Benefits of pea protein and inulin for weight management

Published: 4-Jul-2016

The weight management market has evolved during the last few years and people are turning their backs on ‘fad diets’

Obesity and overweight are increasing worldwide, both among children and adults. Beyond appearance reasons, this epidemic is a major health issue, causing problems such as diabetes, hypertension or cardiovascular diseases.

In parallel, trends in terms of weight management have evolved a great deal during the last 5 years and diet meals (meal replacements) are not as trendy as they used to be. Cosucra invites you to discover what different weight management strategies are available and how Pisane pea protein and Fibruline chicory inulin/oligofructose can be used to develop trendy products to lose or maintain your weight.

A majority of consumers feel concerned and are ready to act. People have different approaches regarding their weight. However, 69% or more in Europe and Asia-Pacific feel that it's important to maintain an ideal weight or lose weight, for appearance reasons and/or to avoid health concerns.

Figures also demonstrate a shift from people trying to lose weight towards people trying to maintain their current weight. Five main trends have been identified regarding weight management in general:

Increasing protein intake is a growing trend worldwide, either to increase satiety (often in association with fibre) or for sugar control. Their other benefits are their low caloric value (4kcal vs 9kcal for fat) and the fact that proteins are not stored as fat by the body, unlike carbs. The most frequently used proteins are dairy proteins; but, plant proteins, and among them pea proteins such as Pisane, are getting more and more trendy. For instance, Pisane is used in high protein bars as in high protein drinks or savoury products. This protein is appreciated for its neutral taste and the fact it is GMO-free and not listed as a major allergen.

Portion control is another weight management strategy ... but it's not a new one. Indeed, this trend began some years ago but remains popular in some countries such as the US. Consuming smaller portions is a way to indulge oneself without guilt.

Avoiding food villains: sugars and fat are the two biggest ‘villains’ when talking about nutrients responsible for weight gain. However, as indulgence and taste are still key, sugar and/or fat replacement are associated with yummy flavours and more positive claims (such as 'natural' or functional health). Fibruline chicory root fibre is a natural solution to replace sugar and/or fat. It has no impact on taste (so should be used in combination with intensive sweeteners such as stevia in some cases) but will play a great role on the texture. In particular, Fibruline XL long chain inulin gives a unique fat-mouthfeel in high water systems (such as low-fat ice-creams).

Diet meals and diet plans: consumers are moving away from previously popular crash-diet methods or meal-replacements to programmes combining a clear objective, a method, tastier products and coaching. High protein diets (Dukan), high protein/low carbohydrates diets and paleo diets are currently quite popular. Meal replacements combining Pisane pea protein and Fibruline chicory root fibre will offer an increased satiety feeling together with a balanced nutritional profile. Another asset of Pisane is its richness in leucine, an amino acid that plays an active role in the control of protein synthesis, resulting in the maintenance of muscular mass (lean body mass) during energy restriction.

Blood sugar management: it may seem to be an unusual weight management method at first sight, but regulating blood sugar levels is essential for good health, to maintain a healthy weight and to lower the risk of diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Among the recommendations for stable blood sugar levels we can suggest reducing fast carbs (white sugar), increasing slow release carbs and fibres, and combining slow release carbs with proteins.

With those aims in mind, Fibruline appears as a good tool to manage blood sugar levels. Indeed, this indigestible carbohydrate has a GI close to 0 and does not impact on blood glucose response. What's more, it can be used to replace sugars, as mentioned earlier.

The weight management market has evolved during the last few years and people are turning their backs on ‘fad diets’ and favour a more balanced lifestyle associating exercise with healthier and tastier foods. The challenge for manufacturers is to develop weight management products that fit into this lifestyle. Pisane pea protein and Fibruline chicory root fibre are naturally sourced ingredients that can help you develop yummy products fitting this new ‘trend’ with added benefits such as increasing satiety, improving digestive health or keeping blood sugar levels low.

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