per day prior to testing, with at least 7 hours of sleep in the evening prior to testing, and fasting for at least 12 hours prior to Oral Tolerance Testing (OTT) in the morning on the following day. Drinking was restricted 1.5 hours prior to testing, with only a few small servings of water being consumed occasionally during OTT. The test was as follows, with the blood sample taken as soon as possible after time 0. Blood samples were then taken At 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 minutes and plasma glucose measurements were recorded immediately At each time in mg/dL using a hand-held glucose meter (At Last model, Amira Medical, Scotts Valley, CA 95066). The test subjects fasted and remained sedentary for 3 hours of testing. Attention was paid to the continuous clinical observation and recording.

The subjects were tested with duplicate 51: 24, 34: 16 and 17: 8g sucrose/g starch OTT to ensure a linear response of plasma glucose as area under the curve (AUC) versus dose. The dose response to the subject is linear from 0 to 50g of total carbohydrate; thus all successors. The tests related to this subject were carried out with 50g total carbohydrate.

The alpha-lactose monohydrate (Wisconsin Dairies), sucrose (Safeway Inc.), fructose (a.e. staley), oat meal (57% starch), and deionized water (1/2 cups) were heated together in a microwave oven for 1.5 minutes with stirring 10 minutes prior to consumption. In table 1, LA ═ lactose · H₂O, SU sucrose, FR fructose, ST oat starch (0.95 × maltose). N is the number of times the mixture was tested. AUC is the area under the curve of delta plasma glucose concentration in mg-min/dL over time. The AUC is theoretically calculated based on the well-known AUC for SU/ST (3155mg-min/dL) for test subjects, and GI values of 46, 64, 23 and 100 for LA, SU, FR and ST, respectively. Since there is no known interaction between SU and ST, there is theoretically no any AUCSugar interactions. The AUC for a mixture of sugars is actually an experimental determination and includes all sugar interactions, if any. The ratio of actual AUC/theoretical AUC provides the degree of interaction described in the first column, and the effect was significant in each investigator's test at P ≦ 0.05.

TABLE 1 interference with the absorption of common sugars and starches by the small intestine

	Lactose	Sucrose	Fructose	Oat starch	N＝	Theoretical AUC	Actual AUC	Actual AUC/theoretical AUC	P
											G	G	g	G		mg-min/dL glucose	mg-min/dL glucose
Interaction of
										LA×ST	25.0	0.0	0.0	25.0	2	3044	2295	0.75	0.02
SU×ST	0.0	34.0	0.0	16.0	3	3155	3155	1.00	0.50
										FR×ST	0.0	0.0	34.0	16.0	2	1983	1755	0.89	0.24
FR×SU	0.0	17.0	17.0	16.0	2	2569	1965	0.76	0.04
										FR×LA，LA×ST	8.5	0.0	25.5	16.0	2	2136	1350	0.63	0.01
LA×ST，LA×SU	14.0	20.0	0.0	16.0	2	2918	1763	0.60	0.05
										LA×ST，LA×SU	17.0	17.0	0.0	16.0	2	2877	1613	0.56	0.05
LA×ST，LA×SU	20.0	14.0	0.0	16.0	2	2821	1877	0.67	0.01
										LA×ST，LA×SU	27.2	6.8	0.0	16.0	2	2709	1872	0.69	0.05
All interactions	8.5	17.0	8.5	16.0	4	2723	1002	0.37	0.0004
										Computing	12.75	8.5	12.75	16.0	N/A	2500	580	0.23	N/A

The four carbohydrates were tested to understand which sugars act on the small intestine to enhance or inhibit the absorption of other sugars. None of these carbohydrates is known to inhibit alpha-amylase-catalyzed hydrolysis, which converts starch to maltose (-75%) and alpha-dextrin (-25%). Therefore, starch and alpha-dextrin/maltose were treated equally for the following analytical purposes.

