Nutritional supplements

Abstract

The present invention provides nutritional supplements comprising alginate, in combination with pectin, which will form hydrogels in the stomach when exposed to the low pH of the gastric juice. The formation of a hydrogel will lead to delayed release of sugars and other active ingredients in the stomach. The nutritional supplements can comprise high concentrations of sugars and complex carbohydrates without causing unwanted gastrointestinal symptoms.

Claims

1. A method for providing carbohydrates to an athlete, comprising: consuming a sports drink before, during and/or after exercise, wherein the sports drink comprises, dissolved in water: a) 0.05 to 0.3 wt % alginate b) 0.03 to 0.2 wt % pectin, and c) 5 to 25 wt % active ingredients, wherein the active ingredients are selected from one or more of the ingredients consisting of sugars and complex carbohydrates, wherein the sports drink gels in gastric juice and is free of calcium, zinc and magnesium, and wherein the sports drink optionally further comprises electrolytes and/or amino acids.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the alginate content of the sports drink is 0.05 to 0.15 wt %.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pectin content of the sports drink is 0.03 to 0.1 wt %.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the total content of alginate and pectin in the sports drink is less than 0.25 wt %.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the content of active ingredients in the sport drink is 7 to 18 wt %.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sugar content in the sports drink is 4 to 25 wt %, and the content of complex carbohydrates in the sports drink is 4 to 9 wt %.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the alginate is high-guluronate (high-G) alginate.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pectin is high-methoxy pectin.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sugars comprise at least one or more of glucose, fructose, sucrose and isomaltose.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the complex carbohydrates comprise at least one or more of starch, maltodextrin, glucose syrup and fructose syrup.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the complex carbohydrates comprise maltodextrin.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the drink comprises one or more salts of sodium or potassium.

13. The method according to claim 1, comprising: dissolving a solid composition in water to produce the sports drink, wherein the solid composition comprises: (i) 0.5 to 1.5 wt % alginate, (ii) 0.3 to 1.0 wt % pectin, and (iii) 75 to 99 wt % active ingredients, and wherein the solid composition contains no calcium, zinc or magnesium and optionally further comprises mineral salts and/or amino acids.

14. The method according to claim 13, comprising: providing the sports drink to the athlete before, during and/or after exercise.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the sugar content of the solid composition is 25 to 95 wt %.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the sugar content of the solid composition is 30 to 75 wt %.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein the complex carbohydrates content of the solid composition is up to 80 wt %.

18. The method according to claim 13, wherein the complex carbohydrates content of the solid composition is 30 to 65 wt %.

19. The method according to claim 13, wherein the mineral salts comprise one or more salts of sodium or potassium.

20. A sports drink comprising, dissolved in water: a) 0.05 to 0.3 wt % alginate b) 0.03 to 0.2 wt % pectin, and c) 5 to 25 wt % active ingredients, wherein the active ingredients are selected from one or more of the ingredients consisting of sugars and complex carbohydrates, wherein the sports drink gels in gastric juice and is free of calcium, zinc and magnesium, wherein the sports drink optionally further comprises electrolytes and/or amino acids; and wherein the sugar content in the sports drink is 4 to 25 wt %, and the content of complex carbohydrates in the sports drink is 4 to 9 wt %.

21. The sports drink according to claim 20, wherein the alginate content of the sports drink is 0.05 to 0.15 wt %.

22. The sports drink according to claim 20, wherein the pectin content of the sports drink is 0.03 to 0.1 wt %.

23. The sports drink according to claim 20, wherein the total content of alginate and pectin in the sports drink is less than 0.25 wt %.

24. The sports drink according to claim 20, wherein the content of active ingredients in the sport drink is 7 to 18 wt %.

25. The sports drink according to claim 20, wherein the alginate is high-guluronate (high-G) alginate.

26. The sports drink according to claim 20, wherein the pectin is high-methoxy pectin.

27. The sports drink according to claim 20, wherein the sugars comprise at least one or more of glucose, fructose, sucrose and isomaltose.

28. The sports drink according to claim 20, wherein the complex carbohydrates comprise at least one or more of starch, maltodextrin, glucose syrup and fructose syrup.

29. The sports drink according to claim 28, wherein the complex carbohydrates comprise maltodextrin.

30. The sports drink according to claim 20, wherein the drink comprises one or more salts of sodium or potassium.

Description

LEGENDS TO THE FIGURES

(1) FIG. 1. Release of sucrose from one formulation in simulated gastric fluid (SGF) repeated in three experiments. Mean and standard deviation are plotted against time after start of experiment. (-◯-). Formulation consisted of 12 wt % sucrose, 0.4 wt % alginate and 0.6 wt % HM-pectin. As a reference, corresponding to 100% release, the formulation was mixed with tap water (---).

(2) FIG. 2. Release of sucrose from four different formulations in simulated gastric fluid (SGF). BRIX concentration measured in SGF given as percentage of BRIX-concentration of reference solution.

