Nestlé Health Science recently launched its first prediabetes program in Malaysia, with the introduction of a novel Mulberry leaf extract powder called Reducose which can be sprinkled over a meal to help maintain a normal blood glucose response. The ingredient is popular in traditional medicine in Asia for its role in lowering blood glucose spikes.
 
Today, it is estimated that 7.5% of the world’s adult population has prediabetes, a cluster of suboptimal metabolic functions which can progress into type 2 diabetes, leading to health complications and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
 
An accompanying digital platform that comes with the product also enables consumers to assess their diabetes risk and provides specific recommendations for prediabetes-friendly meal plans.
 
The extract was recently tested by Nestlé research scientists, in a clinical study which had significant results regarding glucose responses in prediabetic participants following a meal which contained 30% carbohydrates, the company reports.
 
“Best results were achieved when the product was mixed within the meal rather than when consumed separately just before,” Christian Darimont, metabolic health expert at Nestlé Research who performed the study, said. “Hence the importance of having the product in a format that can be sprinkled over a meal.”
 
The web-based digital platform created by Nestlé experts applies nutritional rules controlling the parameters that are most relevant in prediabetes, such as glycemic load, calorie, and sodium intake, to propose recipes from a proprietary recipe hub. The recipes are algorithmically combined into weekly prediabetes meal plans in line with local guidelines and recommendations for a healthy and balanced diet.
 
“It is really critical to prevent the onset of the disease, hence our focus on a comprehensive prediabetes program,” Yu Cheng, global head of metabolic health at Nestlé Health Science, said. “The program allows consumers to quickly assess their diabetic risks and then combines nutritional products with tailored recipe recommendations for managing meals and food intake in a more personalized way.”