The results are shown in Table 1. There was no significant interaction between sucrose and alpha-dextrin (and maltose) and also no significant interaction between fructose and alpha-dextrin (and maltose), resulting in an unchangeable actual conversion to plasma glucose compared to the theoretical AUC. Table 1 shows four significant interferences:

1) lactose interacts with alpha-dextrin (and/or maltose) to reduce the desired conversion of 50g of carbohydrate to plasma glucose.

2) Fructose and sucrose interact, reducing the desired conversion of 50g of carbohydrates to plasma glucose.

3) Lactose and sucrose interact strongly, reducing the desired conversion of 50g of carbohydrates into plasma glucose.

4) Fructose and lactose interact very strongly, reducing the desired conversion of 50g of carbohydrates into plasma glucose.

The mechanism of these desirable synergistic effects between sugars is not well known. Without wishing to be bound by this explanation, the inventors of the present application propose the following heuristic explanation. Our results show that for the first time, lactose significantly interferes with the absorption of alpha-dextrin (and/or maltose), whereas the opposite is not the case, since it is known from the literature that maltose (and presumably alpha-dextrin) does not inhibit the hydrolysis of lactose, there is a rate limiting step for the absorption of lactose. It is possible that this new interference is generated by lactose inhibition of isomaltase and/or maltase, which enzymes catalyse the hydrolysis of alpha-dextrin and maltose to glucose, respectively.

Our results show that fructose interferes with sucrose absorption, and that inhibition of human sucrase by fructose in humans is demonstrated (Alpers and Gerber, 1971). The presence of sucrose or its hydrolysis products does not inhibit the rate of fructose diffusion. (Gray and Ingelfinger, 1966).

The new finding is confirmed by the results of the lactose/fructose/starch and lactose/sucrose/fructose/starch mixtures, lactose interferes with the absorption of starch and shows a stronger interference between fructose and lactose. It is known in fact that lactose does not inhibit the absorption of fructose, and we can only conclude that this strong effect shows inhibition of hydrolysis of lactose by fructose in humans, as was previously observed in vivo. It is very surprising in light of the fact that our observed effect in vivo is the fact that fructose is rapidly absorbed by the small intestine. We believe that the inhibitory effect of fructose on lactase occurs only in the proximal jejunum, where the concentration of lactase is high. At the time of complete absorption of fructose, most of the lactose in the bolus reaches the ileum where the mucosal concentration of lactase is nearly zero (Gudman-H * yer et al, AdvNutr Res, 6, 233-69, 1984). This situation, in fact, ensures that lactose, together with unabsorbed sucrose and alpha-dextrin (and/or maltose), is degraded by microorganisms in the colon with the consequent lower energy production and beneficial prebiotics for sweeteners.

The results of the four lactose/sucrose/starch tests in table 1 show a new and strong negative interaction between another lactose and sucrose and confirm the interference of the weaker lactose with the absorption of alpha-dextrin (and/or maltose). This negative lactose and sucrose interaction is simply due to lactose inhibiting sucrose absorption or inhibiting glucose and/or fructose absorption, since sucrose is not known to be a curing agent for lactase in humans. Furthermore, no disaccharide is known to inhibit the absorption of active transport or readily diffusible monosaccharides such as glucose or fructose. We believe therefore that we have identified a new way of inhibiting sucrase by lactose. It is also possible that lactose inhibits a very relevant enzyme, isomaltase, which is responsible for the hydrolysis of alpha-dextrin to glucose. Generally, the sucrase inhibitor is also an isomaltose inhibitor.

