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The truth about wellness beverages is surprisingly sweet
The wellness beverage industry is innovating with low-sugar sweeteners like sweet proteins, stevia, isomaltulose, and chicory root fiber to meet consumer demand for health-conscious, functional options.
6 Min Read
At a Glance
- Sweet proteins such as brazzein offer sugar-free sweetness up to 5,000 times that of sugar while being digestion-friendly.
- Some stevia-based solutions enhance sweetness and mask off-flavors, making them ideal for sugar-free wellness beverages.
- Isomaltulose, a slow-release carbohydrate from sugar beets, supports sustained energy and metabolic health.
Discover how the sweet side of wellness is evolving in the SupplySide Food & Beverage Journal digital magazine on wellness beverages. From groundbreaking sweet proteins to versatile natural fibers, this feature from that edition dives into the trends and innovations redefining health-focused beverages. Read the full issue now to elevate your wellness and your knowledge.
Orange juice may be an age-old “wellness” beverage, but today’s customers might argue its sugar content is too high. While real fruit juice is packed with vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, consumers are looking for not only less caloric options, but also other nutrients they equate with health.
“In a segment like wellness beverages, where health is front and center, concerns around sugar are amplified even more,” Bret Barhoover, Cargill’s category marketing manager for specialized nutrition, said. “Our ClaimTracker study found claims like ‘no added sugar,’ ‘zero sugar’ and ‘no sugar’ had high purchase impact with these consumers.”
Within the health/nutrition beverages and powders segments, the company’s research also revealed a “good source of protein” callout remained the most impactful claim. The study found a stand-alone “good source of protein” claim reaches roughly two-thirds of consumers, with nearly the same percentage reporting a willingness to pay 10% more for a beverage or powder carrying a protein claim.
Sweet protein
An ingredient touting both protein and sweetness could be a trendsetter in today’s market; nature is working on it. Ali Wing, CEO at Oobli, said sweet proteins are inherent in a variety of fruits primarily found in West Africa. While they aren’t protein-dense like whey or pea to support a protein claim, they digest like protein and have a potency 1,000 to 5,000 times the sweetness of sugar, making them shine on ingredient and nutrient decks.
“Because our sweet proteins are unique proteins that are found in nature in a variety of berries and fruits, our ingredients are named after the specific protein in the various plants they are found in,” she explained. “For example, our chocolates are made with the oubli fruit sweet proteins. And our company name ‘Oobli’ is a fanciful name inspired by the oubli fruit, where we found the first proteins we commercialized.”
The scientific name for Oobli’s fruit sweet protein is brazzein. It was the first of the company’s products available on the market. “We’re building an entire platform that can replace sugar in almost any kind of food or beverage,” Wing said. Other sweet proteins include monellin, thaumatin and miraculin. Along with brazzein, all are derived from the fruit of the West African shrub, Dioscoreophyllum cumminsii, more commonly known as serendipity berry. Brazzein was the first of the company’s ingredients to receive an FDA “no questions letter” (which typically indicates an ingredient is considered GRAS, or generally recognized as safe) for use as a sweetener.
“Based on our research to date, we haven’t found a food category where sweet proteins can’t be a solution for reducing sugar,” she added. “That said, food matrices across the food system are complex, so we do find differences in speed of application or simplicity of application.” Sweet proteins pair particularly well with dairy products. Other ingredients are needed to achieve the right texture since sugar adds bulk. In sweet teas and lemonade, less than 1 g of Oubli Fruit Sweet Protein is needed to sweeten an entire 16-ounce can. In that application, the only role of sweeteners in beverages is sweetening so no bulking agent is required.
Stevia solutions
Stevia hits all the right notes when consumers are looking for reduced sugar. Numerous sweetening compounds, glycosides, are naturally found in the leaves of the plant Stevia rebaudiana. Depending on the ratio and levels of glycosides extracted, differences exist between stevia products offered on the market.
Cargill, for example, has several stevia products. The developer’s choice will largely depend on the target amount of sugar reduction, but other considerations such as flavor profile play a role. The wellness space is challenged by active components like vitamins, minerals and botanicals because they often have negative flavor attributes that can be hard to mute. Barhoover finds this especially true when reducing added-sugar levels.
“For a modest reduction of 25%-50%, our ViaTech stevia leaf extract line may be perfect,” he said. “With steeper reductions, going all the way to ‘no sugar added,’ we’ll often turn to solutions built around our EverSweet stevia sweetener. Our most advanced system, EverSweet stevia sweetener + ClearFlo natural flavor, is an excellent fit for many wellness beverages. It combines a great sweetness foundation with flavor-modifying properties, helping to mask the bitterness, metallic notes and similar attributes often associated with other ingredients in the formula. At the same time, EverSweet + ClearFlo can enhance common characterizing flavors like fruity notes and chocolatey flavors.”
Dialing into the right level of sweetness in beverages requires attention to nuances. Take hydration beverages, for example. “Balancing their sweet, acid and salty flavors is no easy task,” Barhoover stated. “We’ve created concepts using EverSweet + ClearFlo, which helps us subdue some of the saltiness, while enhancing characterizing flavors — all with no sugar and just 5 calories.”
Sweetening with isomaltulose
Although the word isomaltulose may sound like an exotic chemical, it’s a naturally occurring disaccharide derived from sugar beets and composed of glucose and fructose. Kyle Krause, North America product manager of functional fibers and carbohydrates at BENEO, explained, “Isomaltulose is the generic name for BENEO’s Palatinose.” As a slow-release carbohydrate, he said this sweetener has a natural, mild sugar-like sweetness that is ideal for use in ready-to-drink (RTD) and powder beverages. Its taste is rounded like sugar yet has about half the sweetness of sucrose.
Isomaltulose works well in combination with all kinds of high-intensity sweeteners. While some intense sweeteners can impart unwelcome aftertastes, he said the company’s isomaltulose can function well as a masking agent in these instances.
Building the wellness profile is another reason to consider formulating with isomaltulose. “Thanks to its unique glucose-fructose binding, the energy is released slower and not all at once,” Krause commented. “Its breakdown and uptake occur along the entire small intestine. The slow and sustained digestion process is reflected by gut hormone pattern and concentrations.” The corresponding slow and sustained glucose release of the sweetener is reflected in its blood glucose response. “Isomaltulose can also be described on the packaging as a low-glycemic sugar and in many other ways to describe this healthy carbohydrate,” he said.
A 2024 study released by BENEO demonstrated that intake of isomaltulose stimulates a higher and longer-lasting release of beneficial gut hormones, including GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide) in overweight adults. “The findings show that Palatinose (isomaltulose) has a beneficial effect on metabolic parameters that are important for maintaining a healthy body weight, blood glucose control and cardiovascular health,” he added.
A touch of chicory root fiber
BENEO’s Orafti Inulin and Oligofructose are all-natural, non-GMO (genetically modified organism) prebiotic fibers derived from chicory root. “They are easily incorporated into a variety of beverages such as those for protein enrichment, dairy, alternative dairy, meal replacement and weight management,” Krause said. “They can also be included in refreshments, including juices, smoothies and in powder mixes of any kind. Soluble fiber from chicory root can improve the nutritional profile of beverage products while also providing sugar-like sweetness and/or mouthfeel enhancement.”
Scientific evidence supporting the potential health benefits of chicory root fibers is the cherry on top of a wellness cocktail. Researchers have found links to gut health, blood sugar management, immune health, weight management, calcium absorption for bone health and even mood.
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