Trehalose: The Sugar That's Good For You

What do you think of when you hear about sugar?

Bright white granules? Crunchy cubes? Soft, fine brown powder?

Whatever your picture of the sweet stuff is, chances are you don’t think of mushrooms and algae. And fair enough.

Your garden variety mushroom or seaweed doesn’t taste sweet or seem like a smart addition to a dessert. But hiding in your shiitake and sushi sheets is trehalose - a type of sugar that is quietly taking the nutrition world by storm.

You might be wondering why we’re talking about sugar, when here at Natural Stacks we’re all about optimal health.

For years now, we’ve been hearing about the evils of sugar.

We know as well as you do that sugar rots your teeth. Melts your brain. Gives you cancer and makes you hyperactive, fat and blotchy.

But trehalose doesn’t do any of that.

In fact, it’s much the opposite. At about half the sweetness of regular table sugar, trehalose has a much lower glycemic index and digestion time - meaning it doesn’t spike your blood sugars and insulin levels - and it’s been shown to be surprisingly neuroprotective.

That’s right - a sugar that protects your brain, rather than damaging it.

The research base around trehalose is growing rapidly. Journals and researchers around the world are lining up to look further into the benefits of this simple disaccharide. So far, here’s what they’ve found:

• Psychopharmacology found that “Trehalose induced antidepressant-like effects and autophagy enhancement in mice.” Autophagy, the breakdown of old cellular material, promotes healthy ongoing cell function, particularly in the brain. [1]
• Neurochemistry International published a study indicating that “trehalose is a powerful modifier of abnormal protein accumulation in neurodegenerative diseases.” Abnormal protein accumulation is the underlying factor in many debilitating diseases, such as Alzheimer's and ALS. [2]
• Neurobiology of Aging found that “apart from activating autophagy, trehalose also inhibits tau aggregation directly. Thus, trehalose may be a good candidate for developing therapeutic strategies for AD and other tauopathies.” This inhibition of tau proteins slows the progression of degenerative disease in the brain. [3]
• The Journal of Translational Medicine indicated that “trehalose has suppressive effects on several pathological events after subarachnoid hemorrhage [bleeding on the brain] including vasospasm, inflammatory responses, and lipid peroxidation.” Trehalose acts as a protective agent when there has been trauma to the brain. [4]
• Nutrition Research found that “trehalose prevents adipocyte hypertrophy and mitigates insulin resistance.” Basically, they found in rodent trials that trehalose can reduce the amount of energy stored in fat cells, and combat insulin resistance - potentially an important discovery for diabetics and people looking to lose weight. [5]

Clearly, the research is exciting.

Not only is trehalose neuroprotective, it’s also potential game-changing in depression management, diabetic treatments and weight management.

And that’s why we’re including it in Prebiotic+, a resistant starch supplement that will be released in just a couple of days.

Resistant starch is a vital component of a complete nutrition routine, which you can learn more about here. Not only does it boost the health of your gut, by increasing the amount of healthy flora, but it improves your digestion, can help you feel more calm and relaxed, think more clearly, and increase the quality of your sleep.

Since this is such an important part of an optimal supplementation routine, we wanted it to taste good, too.

We added trehalose to make sure it had a pleasant flavor, and to increase the benefit Prebiotic+ will have on your brain.

Your Prebiotic+ will have a subtle hint of banana and cinnamon, making it the perfect addition to smoothies and shakes.

Since trehalose is only about half as sweet as sugar, it’s not overpowering and will go perfectly with the cacao and vanilla Natural Proteins.

With its strong neuroprotective and anti-depressant properties, trehalose is a key component of this supplement. Not only will your gut feel better, but your mood will take a positive turn too.

Formula genius Abelard Lindsay notes a definite ‘mood brightening’ whenever he adds trehalose to his food or supplements.

You can even expect to see some improvement in body composition with the trehalose-resistant starch combination.

Together they modulate insulin resistance and glycemic responses, slowing digestion and increasing satiety after meals. This helps manage your appetite, prevent overeating and increase the uptake of nutrients, so that your body gets more of what it needs every day.

If you’re excited by the prospect of a happier, healthier body and mind, grab your Prebiotic+ by clicking on the image below!