As the ratio of actual AUC/theoretical AUC approaches zero, the caloric value of the sweetener approaches somewhat below the lower limit of 1 calorie. The "all interactions" specified in table 1 for this test provided a ratio of actual AUC/theoretical AUC of 0.37; i.e., 3/8 with only 50g of carbohydrates, or 18.5g absorbed into the blood stream by the small intestine and converted to plasma glucose. The remaining 31.5g, including-1/3 a-dextrin (and/or maltose) from oat starch, were directed to the colon without any effect on the gastrointestinal system after a short period of mild gurgling and mild bloating. The key interferences in this example are fructose/lactose, lactose/sucrose, fructose/sucrose and lactose/alpha-dextrin (and/or maltose). For the "calculated" tests, the results shown in table 1 show that the conditions calculated by multivariate regression analysis are close to optimal and have not been experimentally confirmed. In this case, the four sugars interfere with each other to such a large extent that only a quarter of the sweetener and oat starch is expected to be absorbed in the small intestine of the subject.

The glucose peak for 17g lactose/17 g sucrose sweetener and 16g starch (curve B) is generally of the same intensity and duration as the 34g sucrose and 16g starch control (curve A), but the AUC (1613mg-min/dL) is significantly less than sucrose (3155 mg-min/dL). The delta plasma glucose values at 90 and 120 minutes were different for these sweeteners derived from sucrose. The subject did not observe any GI effects.

Figure 1 shows the delta plasma glucose values versus time for the three experiments described in table 1. The 8.5g lactose/17 g sucrose/8.5 g fructose sweetener in figure 1 (curve C) shows a peak at 1/2 corresponding to the peak plasma glucose in the case of sucrose increase, and a significantly lower AUC (1002mg-min/dL) than sucrose (3155 mg-min/dL). No significant difference in time values was seen with sucrose, since the formulation showed different time peaks at four tests, and the shape of the curve was different each time. The subjects were observed to develop very slight gurgling and bloating, which correlates with the test content, except twice in four tests. Interestingly, the sucrose profile (a) returned from its peak to the fasting blood glucose level at 3 hours, forming a control with fresh sweetener (profiles B and C), which dropped to the fasting blood glucose level within 1.5 to 2 hours, and remained below the fasting plasma glucose level for a period of time after 3 hours.

Without wishing to be bound by this explanation, we speculate that the lowering of plasma glucose below fasting levels is associated with fermentation of sugars to Short Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs) in the colon. The absorption of the two most predominant SCFAs in the colon and the initiation of triglyceride metabolism requires oxidation of glucose to produce ATP.

Example 2

Caloric value of a mixture of lactose, sucrose and fructose

The test was prepared with 50g of total carbohydrate in water (dissolved in 200ml of water) earlier than before the test. All of the same protocol standards as described in example 1 above were used for this test, except that the number of blood sample extractions was 0, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120 and 180 minutes. The test subjects were the #1 subject, and #2 subject, a 24 year old healthy male caucasian (BMI 27.7 kg/m)²). See figures 3 and 2, respectively, for the results of their OTT.

The calculation of the estimated heat value (ECV) requires some explanation here, as the calculation needs to accept some reasonable assumptions:

□ GI values for lactose monohydrate, fructose, sucrose and oat starch were 46, 23, 64 and 100, respectively.

□ the caloric values for lactose monohydrate, fructose, sucrose and oat starch were 3.8, 3.7, 3.9 and 3.7kcal/g, respectively.

□ the order for a complete active absorption of the sugar mixture from the small intestine to the blood stream is fructose > starch (e.g. maltose and alpha-dextrin) > sucrose > lactose.

□ the negative uptake of unhydrolyzed disaccharide for these calculations was assumed to be 0.

□ the disaccharides are not actively absorbed and reach the colon where they are completely degraded by the microflora.

- - -78% of the disaccharides form short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which are completely absorbed and utilized by a 50%. times.0.85 ═ 42.5% body potency compared to glucose (Livesey, Int JFood Sci Nutr, 44, 221-241, 1993).

22% of the disaccharides are converted to biomass, which has no available heat for the host (Weberet al, J Lab Clin Med, 110, 259-263, 1987).

□ the NB-starch (not part of the sweetener) that reaches the colon is degraded by the microorganisms and a portion of the energy value from the sweetener is subtracted to allow the resulting ingredient (lactose) to reach the colon.

