Sweeteners in protein powders/meal replacements

But they can’t increase the numbers if they want to have the same nutrient split. One gram of carbohydrates, fat, protein or fibre will always be the same amount of kcal, regardless of the source.

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I mean, they could swap some protein for fats, increasing the kcal per 100g, but then Huel would have a higher fat percentage and not the optimal ratios they have now.

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Huel is food. Increase the amount you consume and you increase the calories.

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In spain we normally have a large meal, that at least is 800kcal. And normally 1200kcal.

To reach that number i should have to drink 3 huels or aprox 1,7 liters of huel more or less.

So, increasing the density of the food could be great in my case. Im sure that it is 400kcal is for a good reason and be balance of macros, but 500kcal per 100gr could be great for me

1 scoop (38g) is 155 kcal. With 3.2 scoops you’d reach 500 kcal. Making the standard recipe, this would be around 700ml, so just one shaker.

Edit: 3.2 scoops in the standard recipe is even only 640ml of liquid.

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Unlikely as it’s based on the ingredients and nutrients they contain. The only surefire way to increase calorie density would be to increase the percentage of fat which will change the composition of Huel.

Have you tried adding less water to your Huel, or do you prefer a thinner texture?

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And regarding heating foods containing sucralose: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-04/bfif-hcm041219.php & https://www.bfr.bund.de/cm/349/harmful-compounds-might-be-formed-when-foods-containing-the-sweetener-sucralose-are-heated.pdf .

Thanks for sharing Paulo. This study is a cool introduction but it’s not looking at the long term effects, it’s just one sip. The way they report the results is a bit iffy. They found no significant differences in the intermediate monocytes but this isn’t referred to much in the paper.

Also, they talk about a 67% decrease in non-classical monocytes (NCMs) but this is a relative figure. The absolute figure looking at the graph appears to be around a 4% decrease, which doesn’t sound as exciting.

The authors note in the introduction “Interestingly, the percentage of nonclassical monocytes has been shown to elevate in obese subjects that exhibit increased insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome” but sucralose DECREASED NCMs so I’m not sure about the relevance of this, but my immune system knowledge isn’t great.

The authors also conclude one of the points we make in our sucralose article “this study has some limitations including a possible participation of the sucralose sweet taste that may modify insulin secretion via the central nervous system”

Also 48mg is more than double the amount of sucralose in 100g of Huel and it doesn’t account for other nutrient interactions.

Huel isn’t heated to 120-150 degrees but even so the conclusion of the risk assessment is “However, there are currently insufficient data to draw final conclusions.” So we are still awaiting the results on the BfR’s risk assessment regarding heating sucralose.

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Seems like the article has been forced.

Unfortunately the sad part of research, in order to get funding you need catchy headlines…

Dan, have you tried making a vanilla flavored huel (or any flavored huel) with no sweetener? I feel like added sweetner is unnecessary because people can sweeten huel themselves with added ingredients (like flavor boosters, honey/agave, cinnamon, fruits, etc), or some kitchen sugar.

I have a saying for steak. You can always cook your steak some more, but you cannot uncook it.
I think the same can be said about making huel more sweeter.

That is why the unsweetened/unflavored version exists - for people to modify it themselves to their own tastes.

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Yeah if you want unsweetened vanilla, the best way to achieve that is with UU plus liquid natural vanilla essence.
I think they tried creating an unsweetened flavoured version but it didn’t work as the sweetener acts as a flavour enhancer.
There’s plenty ways to flavour UU yourself though with minimal effort or expense by using instant coffee powder, cacao powder, peanut powder, coconut nectar, etc

Great question and I know where you’re coming from. Yes, but to make a flavoured Huel without sweetener still requires something to, well, sweeten it to give the overall flavour profile required. So, if we don’t use a sweetener then some sort of sugar is required which affects the nutritional profile of Huel. So as others have mentioned go for U/U and add your own flavours to that.

You have evaluated Xylitol, only from the viewpoint of how little harm it does. Why not look also at the benefits of Xylitol, - which none of the others have in particular the benefits in restricting the growth of bacteria: The effect of xylitol on dental caries and oral flora - PMC

In fact: Studies show that Xylitol dental benefits include effectively decrease acid-producing bacteria by up to 90%. Xylitol also keeps the bacteria from adhering to teeth which decreases plaque. (Xylitol Dental Benefits - Kids Dental Online - Plano & Carrollton)

Brushing, flossing, or a professional cleaning alone cannot completely remove Pg, so it will persist, invade, and cause more harm to the infected patient.14 Xylitol is a prebiotic that prevents the adhesion and invasion of Pg and keeps it from oral propagating or entering the bloodstream and causing systemic disease.15

Because xylitol is a natural alternative to sugar, it tastes good (while not contributing to decay), making it an ideal remedy for pediatric patients or other difficult-to-treat populations.16 Formulated in chewing gum, xylitol can be offered frequently and successfully. Chewed three times a day, xylitol gum has been proven to significantly reduce the number of dental caries in patients, with few side effects.17 There are also xylitol mints, candies, toothpastes, mouth rinses, and sprays that are easy to implement in daily preventive care.(Add value for patients with integrated treatment, xylitol, and education | Dental Economics)

Don’t rinse your mouth using Huel.

sugar alcohols are ok for occasional snacks or gum that isn’t ingested but are not really suitable for larger volume consumption due to their (well earned) reputation for triggering explosive bowel movements. FYI the Daily A-Z drink uses sugar alcohols as sweeteners. Because of their effects on your bowel they can also contribute to dehydration if consumed too much.

I’ve never understood why so many people worry about sweeteners.
There are much worse “carcinogens” - even natural radioactive radiation from natural sources like carbon. Cigarettes, alcohol, refined carbs, even stress or bad sleep.

The problem with sugar alcohols is mostly “overdosing” - as conditions like fructose intolerance are rare.

And dehydration with Huel seems to be very unlikely - the shakes contain a high amount of water, in addition to what one usually drinks.