Scientific Study Confirms Low Glycemic Potential of Lory Starch Elara
A clinical study has confirmed that the resistant wheat starch from ingredients specialist Loryma only has a minor effect on glucose levels. Stable blood glucose levels prevent insulin peaks, contribute to a prolonged feeling of satiety and thus lower food intake. With the help of Lory Starch Elara, numerous optimized snack products can be created that not only score with an attractive fiber content, but also become crunchier and structurally stable.
The study was commissioned by Loryma in 2022 and was carried out by the ZIEL Institute for Food & Health at the Technical University of Munich. As a result, it gives the GIÄ (glycemic index equivalent) for Lory Starch Elara a value of 4, which is significantly lower than the comparative value for native wheat starch (50 GIÄ). The reference is glucose (100 GIÄ). The methodology was adapted according to the glycemic index (GI). This refers to the influence of digestible carbohydrates on blood glucose levels, whereas resistant starch is largely indigestible and therefore cannot be characterized with a classic GI.
Scientific studies count it as dietary fiber because it is not broken down into sugar in the small intestine. The resistant starch reaches the large intestine almost undigested, where it is fermented and broken down by beneficial bacteria of the intestinal flora. This has a positive effect on the body, because the resulting short-chain fatty acid butyrate (butyric acid) is the most important energy supplier for the intestinal mucosa, protecting against inflammation and promoting a healthy intestinal flora.
“Awareness of the short- and long-term health effects of dietary fibers is growing among the population. However, it is also important to have a product that does not compromise on quality, taste and processing. As a specialist in wheat ingredients for many years, we have the expertise for all technical matters. We commissioned the scientific study to gather facts about its added health value and confirm that Lory Starch Elara is indeed processed by the body like dietary fiber, creating end products with added health value,” says Henrik Hetzer, Managing Director of Loryma.
In order to produce products with added health value, conventional starch or flour can be proportionally replaced by Lory Starch Elara. In most cases, neither the remaining recipe nor the processing method needs to be changed. As a food ingredient, the modified type 4 starch can be declared as “resistant wheat starch”. The health claim “Replacing digestible starches with resistant starch in a meal contributes to a reduction in the blood glucose rise after that meal” can be used for foods if the proportion of resistant starch in the total starch content is at least 14% (cf. Regulation (EU) No 432/2012).
Examples of applications are baked goods such as a Nutri-Score A muffin, a high protein/lower carb yeast plait, toast bread and pizza dough. In addition to the increased fiber content through resistant starch, the protein content of these products was also increased with hydrolyzed wheat protein.