For sweeteners intended for nutritional marking, the accepted caloric value of the sweetener requires consideration of the properties of the individual sweetener components, and the sweetener does not affect the properties of the other nutrients. Therefore, the claimed sugar mixtures are tested in aqueous solution, without other nutrients, to demonstrate the most conservative Estimated Caloric Value (ECV) of the sweetener.

In fig. 3, a 50g sucrose solution in 200g water (curve a, where N is 3 tests) was used as a control (determined as 3.9kcal/g), and a 20% aqueous solution of 16g lactose/17 g sucrose/17 g fructose was used for normal subject #1 (curve B, where N is 3 tests). The plasma glucose gain at 30, 60 and 90 minutes was significantly lower for this sugar mixture, as well as the AUC (754, mg-min/dL vs. 2935 mg-min/dL). Subjects were observed to have slight changes from 1.7 hours on and were completely filled in the GI region. The Estimated Caloric Value (ECV) for this sugar mixture was 2.2 kcal/g.

For this mixture of sugars, 12.5g lactose/25 g sucrose/12.5 g fructose in 20% aqueous solution (curve C, where N ═ 3 tests), the plasma glucose gain was significantly lower at 45 and 90 minutes for this mixture of sugars, and the AUC was compared to sucrose (580mg-min/dL to 2935 mg-min/dL). Two of the three times, the test subjects were noted to have slight gi gurgling sounds at two different times, and none at one time. The estimated caloric value (EVC) for this sugar mixture was calculated to be 1.9 kcal/g. When the three sugars (34 g total) were added to oat starch (16g) in the same proportions for OTT to the same subject (see figure 1, curve C, test of 8.5g lactose/17 g sucrose/8.5 g sucrose/16 g starch, where N ═ 4 tests), the ECV for the sweetener was 1.0 kcal/g. It is evident that the sugar of the sweetener interferes with the absorption of the starch fraction derived from oats.

In fig. 2, a 50g sucrose solution in 200g water (curve a, where N ═ 2 tests) was used as a control, and a 20% aqueous solution of 20g lactose/30 g sucrose was used for normal subject #2 (curve B, where N ═ 2 tests). For this lactose and sucrose mixture, the plasma glucose gain at 90 minutes was significantly lower. The ECV for the two-saccharide mixture was calculated to be 2.1 kcal/g. When 7g of fructose were substituted for the same amount of sucrose in the previous tests (curve C, where N ═ 2 tests), the glucose gain in plasma was significantly lower at 60 minutes compared to that of sucrose for this mixture. No gastrointestinal reactions were observed. The ECV of the trisaccharide mixture (20g lactose/23 g sucrose/7 g fructose) was calculated to be 2.4 kcal/g. The shape of the two curves for this mixed sugar is interesting because the two tests are identical to the sucrose control test for the initiation rate of glucose absorption (0 to 30 minutes).

Without wishing to be bound by this explanation, we believe that this same initiation rate of glucose absorption occurs because lactose is inhibited and thus sucrose and starch are not absorbed well until there is a level of fructose accumulation in the lumen of the small intestine. Therefore, ingesting a minimal amount of fructose as part of the sweetener has a caloric advantage, rather than waiting for sucrose to hydrolyze, providing a threshold concentration of fructose in the small intestine.

Example 3

Use of novel sweeteners for test subjects with reduced glucose tolerance

The test subject for reduced glucose tolerance (IGT) was an 84 year old male caucasian (BMI 21.5 kg/m)²) The health condition is better. Their daily doses included couradin * and Cardoxin *, all taken after OTT. The same OTT protocol as in example 1 is used for IGT objects. See figure 4 for OTT results for IGT.

