Aroma Drinks: Can They Lower Blood Sugar?

There is a growing interest in reducing sugar consumption, with consumers and the food industry seeking healthier alternatives. While sugar is often replaced with artificial or processed sweeteners, consumer organisations are resisting this trend. This poses a challenge for flavoured drink producers, as consumers also do not want to compromise on taste. However, research suggests that aromas can be used to produce long-lasting sweetness-enhancing effects, providing an alternative path to sugar reduction. This leverages the cross-modal effects of associating aromas with the taste of sugar-rich foods, increasing the perceived sweetness without the sugar. While this is a relatively new concept, it shows potential for enhancing sweetness in flavoured beverages and reducing sugar content.

Drinks with natural aromas can reduce sugar content while maintaining sweetness

Consumers are increasingly demanding healthier food and drink options, with a focus on reducing sugar intake. This poses a challenge for flavoured drink producers, who traditionally rely on high sugar content to sweeten their products. While many have replaced sugar with artificial or processed sweeteners, consumer organisations are starting to resist this approach.

Research from the Netherlands-based group NIZO suggests that aromas can be used as an alternative path to sugar reduction. NIZO studied the effect of using naturally occurring aromas to reduce the sugar content of flavoured beverages while maintaining taste. The research found that consumers' ability to differentiate between taste and aroma is limited, and that aromas can be used to produce long-lasting sweetness-enhancing effects.

NIZO used an olfactometer to deliver precise amounts of aromas into a subject's nose while they were consuming food, alongside a gustometer to deliver precise amounts of taste stimuli onto a subject's tongue. This allowed them to demonstrate that a drink is perceived as much sweeter if a sweet-smelling aroma is delivered to the nose at the same time.

One of the aromas being tested at NIZO is ethyl hexanoate (HEX), a natural aroma component found in apples. The researchers found that adding HEX to apple juice made people perceive the juice as sweeter than it actually was, especially for untrained test subjects who were exposed to HEX for the first time. This suggests that people can learn to differentiate between whether sweetness is being delivered through sugar or added aroma.

Overall, the results of the study indicate that aromas have the potential to enhance sweetness in flavoured beverages, allowing for a reduction in sugar content while maintaining taste.

Consumers prefer natural ingredients to artificial sweeteners

Consumers are increasingly health-conscious and are demanding products with natural ingredients, free of artificial additives. This presents a challenge for flavoured drink producers, which traditionally have a high sugar content. While many have replaced sugar with artificial sweeteners, consumer organisations are resisting the wide application of such sweeteners.

Research suggests that consumers would rather cut back on sugar without replacing it with alternative sweeteners. According to INNOVA Market Insights, three in five US consumers would prefer an approach to sugar reduction that did not substitute the ingredient for an alternate sugar.

This is a dilemma for producers: how do they make food healthier without losing taste? One strategy being explored is the use of cross-modal effects. By exposing consumers to different foods and beverages, we learn to associate aromas with the taste they usually accompany. Therefore, adding an aroma to mimic the smell of sugar-rich versions of food increases the perceived sweetness by mere suggestion.

One of the aromas being tested is ethyl hexanoate (HEX), a natural aroma component that is synthesised in apples during ripening. It has been shown that a drink is perceived as much sweeter if a sweet-smelling aroma is delivered to the nose at the same time.

Other natural sweeteners include honey, blackstrap molasses, real maple syrup, and coconut sugar.

Aroma-induced sweetness enhancement is a relatively new concept

The effectiveness of aroma-induced sweetness enhancement has been studied by researchers at NIZO, a Netherlands-based research group. They used specialized equipment, including an olfactometer and a gustometer, to deliver precise amounts of aromas and taste stimuli to subjects. Their research found that a drink is perceived as sweeter when a sweet-smelling aroma is introduced to the nose simultaneously.

One particular aroma being tested at NIZO is ethyl hexanoate (HEX), a natural component found in apples during their ripening process. Adding HEX to apple juice successfully enhanced the perceived sweetness, even when the actual sugar content was reduced. This effect was most prominent in untrained test subjects who were exposed to HEX for the first time, suggesting that repeated exposure may reduce the effectiveness as people can learn to differentiate between taste and aroma over time.