(3) Exp. I: 0.2 wt % alginate, 0.3 wt % pectin (⋅⋅◯⋅⋅)

(4) Exp. II: 0.1 wt % alginate, 0.15% pectin (--Δ--)

(5) Exp. III: 0.125 wt % alginate, 0.375 wt % pectin (--.square-solid.--)

(6) Exp. IV: 0.4 wt % alginate, 0.6 wt % pectin (⋅⋅X⋅⋅)

(7) FIG. 3. Release of sucrose from one formulation in simulated gastric fluid (SGF) plotted against time after start of experiment. (-.circle-solid.-). Formulation consisted of 12 wt % sucrose, 0.18 wt % alginate+HM-pectin. As a reference, corresponding to 100% release, the formulation was mixed with tap water (-.box-tangle-solidup.-).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(8) Upon digestion the liquid nutritional supplements comprising pectin and alginate will form a gel in the stomach when exposed to the low pH of gastric juice. The gel formation will lead to slow release of sugars in the stomach (FIGS. 1, 2 and 3), avoiding unwanted gastrointestinal symptoms.

(9) Pectin

(10) Pectin, also known as pectic polysaccharides, is a structural hetero polysaccharide contained in the cell wall of terrestrial plant, and rich in galacturonic acid. Several distinct polysaccharides have been identified and characterised within the pectic group. Homogalacturonans are linear chains of α-(1-4)-linked D-galacturonic acid. Rhamnogalacturonan I pectins (RG-I) contain a backbone of the repeating disaccharide: .fwdarw.4)-α-D-galacturonic acid-(1,2)-α-L-rhamnose-(1.fwdarw.. From many of the rhamnose residues, sidechains of various neutral sugars branch off. The neutral sugars are mainly D-galactose, L-arabinose and D-xylose, with the types and proportions of neutral sugars varying with the origin of pectin. Another structural type of pectin is rhamnogalacturonan II (RG-II), which is a less frequent, complex, highly branched polysaccharide. Rhamnogalacturonan II can be classified within the group of substituted galacturonans since the rhamnogalacturonan II backbone is made exclusively of D-galacturonic acid units.

(11) Isolated pectin has a molecular weight of typically 60-150,000 g/mol, varying with origin and extraction conditions.

(12) The carboxyl group of the homogalacturonan is, in nature, highly esterified with methyl groups (typically ˜70%). The proportion between methylated and non-methylated carboxyl groups, or the degree of methylation (DM) depends among other aspects on maturity of the plant. Once the homogalacturonan is extracted from the plant, the DM is routinely varied, either increased via dispersion in methanol under acid conditions or decreased via acid, alkali or enzymic treatment. The ratio of esterified to non-esterified galacturonic acid determines the gelation behavior of pectin. Pectin with a high degree of methyl esters (>50%) are denoted high methoxy pectin (HM pectin) or high ester pectin (HE pectin) and those with low methoxy content (<50%) as low methoxy pectin (LM pectin) or low ester pectin (LE pectin).

(13) The non-esterified galacturonic acid units can be either free acids (carboxyl groups) or salts with sodium, potassium, or calcium. The salts of partially esterified pectins are called pectinates, if the degree of esterification is below 5 percent the salts are called pectates, the insoluble acid form, pectic acid. All forms of pectin, including HM-pectin, LM-pectin, and amidated LM-pectin, can be used according to the invention. The preferred pectin is HM-pectin

(14) Alginates

(15) Alginate, also called algin or alginic acid, is an anionic polysaccharide distributed widely in the cell walls of brown algae. Alginate acid is a linear copolymer with homopolymeric blocks of (1-4)-linked β-D-mannuronate (M) and its C-5 epimer α-L-guluronate (G) residues, respectively, covalently linked together in different sequences or blocks. The monomers can appear in homopolymeric blocks of consecutive G-residues (G-blocks), consecutive M-residues (M-blocks) or alternating M and G-residues (MG-blocks). All forms of alginate, including high-G alginate (>50% G) and high-M alginate (>50% M), can be used according to the invention. The preferred alginate is high-G alginate. The counter ion can e.g. be sodium (sodium-alginate), potassium (potassium-alginate), ammonium (ammonium alginate) or other suitable monovalent cations, or mixtures thereof.

(16) Sugars

(17) Sugars that can be used according to invention, but not limited to, are monosaccharides like glucose, fructose, galactose, disaccharides like lactose, maltose, sucrose, lactulose, trehalose, cellobiose.

(18) Complex Carbohydrates

(19) Complex carbohydrates that can be used according to the invention, but not limited to, are components of starch like amylose and amylopectin, maltodextrin, glucose syrup and fructose syrup.

EXAMPLES

(20) Material and Methods

Experiment 1

(21) Glucose (12 g), fructose (6 g), alginate (0.4 g) and pectin (0.6 g) were mixed with water (total weight 100 g) by shaking in a small bottle. After at least 1 min, 15 ml of the mixture was poured into 40 ml of simulated gastric fluid (SGF) in a 60-ml cylindrical container (inner diameter 26 mm, length 120 mm) which was slowly rotated (16 rpm). Samples (0.20 ml) of the SGF were taken at 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18 and 21 min. As a reference, an aqueous solution containing all ingredients including SGF, but excluding alginate and pectin, was used. Optical density and corresponding BRIX-concentration was measured by an ATAGO PAL-3 refractometer.

Experiment 2

(22) Same as experiment 1 but with only 0.18 g alginate+pectin.

(23) Results

(24) The formulations formed gels in contact with SGF.

(25) Using a formulation containing 0.4 wt % alginate and 0.6 wt % pectin, free sucrose concentration in SGF after 21 min was less than 50% of the reference (FIG. 1). The rate of release was dependent on the amount of the gelling agent alginate and pectin. (FIG. 2 and FIG. 3).