For the test content of 20g lactose/14 g sucrose/16 g starch (curve B), IGT showed a peak plasma glucose at 30 minutes, which was 39% of the peak 34g sucrose/16 g starch (curve A). After reaching the peak, its plasma glucose concentration remained nearly constant at-1.5 hours, then fell back to near baseline at 3 hours. The subject did not experience a gastrointestinal response, unlike the sucrose/starch control (curve a), the lactose/sucrose/starch test (curve B), which never allowed their plasma glucose level to break through 200mg/dL, an important criterion for diabetic patients (especially at 2 hours). The AUC for sucrose/lactose/starch dose is 45% of the sucrose/starch AUC (3860mg-min/dL vs 8595 mg-min/dL). Maintenance of AUC after low meals is important, for maintenance of control of glycosylated hemoglobin in type 2 quasi-diabetic patients and diabetic patients, while controlling caloric intake in most cases. In the case of lactose/sucrose added to oat gruel, the caloric value of the sweetener is reduced from 3.9kcal/g to 1.0kcal/g of sucrose.

Example 4

Novel sweetener for type 2 diabetes patients

The type 2 diabetic test subject (DM2) is oneFemale caucasian age of 51 years old (BMI 32.8 kg/m)²) She is trying to control diabetes without insulin or oral medication. She took the daily dose of Premarin *, Prempro *, xenoical * and Lipitor *, all after completing OTT each day. The same OTT protocol as in example 2 was used for DM2, except that 100g of water was used to make the test solution. DM2 was tested with duplicate 50, 25 and 15g sucrose OTT to ensure a linear response to plasma glucose for AUC vs dose. The dose response is linear between 0 to 25g sucrose; thus all subsequent tests on this test subject used 25g of total carbohydrate. See figure 5 for OTT results for DM 2.

A control of 25g glucose (curve a, where N ═ 2 test) showed an unexpectedly large plasma glucose that peaked at 45 minutes. The mean plasma glucose levels at 30 and 45 minutes broke 200mg/dL, and AUC was large for relatively small sucrose doses. With a 25g dose of 1: 3 lactose/fructose (curve B, where N ═ 2 tests) showed significantly reduced Δ plasma glucose levels at 30, 45 and 60 minutes, and the reduced AUC compared to the sucrose control (1113mg-min/dL compared to 6184 mg-min/dL). With 1: 3 lactose/sucrose, plasma glucose levels never breached 200mg/dL, although for fasting blood glucose levels at time 0, the 1: 3 lactose/fructose test was 42mg/dL higher than sucrose. The test subjects felt no gastrointestinal response. Due to the low peak glucose concentration and AUC, 1: 3 lactose/fructose has a clear potential advantage for use in diabetic patients. The sweetener had an ECV of 2.3 kcal/g.

With a 25g dose of 2: 3 lactose/sucrose/fructose (curve C, where N ═ 2 tests) showed significantly reduced Δ plasma glucose levels at 30, 60 and 120 minutes, and reduced AUC versus sucrose control (1448mg-min/dL versus 6184 mg-min/dL). The subjects of the test did not feel gastrointestinal reactions. The sweetener had an ECV of 2.2 kcal/g.

Example 5

Paired comparison test for sweetness

Six adult test subjects (3 men, 3 women) served as tasters of the claimed sugar mixture tasted at room temperature in the form of a 10 wt.% aqueous solution. The study was a paired comparison tasting conducted under masked conditions to assess the relative sweetness of the six sugar mixtures compared to 0, 4, 8, 12, 16 or 20 wt% aqueous sucrose solutions each. Each tester tested twice, respectively, without disclosure. The average results are expressed as percent sucrose equivalence (% SE) in table 2.