The results of these studies indicate that aromas have the potential to enhance sweetness in flavoured beverages, providing an alternative path to sugar reduction. This approach aligns with consumer preferences for reducing sugar intake without relying on artificial sweeteners or compromising taste. By leveraging aroma-induced sweetness enhancement, food and beverage manufacturers can meet the growing demand for healthier products while maintaining the desired taste profiles.

Drinks with aromas can be perceived as sweeter

The sense of smell is one of the key factors that affects how we experience food and drinks. Our olfactory cells react to different odor molecules by sending signals to the brain. This means that aromas can be used to produce long-lasting sweetness-enhancing effects, even if the actual sugar content of the drink is low.

Research at NIZO suggests that aromas can be used as an alternative path to sugar reduction. Consumers are increasingly interested in healthier foods with less sugar, but they also do not want to compromise on taste and are looking for natural ingredients. This poses a challenge for the producers of flavoured drinks, which traditionally have a high sugar content. While many drinks producers have replaced sugar with artificial or processed sweeteners, consumer organisations are starting to resist the wide application of such sweeteners.

To overcome this challenge, NIZO is exploring alternative strategies to keep consumers happy while avoiding high sugar content. One such strategy is to make use of cross-modal effects: by exposing people to many different foods, we learn to associate food aromas with the taste they usually accompany. Therefore, adding an aroma that mimics the smell of a sugar-rich version of a drink increases the perceived sweetness. In other words, the brain perceives the sweetness as present, even when the sweet ingredient is not.

NIZO used an olfactometer to deliver precise amounts of aromas into a subject’s nose while they were consuming food, and a gustometer to deliver precise amounts of taste stimuli onto a subject’s tongue. This allowed them to demonstrate that a drink is perceived as much sweeter if a sweet-smelling aroma is delivered to the nose at the same time. One of the aromas being tested at NIZO is ethyl hexanoate (HEX), a natural aroma component found in apples. The researchers found that adding HEX to apple juice made people perceive the juice as sweeter than it actually was, especially if they were exposed to HEX for the first time. This suggests that people can learn to differentiate between whether sweetness is being delivered through sugar or added aroma.

In conclusion, drinks with aromas can be perceived as sweeter, even if they have a low sugar content. This presents an opportunity for drink manufacturers to reduce the sugar content of their products while still maintaining taste and consumer satisfaction.

The sense of smell is required to identify cinnamon in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar

The sense of smell is integral to identifying cinnamon in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. While the tongue can detect the presence of sugar, the olfactory cells in the nose are required to perceive cinnamon. This is because the flavour and aroma of cinnamon are derived from an essential oil, with the most abundant compound being cinnamaldehyde, which has a distinctive scent.

The spice we know as cinnamon originates from the dried bark of the Cinnamomum zeylanicum tree, native to Sri Lanka and southern India. This bark contains an essential oil that comprises between 1% and 4% of the tree's composition. Cinnamaldehyde, an oily yellow liquid with a boiling point of 246°C, is the primary compound within this oil, constituting 65% to 75% of it.

Cinnamon has a long history of use across various civilisations. It was highly valued in biblical times, used in anointing oil, and even for embalming mummies in ancient Egypt. The Romans also cherished cinnamon, with Emperor Nero famously burning a year's supply of the spice at his wife's funeral to demonstrate his remorse for her alleged murder.

Today, cinnamon remains a popular ingredient in cooking due to its intense aroma and flavour. It is used in both savoury and sweet dishes, enhancing their flavour. Cinnamon's medicinal properties are also well-known, particularly in Chinese herbal medicine, where it is used to treat various ailments such as diarrhoea, arthritis, and cold symptoms.

The unique scent of cinnamon plays a crucial role in its detection when mixed with sugar. While the tongue may perceive sweetness, the olfactory cells in the nose are necessary to identify the distinctive aroma of cinnamon. This illustrates the importance of the sense of smell in differentiating between various flavours and scents.

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