D-Tagatose Is a Promising Sweetener to Control Glycaemia: A New Functional Food

Table 1

Antihyperglycemic effect of D-tagatose.

Sample population	Methodology	Findings	Mechanism described or proposed
Normal subjects and type 2 diabetics patients.	They were given 75 g of glucose, 75 g of D-tag, or 75 g of D-tag 30 min prior to a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test.	The glucose area under the curve (AUC) was reduced significantly also by pretreatment with D-tag in a dose-dependent manner in patients with diabetes mellitus ( for 10 g D-tag, 1 for 20 g D-tag, and for 30 g D-tag) [8].	D-Tagatose directly inhibits the absorption of glucose by intestinal disaccharidases.
Type 2 diabetics patients.	They were given D-tag in three treatment groups: 2.5 g, 5.0 g, and 7.5 g given orally (three times daily, immediately prior to meals). Eight weeks after screening and stabilization of diabetics.	Only the 7.5 g dosage group exhibited reductions of fasting glucose from baseline at the 3- and 6-month time points [1].	Inhibition of sucrose activity by D-tag has been in rabbit small intestine.
Type 2 diabetics patients.	Two randomized groups were given a dose of D-tag (15 g) and the other group was given a dose of placebo (1.5 g), which were dissolved in 125 to 250 ml of water three times a day (TD).	D-Tagatose significantly reduced HbA1c compared to placebo.; D-Tagatose was effective at reducing the HbA1c level when administered for two months at doses of 15 g TID.; Also significant reductions in the HbA1c level at six and ten months were also met [9].	Unlike many other diabetes drugs, the longer the D-tagatose therapy, the better the efficacy, since the intestinal mucosa will be exposed for a longer period to D-tag.