TABLE 2 relative sweetness

Lactose monohydrate (wt.%)	Sucrose (wt.%)	Fructose (wt.%)	％SE
				50	50	0	63
40	60	0	70
				0	50	50	128
37.5	25	37.5	86
				25	0	75	94
25	50	25	96

Example 6

Preparation of soft drink mix

A portion of the grape flavored Kool-Aid * unsweetened soft drink mix (3.9g dry weight) was mixed with 1 cup of sugar (215g) in 2 quart cold tap water (drink B). A second beverage was prepared by replacing the sugar in the first formulation with 1 cup of dry mix (210g) consisting of 25 wt.% lactose monohydrate, 50 wt.% sucrose and 25 wt.% fructose (beverage a). Both beverages were refrigerated for at least 2 hours before passing 8 person taste tests. Four of the 8 untrained tasters considered B sweeter than a. All considered the comparison to be very close. Also 5 of 8 tasters were based on taste only, saying that they would purchase a instead of B. 5 considered that A was prepared from sugar as the sole sweetener, while 3 considered that B was prepared from sugar alone. The estimated caloric value for each 8 ounce serving of beverage, B, was 105kcal, and A was 50kcal, with a 52% reduction in caloric value.

Example 7

Preparation of Instant Quaker Oats *

Two sugared oat gruel samples were prepared. First 34g of light brown sucrose and a packaged (28g) of noble snack oat porridge were placed in a bowl. Water (1/2 cup) was added and the mixture was stirred and heated in a microwave oven at high setting for 1 minute, briefly stirred and heated for an additional 30 seconds. The second preparation used a mixture of 8.5g lactose monohydrate/17 g dark brown sugar/8.5 g fructose instead of the light brown sucrose in the first preparation. The two sweeteners are of comparable color. The taste and texture of the two oat gruel products were identical. The estimated calorific value was 233 and 134kcal, respectively, and the decrease in calorific value was 42%.

Example 8

Preparation method of sugar-sprinkling cookies

Component A

1/2 cup granulated sugar (107.5g multiplied by 3.9kcal/g) 1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup of brown sugar 2 teaspoon of tartaric cream (14kcal)

1 egg (44g, 70kcal) 1 teaspoon of vanilla

1 cup of shortening (179g is multiplied by 9.2kcal/g) 1/4 teaspoon of salt

2 cup flour (280g is multiplied by 3.7kcal/g)

All ingredients were mixed and the dough was refrigerated in a refrigerator. The dough was rolled into a ball and immersed in granulated sugar. Baked in a medium oven at 350 ° F for 12 minutes. The cookie (N ≈ 45) is allowed to cool before consumption.

Component B

2 ounces Krystar300 (fructose) 2 cups flour

2 ounce lactose monohydrate 1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup of coarse sugar 2 teaspoons of tartaric butter

1 egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup of shortening 1/4 teaspoon salt

All ingredients were mixed and the dough was refrigerated in a refrigerator. The dough was spheronized and dipped in a mixture of 25 wt.% Krystar300/50 wt.% sugar/25 wt.% lactose monohydrate. Baked in a medium oven at 350 ° F for 10 minutes. The cookie (N ≈ 45) is allowed to cool before consumption.

The two formulations a and B were prepared as described above. There were 6 individuals tasted cookies a and B and the taste of both cookies was considered to be nearly identical. Formula B cookie was slightly darker in color than formula a on the top. Each cookie contained 29 wt.% sugar and 24 wt.% fat. The estimated caloric values for cookies A and B were 80 and 66kcal, respectively, with an 18% reduction in caloric value.

Claims (24)

1. A sugar mixture comprising, in weight percent: lactose 10 to 80, and a mixture of fructose and sucrose 20 to 90, wherein the mixture of fructose and sucrose consists of the mixture of fructose and sucrose in the following percentages by weight: sucrose 0 to 100, and fructose 0 to 100, excluding the following mixtures, the mixture of sugars being in weight percent: lactose 75, sucrose 25, fructose 0; and lactose 50, sucrose 50, fructose 0; and lactose 40, sucrose 60, fructose 0 and lactose 25, sucrose 75, fructose 0.

2. The sugar mixture according to claim 1, wherein the sugar mixture is present in one of the following forms: crystalline form, co-crystallized from aqueous solution or spray dried form, syrup aqueous solution form, or water and alcohol mixture solution form.

3. The sugar mixture according to claim 1, wherein the lactose is in the form of α -lactose monohydrate or anhydrous β -anomer.

4. The sugar mixture according to claim 1, wherein the fructose is in crystalline form or in the form of a syrup.

5. The sugar mixture according to claim 1, wherein the sucrose is in the form of granular crystals, candies, brown sugar or molasses.

6. The sugar mixture according to claim 1, further comprising food grade additives and processing aids which maintain the dryness and flowability of the mixture.

7. The sugar mixture according to claim 1, further comprising a high intensity sweetener.

8. The sugar mixture according to claim 7, wherein the high intensity sweetener comprises aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame potassium, saccharin, cyclamate, stevioside, thaumatin, alitame, and neotame.

9. The sugar mixture according to claim 1 further comprising a diluent.

10. The sugar mixture according to claim 9 wherein the diluent is maltodextrin, polydextrose and cellulose.

11. The sugar mixture according to claim 1, wherein the weight percentage of lactose is 10 to 80, the weight percentage of fructose is 20 to 90 and the weight percentage of sucrose is 0.

12. The sugar mixture according to claim 1, wherein the weight percentage of lactose is 25 to 60 and the weight percentage of fructose is 40 to 75 and the weight percentage of sucrose is 0.

13. The sugar mixture according to claim 1, wherein the weight percentage of lactose is 10 to 80, the weight percentage of sucrose is 20 to 90 and the weight percentage of fructose is 0, excluding the following mixtures: lactose 75, sucrose 25, fructose 0, in percentages by weight of the mixture of sugars; and lactose 50, sucrose 50, fructose 0; and lactose 40, sucrose 60, fructose 0 and lactose 25, sucrose 75, fructose 0.

14. The sugar mixture according to claim 1, wherein the weight percentage of lactose is 25 to 60 and the weight percentage of sucrose is 40 to 75 and the weight percentage of fructose is 0, excluding the following mixtures: lactose 75, sucrose 25, fructose 0, in percentages by weight of the mixture of sugars; and lactose 50, sucrose 50, fructose 0; and lactose 40, sucrose 60, fructose 0 and lactose 25, sucrose 75, fructose 0.

15. The sugar mixture according to claim 1, wherein the weight percentage of lactose is 24 to 51, the weight percentage of sucrose is 24 to 51 and the weight percentage of fructose is 24 to 51.

16. The sugar mixture of claim 1 used as a calorie-reducing sweetener.

17. The sugar mixture of claim 1 for use as a reduced calorie sweetener in sweetened edible preparations.

18. The sugar mixture of claim 1 for use as a reduced-calorie sweetener in pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and pet foods.

19. A method of making a sweetened edible product comprising the step of mixing a food product with the sugar mixture of claim 1 in an amount sufficient to sweeten the food product.

20. A sugar mixture consisting of, in weight percent: lactose 10 to 80 and a mixture of fructose and sucrose 20 to 90, wherein the mixture of fructose and sucrose consists of the mixture of fructose and sucrose in the following percentages by weight: sucrose 0 to 100, and fructose 0 to 100, excluding the following mixtures, the mixture of sugars being in weight percent: lactose 75, sucrose 25, fructose 0; and lactose 50, sucrose 50, fructose 0; and lactose 40, sucrose 60, fructose 0 and lactose 25, sucrose 75, fructose 0.

21. The use of the sugar mixture of claim 1 for postprandial blood glucose level control in a person in need of such postprandial blood glucose level control.

22. The use of the carbohydrate mixture of claim 1 for glycosylated hemoglobin level control in a human in need of such control.

23. The use of the carbohydrate mixture of claim 1 for maintaining a healthy population of intestinal microorganisms.

24. The sugar mixture of claim 1 for use as a prebiotic.